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Denis Chemla

Partner

Email

denis.chemla@aoshearman.com

Phone

+33 (0)1 40 06 53 03

Offices

Paris

V-CARD

Denis is Head of France Disputes. Denis encompasses a wide range of complex litigation matters both in civil and criminal courts.

He appears in court for major international corporates or financial institutions, practicing principally in banking and finance, corporate and securities litigation, regulatory defence work and white-collar crime. He assists clients in all types of French and cross-border regulatory and criminal investigations. Under Denis’ leadership, his team has developed a significant expertise in internal investigations. He also has substantial experience in product liability litigation, with a strong focus on aviation.

His practice is quintessentially international and he has gained considerable experience dealing with complex cross-border issues, such as conflicts of law and jurisdiction and devising international litigation strategies involving France and other countries. Denis is one of the few practitioners to appear regularly before the courts of French-speaking African countries, where he represents international corporates and financial institutions in commercial and criminal matters.

Denis served in the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in 1999 as a legal advisor to the Head of Mission. He is also the Spokesperson of Droits d'Urgence, a non-governmental organisation providing free legal aid to disadvantaged groups. A former member of the French National Human Rights Commission (by the appointment of the Prime Minister), he teaches international litigation at ESCP Europe, a leading European Business School.

He is currently serving as an officer of the Litigation Committee of the International Bar Association.

In December 2013, Denis was elected as a member of the Paris Bar Council (Conseil de l'Ordre des Avocats) – the governing body of the Paris Bar. In December 2017, Denis was awarded the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, the highest order of merit in France.

Experience

Pro bono

  • Denis is the Spokesperson of Droits d'Urgence, a non-governmental organization providing free legal aid to disadvantaged groups.
  • Denis also served in the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in 1999 as a legal advisor to the Head of Mission.
  • Denis has served as legal expert to the Council of Europe in numerous legal assistance field missions in Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, Armenia, Ukraine and Georgia.
  • Denis won in October 2013 the prestigious PILnet pro bono award at the 7th annual European Pro Bono Forum. 

Published Work

  • Pro Bono : de l'action individuelle à l'action politique, Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires, December 2013
  • Trois questions à Denis Chemla, Erwan Poisson, Michael Young, Option Droit & Affaires, May 2013
  • The validity of one-way jurisdiction clauses put at risk by the French Supreme Court, PLC Dispute Resolution, November 2012 (co-written with Erwan Poisson, Camille Fléchet)
  • La procédure accusatoire garantit-elle les droits de la défense ?, Lettre des Juristes d'Affaires, December 2011
  • Conseil constitutionnel et mariage gay : service minimum ; Note sous Conseil constitutionnel, QPC, 28 January 2011, Corine C et a. numéro 2010-92 QPC », La Gazette du Palais, April 2011
  • Réforme de la garde à vue : de qui se moque-t-on ?, La Gazette du Palais, January 2011
  • Pro bono : les exclus ont toujours plus besoin de nous, La Gazette du Palais, November 2010 (co-written with Jean-Luc Bédos)
  • Carte judiciaire : du courage !, Les Echos, 12 October 2007
  • LVMH/Morgan Stanley : un arrêt "remarquable", Option Finance, September 2006 (co-written with Frédéric Grillier)
  • Référé probatoire et secret bancaire : un secret bien gardé, Revue de Droit Bancaire et Financier, May 2004 (co-written with Emmanuelle Bouretz)
  • Prospectus liability in Europe and the US: Understanding the issues, Global Counsel, September 2003 (co-written with Julian Copeman and Alex Bafi)
  • Denis Chemla was Chief editor of the Code des droits contre l'exclusion, Dalloz, 2011.

Speaking Engagements

  • The 16th edition of the “Rencontres Économiques d'Aix-en-Provence” an economic forum organized by Le Cercle des économistes since 2001 which brings together business leaders, academics, international organizations, NGOs, politicians and students scoping to vitalize economic debate at the French, European and international levels, July 2016
  • “Money laundering of tax evasion proceedings under” French law in Switzerland, at the request of the Geneva Bar, November 2016

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

  • Member of the Paris Bar Council (Conseil de l'Ordre des Avocats), the governing body of the Paris Bar since January 2014
  • Chair, EC jurisdiction and judgment Subcommittee, Litigation Committee, International Bar Association
  • Former Member, French National Human Rights Commission
  • Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
  • Member, Pro Bono Council of the Public Interest Law Institute (PILnet)
  • Member, Paris Bar Council 

Recognition

“He keeps us abreast of what is going on in litigation. He explains clearly the French litigation process and is knowledgeable of the law. He is also timely, organized and thinks outside the box on difficult issues.”
Chambers Global 2024 - (Litigation Elite)
“Denis Chemla is a very good litigator and is well respected.”
Chambers Europe 2023 - France (White collar crime)

Awards

  • Band 3, Chambers Global 2024 - (Litigation Elite)
  • Denis is a recognized practitioner by « Best Lawyers » since 2010 in Arbitration and Meditation, Aviation Law, Criminal Defense and Litigation.
  • Recognized in the Top 40 Lawyers of the CAC 40 - Paris, Forbes Magazine - 21 June 2023
  • Band 1, Chambers Europe 2023 - France (White collar crime)
  • Band 3, Chambers Global/ Europe 2023 - France (Litigation)
  • Leading individual, Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - France (White collar crime)

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted to the Bar, New York, 1990

Admitted to the Bar, Paris, 1987

Academic

LL.M., General Legal Studies, New York University School of Law, 1990

Post Graduate, International Law, University of Paris II, Panthéon Assas, 1986

Msc, Private Law, University of Paris II, Panthéon Assas, 1985 

Languages

English, French
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.