20 leading competition law lawyers in France in 2026
Impact Lawyers' editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in competition 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Wachsmann | Linklaters | State aid and market regulation |
| Antoine Winckler | Cleary Gottlieb | EU and national competition law |
| Arnaud Sanz | Clifford Chance | Competition litigation |
| Cécile de Corbière | Clifford Chance | Competition litigation |
| Christophe Lemaire | Ashurst Perkins Coie | Antitrust and regulation |
| David Henry | McDermott Will & Schulte | State aid and market regulation |
| Emmanuelle van den Broucke | Jones Day | EU and national competition law |
| François Brunet | Cleary Gottlieb | EU and national competition law |
| François Renard | A&O Shearman | Antitrust and regulation |
| Jérôme Philippe | Freshfields | Merger control and antitrust |
| Joseph Vogel | Vogel & Vogel | Merger control and antitrust |
| Laurent Geelhand | Hausfeld | Merger control and antitrust |
| Noël Chahid-Nouraï | Gide Loyrette Nouel | Antitrust and regulation |
| Olivier d’Ormesson | Linklaters | Antitrust and regulation |
| Olivier Fréget | Fréget Glaser & Associés | Competition litigation |
| Pierre Fabre | Bredin Prat | Competition litigation |
| Pierre Zelenko | Linklaters | Merger control and antitrust |
| Sébastien Evrard | Gibson Dunn | State aid and market regulation |
| Sophie Pelé | Dechert | State aid and market regulation |
| Vanessa Scherrer | Bredin Prat | EU and national competition law |
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 merger control, cartels, abuse of dominance, State aid, distribution and antitrust 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.
