Lerins, a leading independent French law firm, announces the launch of its U.S. Desk, marking a significant expansion of its international capabilities. This initiative is set to reinforce Lerins’ expertise in cross-border business operations, providing seamless guidance to international clients through the complexities of global transactions.

 

With a significant part of its activities in international transactions and a large number of its client base originating overseas, Lerins has a distinguished track record in successfully advising both French and global businesses on an international level.

The firm positions itself as a pragmatic partner, delivering customized advice and offering holistic legal solutions to a diverse client portfolio, including multinational companies, investment funds, SMEs, and entrepreneurs in strategic sectors such as healthcare, media, and technology.

The US desk will be led by co-managing partner Mathilde Croze, alongside partners Elsa Rodrigues and Laurent Segal.

“With our partners having a bicultural legal background and education and a deep understanding of the American market and needs of US general counsels, the decision of creating a dedicated U.S. Desk was a natural move”, states Managing Partner Mathilde Croze.

“We’ve identified increasing demands from our French and International clients looking to expand into the U.S., as well as from American businesses seeking to establish and grow in France”, adds Elsa Rodrigues.

“Given our firm’s strong experience in cross-border transactions, our team is perfectly positioned to provide expert advice to businesses with both inbound and outbound objectives”, concludes Laurent Segal.

 

About Lerins’ US desk team

Mathilde Croze – Partner

Mathilde Croze is French- American, Co-Managing Partner of Lerins. She is an agile high-performing expert in Technology, Innovation, Data Privacy and Intellectual Property Law as well as Tech M&A and regulated digital matters requiring strong and in-deph technical skills, expertise and industry knowledge. Her work encompasses IT contracting, IP licensing, advice in digital activities, data privacy, for a wide range of clients from startups to foreign companies wanting to enter the EU / French market but also large international groups or associations. Most recently, she has been at the forefront of the debate on the use of IA in the entertainment industry. . Mathilde is graduated from the University Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne. She represents EMEA members at the Executive Committee of Lawyers Associated Worldwide (LAW).

 

Elsa Rodrigues – Partner

Elsa Rodrigues is a partner within the firm’s Dispute Resolution team. She has a robust background in handling international complex disputes, whether through negotiation, litigation, or arbitration. Her expertise includes corporate disputes, commercial litigation, product liability and industrial risks. Elsa has furthermore specialized in resolving legal issues faced by online platforms and handles all related disputes and legal matters. She has extensive experience in international arbitration and in mediation, including an accreditation by the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage de Paris (CMAP) and the Paris Court of Appeal as a Mediator.

Admitted to the Paris and New York Bars, Elsa is graduated from the University of New York (LL.M) and is a Member of the Board of the French American Bar Association (FABA).

 

Laurent Segal – Partner

Laurent Segal is a partner within the Firm’s M&A – Private Equity team. He specializes in external growth operations (acquisitions, mergers, sale of companies or entire business units), internal restructuring of corporate groups, as well as governance and conflicts among partners.
He has also developed recognized expertise in strategic alliances, the establishment of joint ventures/inter-company consortia. Laurent primarily works with international groups and their French subsidiaries.

He is graduated from the Washington College of Law (LLM) and Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne University.