Reed Smith is to boost its
Paris offering with the hire of a real estate partner from local outfit De Pardieu Brocas Maffei. Stephane Illouz will join the firm as a partner in late September with two associates.
Illouz’s practice focuses on transactional real estate work but he also has experience in providing corporate, restructuring and debt advice to clients in the real estate sector.
The team hire gives Reed Smith its first lawyers focusing primarily on real estate matters and more than doubles the number of lawyers with real estate experience in the office.
Roger Parker, Reed Smith’s head of Europe and the Middle East, told Legal Week that the firm wanted to emulate the success it has had cross-selling real estate work between the UK and German offices.
He said: “Stephane will take our Paris real estate practice to another level. We are confident that our successful cross-selling between offices will be significantly enhanced as a result. He is coming to lead and kickstart this practice. We are looking to expand that business.”
Reed Smith has roughly 35 lawyers in Paris.
The news comes as Bryan Cave has also added to its new French capacity, with the hire of litigation partner Jilali Maazouz from Dechert. Bryan Cave launched its Paris office in July through an affiliation with two Dechert partners — M&A partner Kathie Claret and public and private funds partner Joseph Smallhoover.
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