20 leading civil law lawyers in France in 2026
Impact Lawyers' editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in civil law in France. Lawyers are listed alphabetically by surname: the table order does not establish internal positions or identify one professional as superior to another.
| Lawyer | Firm | Main profile |
|---|---|---|
| Anouchka Assouline | Assouline Avocats | Contracts, liability and civil litigation |
| Brigitte Guizard | Guizard & Associés | Family, property and civil disputes |
| Caroline Mécary | Cabinet Caroline Mécary | Family, property and civil disputes |
| Claire Jolibois | ADER JOLIBOIS | Complex civil litigation and cross-border matters |
| Coline Dassant | Cabinet Dassant | Civil liability, damages and private disputes |
| Delphine Eskenazi | Libra Avocats | Complex civil litigation and cross-border matters |
| Elodie Mulon | CM&A | Complex civil litigation and cross-border matters |
| Gildas Rostain | Clyde & Co | Contracts, liability and civil litigation |
| Hansu Yalaz | CM&A | Complex civil litigation and cross-border matters |
| Jean-Daniel Bretzner | Bredin Prat | Civil liability, damages and private disputes |
| Jean-Yves Garaud | Cleary Gottlieb | Civil liability, damages and private disputes |
| Jennifer Tervil | CM&A | Family, property and civil disputes |
| Jérôme Boursican | Cabinet Boursican | Family, property and civil disputes |
| Maxime Eppler | DBO Avocats | Family, property and civil disputes |
| Michel Lacorne | ADER JOLIBOIS | Contracts, liability and civil litigation |
| Muriel Cadiou | Cadiou & Associés | Complex civil litigation and cross-border matters |
| Sylvie Gallage-Alwis | Signature Litigation | Contracts, liability and civil litigation |
| Thomas Rouhette | Signature Litigation | Civil liability, damages and private disputes |
| Véronique Chauveau | CM&A | Contracts, liability and civil litigation |
| Véronique Levy-Riveline | Cabinet Levy-Riveline | Civil liability, damages and private disputes |
How the ranking was prepared
This selection was built from scratch through Impact Lawyers’ own editorial review of professional and public information available through 2026. It does not reproduce or adapt the order of third-party directories, awards or rankings. Profiles were identified and cross-checked using current professional biographies, official law-firm information, publicly verifiable matters and transactions, publications, institutional and academic activity and international experience.
For this practice area, particular attention was paid to contracts and obligations, civil liability, damages, property rights, private disputes and civil litigation.
The editorial assessment combines five dimensions:
- Depth, continuity and genuine specialisation in the practice: 30%.
- Complexity and relevance of publicly verifiable matters, transactions or responsibilities: 25%.
- Technical command and ability to handle complex matters within the specialty: 20%.
- Professional leadership, independent judgement and ability to lead significant mandates: 15%.
- International profile and doctrinal, academic or institutional contribution: 10%.
Impact Lawyers' own editorial approach
Inclusion does not depend on firm size, media visibility or presence in other rankings. The selection is intended to reflect different practice models, combining major firms, specialist boutiques and professionals with a particularly distinctive individual track record. The apparent number of wins, transactions or clients is not used as an automatic measure because public information is uneven and many matters remain confidential.
How to interpret the selection
This ranking is an editorial snapshot of the market based on public information available in 2026. It does not measure fees, guarantee outcomes or claim that any included professional is the right choice for every matter. The choice of counsel should take into account the precise specialty, potential conflicts of interest, jurisdiction, availability, language, budget and relationship of trust.
Professional careers and firm structures can change. Future editions should therefore verify partner moves, new firms, changes of role and potential incompatibilities before publication.
