Industrial Risk

Lawyers of the Industrial Risks practice provide both advisory and litigation support, and support clients in all phases of industrial transactions, including structuring, implementing projects, and when concerns or issues arise during the lifecycle of industrial facilities.

Assisting industrial companies, brokers and manufacturers as well as their insurers, our team has an in-depth understanding of the needs and expectations of the various players in the sector and boasts a broad range of capabilities, as well as a high level of responsiveness and commitment to clients.

Our clients base includes manufacturers, distributors, importers, public and private contracting authorities, industrial site operators, maintenance companies, design and engineering offices, subcontractors and insurance companies and brokers. They operate in various sectors such as steel industry, phytosanitary industry, pharmacy & paramedical, food industry, chemistry, energy, public works and civil engineering, fire safety, building products and insurance.

In the above areas, we prioritise business oriented amicable settlement during the pre-litigation phase, and if not feasible, represents them in courts trial, arbitration proceedings, and all other types of alternative dispute resolution.

Once the client's needs have been identified, each case is initially reviewed by a senior lawyer (partner or of counsel) who defines the objectives and resources required to answer the client’s request.

Extensive experience in all stages of the construction and operations of industrial sites, including
  • Assistance in structuring contracts for the construction and operation of industrial sites.
  • Reviewing and drafting contracts related to construction, engineering, consortiums, subcontracting, industrial equipment supplies, licensing, maintenance, repair, distribution, and services
  • In cooperation with the firm’s Intellectual Property team, assistance and defence of companies’ trademarks, patents, domain names, and designs.
  • Assistance in crisis management: withdrawals, protective measures, emergency legal proceedings, carrying out preventive proceedings (interim proceedings, legal expert appraisals).
  • Assistance in putting in place insurance to cover the assets and liabilities of a company and its executives
  • Civil and criminal defence of a company and its directors if prosecuted for the construction or rehabilitation of industrial sites or the manufacture, supply, installation, maintenance, or operations of industrial and technological products or equipment.
  • Preparing and analyzing claims for compensation for physical, material and non-material damages
With regard to occupational health and safety
  • Prevention of work related health and safety risks within a company
  • Civil and criminal defence of companies and their executives in work-related accidents and occupational diseases
  • Assistance in putting in place insurance policies to cover a company’s liability
With regard to product safety
  • Product safety and compliance with regulations governing special business sectors
  • Civil and criminal defence of companies and their executives prosecuted for defective products (non-compliance, failure to perform, latent defects and lack of security in the event of serial claims, insufficient advice, late delivery, etc.)
  • Civil and criminal defence of companies and their executives prosecuted for a lack of product safety

In all of these areas, the department assists its clients by giving priority to resolving disputes during the pre-litigation phase, and represents them in government-related disputes, arbitration proceedings, and all other types of alternative dispute resolution.

  • Provided assistance and advice to two manufacturers and suppliers of material-handling equipment suspected of being involved in a fire on the premises of a sanitary equipment distributor
  • Provided assistance and advice to a cosmetics and perfume packaging manufacturer faced with the malfunctioning of newly acquired industrial equipment
  • Provided assistance and advice to the operator of a petroleum product storage site in connection with reporting occupational diseases suspected of being related to the exposure to benzene
  • Provided assistance and advice to an insurer in connection with anomalies affecting the operations of a cogeneration plant operated by a motor vehicle manufacturer.