Cohen & Gresser is pleased to share that The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) 2025 edition has recognized the firm’s Paris office for excellence in Stock Market Litigation, Employment, Tax, and White-Collar Crime.

Paris Managing Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon has been named to the Hall of Fame for Stock Market Litigation, a distinction awarded to those at the pinnacle of the profession—widely respected by peers and clients for their extensive experience and impact on market-leading cases. This recognition highlights her exceptional expertise handling litigation involving publicly listed companies, as well as AMF investigations and sanction proceedings. She is also recognized as a Recommended Lawyer for White-Collar Crime.

Partner Franck Le Mentec is once again recognized as a Leading Partner in Transfer Pricing and International Tax. This ranking highlights his role as a top practitioner in the field, leading high-profile transactions and earning the trust and endorsement of both clients and peers.

The 2025 guide also recognizes Partner Angéline Duffour as a Recommended Lawyer for Employment, highlighting her expertise in navigating complex and strategic matters. Partner Vincent Desry is named a Recommended Lawyer for White-Collar Crime, reflecting his strong reputation in this area. Additionally, Counsels Guillaume Guérin and Pierre Wolman are recognized as Recommended Lawyers for Stock Market Litigation, highlighting their expertise in handling litigation involving publicly listed companies, as well as AMF investigations and sanction proceedings.

Established in 2014, Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office provides comprehensive legal services on corporate, employment, tax, financial services, white-collar defense, and litigation-related matters. Our Paris lawyers work closely with the lawyers in our U.S. and UK offices on cross-border transactions, investigations, and litigation, providing superior service to our French and international clients.

The Legal 500 EMEA guide provides annual researched coverage of over 80 countries and over 2,700 law firms. The research involves a detailed assessment of various factors, including work conducted by law firms over the past 12 months and historically, experience and depth of teams, and client feedback.

Cohen & Gresser, an international law firm, announces the appointment of Muriel Goldberg-Darmon as Managing Partner of its Paris office. This appointment coincides with the firm’s 10^th anniversary in France, marking a significant milestone in its growth.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, a Partner of Cohen & Gresser since 2016 and a recognized expert in financial markets and services, brings a strategic vision that aligns with the firm’s long-term ambitions. Her appointment underscores the firm’s commitment to strengthening its position as an international law firm.

Beyond the deep expertise of its teams in each office, the firm is particularly renowned for its skill in handling high-stakes cases, including litigation, criminal defense, and corporate matters.

“I am honored to lead Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office. My goal is to continue to strengthen our position in France and internationally by reinforcing our teams and working closely with our offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and London. We are committed to providing effective and strategic legal solutions to meet the challenges faced by our French and international clients.”

Lawrence T. Gresser, Global Managing Partner of Cohen & Gresser, adds: “Muriel’s strategic vision, her understanding of the market, and her commitment to clients make her an ideal choice to lead our Paris office.”

About Muriel Goldberg-Darmon

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Managing Partner of Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office, specializes in financial markets and services. She is involved in listed and unlisted M&A transactions as well as aspects of corporate governance, activism, and financial communication.

She also represents clients in the context of investigation, control, and sanction procedures with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) as well as international cooperation procedures with other regulatory authorities (FCA, SEC, etc.). She also assists her clients in criminal proceedings, particularly before the Parquet national financier (PNF) and the Office national anti-fraude (ONAF).

Muriel has been recognized by Legal 500, Best Lawyers in France, and Lexology (formerly Who’s Who Legal). Before joining Cohen & Gresser in 2016, Muriel was a partner at Dentons and DLA Piper. She holds a Ph.D. and two master’s degrees from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, and also teaches at HEC Paris. She also serves as the French Chapter Leader of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association and as Vice Co-Chair for Europe and Latin America.

About Cohen & Gresser

Founded in 2002, Cohen & Gresser is an international law firm with offices in New York, Paris, Washington, D.C., and London. We have an outstanding record of success in high-stakes and high-profile litigation, investigations, and transactions for our clients, including major financial institutions and companies across the world. The firm has approximately 80 lawyers.

The Paris office advises a broad French and international clientele on corporate M&A, financial market law, regulatory compliance, labor law, tax law, civil, commercial and criminal litigation, including white collar defense.

Press contacts

Amélie Lerosier – amelie@blue-wall.com – (33) 6 63 58 34 62

Press coverage

Gouvernance: Cohen & Gresser nomme Muriel Goldberg-Darmon managing partner du bureau de Paris, Décideurs Juridiques, Feb. 25, 2025.

European Partner Hires and Leadership Shifts, Law360, March 20, 2025.

Who’s Who Legal (WWL) has recognized Muriel Goldberg-Darmon in its 2024 global guides for Business Crime Defence – Corporates and Business Crime Defence – Individuals. She was also recognized earlier this year in the Investigations category. The global guides offer an in-depth report into the leading lawyers around the world that stand out among peers for their exceptional work representing companies, corporate officers, and individuals in these fields.

Additionally, she is recognized in the France – Business Crime Defence & Investigations national guide, a comprehensive report highlighting the most highly regarded lawyers in France.

WWL is a prestigious legal directory that identifies the leading lawyers, legal experts, and firms across various practice areas worldwide. Based on comprehensive, independent research and peer reviews, WWL highlights professionals recognized for their expertise and consistent track record of success in their fields. The publication serves as a trusted resource for in-house counsel, clients, and law firms seeking top-tier legal talent across jurisdictions.

Five of our Paris-based lawyers have been recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in France.

Johannes Jonas is recognized for corporate law. His practice focuses on cross-border transactions and investments, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, and general commercial law.

Angéline Duffour is recognized for labor and employment law. Her practice focuses on all aspects of employment law in a diverse range of industries (including hospitality and leisure, life sciences and health care, chemical industries, luxury, fashion and transportation).

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon is recognized for banking and finance law, financial institutions, mergers and acquisitions law, and regulatory practice. Her practice focuses on advising listed companies and their managers, investment funds, insurance companies, and financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory and compliance issues, investigations, and corporate transactions.

Franck Le Mentec is recognized for tax law. His practice focuses on cross-border taxation, both for multinational enterprises and private clients.

Guillaume Guérin is recognized for regulatory practice. His practice focuses on advising publicly listed and non-listed companies and their managers, investment funds, and financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory and compliance issues, investigations, and corporate transactions.

The Best Lawyers in France relies entirely on peer review to determine and recognize professional excellence.

Established in 2014, Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office provides comprehensive legal services for our clients, including advising on corporate, employment, tax, financial services, white collar defense, and litigation-related matters. Our Paris attorneys work closely with the lawyers in our other offices on cross-border transactions, investigations, and litigation, in order to provide superior service to French and international clients.

Cohen & Gresser partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon has been recognized as “Incontournable” (Key Individual) in the 2024 edition of Décideurs Magazine for stock market litigation, encompassing investigations with the French financial market and banking authorities (AMF and ACPR).

John Gibson, Richard Kovalevsky KC, and Andrew Mitchell KC from our London office, and Muriel Goldberg-Darmon from our Paris office, have each been recognized by Who’s Who Legal (WWL) as recommended lawyers for the Investigations category for 2024. The report highlights the foremost lawyers working on a wide range of issues in white-collar crime, corporate compliance, and regulatory enforcement.

Andrew is also recognized in both the Criminal Fraud and Investigations categories of the UK Bar Silks report, which lists “the very best barristers … across over 28 areas of business and commercial law, including some of the leading litigators globally.”

WWL identifies leading lawyers across 80 areas of law and in more than 150 countries. Leading practitioners are determined by independent analysis of recommendations and feedback from eminent private practitioners in a particular sector or industry, as well as from corporate counsel or other clients who have worked closely with the nominees.

Cohen & Gresser is pleased to share that The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) 2024 edition has recognized the firm’s Paris office for excellence in Stock Market Litigation, Employment and Tax.

Partner Franck Le Mentec is one of only four lawyers in France recognized as a Leading Individual in Transfer Pricing and International Tax, and partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon is one of only 16 lawyers in France recognized as a Leading Individual for Stock Market Litigation, encompassing AMF investigations and sanction proceedings.

The 2024 edition also recognized partner Angéline Duffour as a recommended lawyer for Employment, and counsel Guillaume Guérin as a recommended lawyer for Stock Market Litigation.

Established in 2014, Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office provides comprehensive legal services on corporate, employment, tax, financial services, white-collar defense, and litigation-related matters. Our Paris lawyers work closely with the lawyers in our U.S. and UK offices on cross-border transactions, investigations, and litigation, providing superior service to our French and international clients.

The Legal 500 EMEA guide provides annual researched coverage of over 80 countries and over 2,700 law firms. The research involves a detailed assessment of various factors, including work conducted by law firms over the past 12 months and historically, experience and depth of teams, and client feedback.

Who’s Who Legal (WWL) has recognized Muriel Goldberg-Darmon as a Global Leader in Business Crime Defence - Corporates, Business Crime Defence - Individuals, and Investigations for 2023. Additionally, she is recognized as a National Leader in France - Business Crime Defence & Investigations.

WWL identifies leading lawyers across 35 practice areas and in more than 160 countries. Leading practitioners are determined by independent analysis of recommendations and feedback from eminent private practitioners in a particular sector or industry, as well as from corporate counsel or other clients who have worked closely with the nominees.  

Four Paris-based partners have been recognized in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in France. Angéline Duffour is recognized for labor and employment law. Muriel Goldberg-Darmon is recognized for banking and finance law, financial institutions, mergers and acquisitions law, and regulatory practice. Loïc Henriot is recognized for criminal defense and litigation. Johannes Jonas is recognized for corporate law. Best Lawyers relies entirely on peer review to determine and recognize professional excellence.

Cohen & Gresser is pleased to share that The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) has recognized the firm’s Paris office for excellence in Stock Market Litigation, Employment and Tax in its 2023 edition. Paris partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon is one of only 17 attorneys in France designated as a Leading Individual for Stock Market Litigation (including AMF investigations and sanction proceedings), and Paris partner Franck Le Mentec is one of only 4 attorneys in France designated as a Leading Individual in Transfer Pricing & International Tax.

The 2023 edition also recognized Paris partner Loïc Henriot and counsel Guillaume Guérin as recommended lawyers for Stock Market Litigation, and partner Angéline Duffour and counsel Anna Milleret-Godet as recommended lawyers for Employment.

Established in 2014, Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office provides comprehensive legal services on corporate, employment, tax, financial services, white-collar defense, and litigation-related matters. Our 14 Paris attorneys work closely with the lawyers in our other offices on cross-border transactions, investigations, and litigation, in order to provide superior service to French and international clients.

The Legal 500 EMEA guide provides annual researched coverage of over 80 countries and over 2,700 law firms. The research involves a detailed assessment of various factors including work conducted by law firms over the past 12 months and historically; experience and depth of teams; and client feedback. These latest Legal 500 recognitions for nearly half our Paris office are a testament to the firm’s extensive capabilities in the international arena.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon spoke with Global Investigations Review (GIR) to shed light on the new guidance published by France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office.

Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office has earned six practice rankings and 13 individual rankings in the 2022 Leaders League guide. Leaders League highlights the firm’s “experienced lawyers” and ability to handle complex, cross-border matters.

Leaders League is an independent research and rating agency that provides comprehensive rankings and in-depth analysis of law firms and lawyers. The rankings are based on extensive research by an experienced team of analysts.

Ranked Practice Areas:

• Marketing, communication & digital – Advertising law & marketing

• Media & entertainment – Fashion Law

Ranked Individuals:

• Franck Le Mentec: Wealth management – Wealth tax: regulation and litigation; Tax law – LBO tax

• Guillaume Guérin: Compliance – Compliance program

• Johannes Jonas: Private Equity – Development capital transactions

• Loïc Henriot: Dispute resolution – Litigation with regulators and for listed operations; Compliance – Compliance program; Compliance – International investigation and internal investigation; Dispute resolution – Banking & Finance Litigation; Dispute resolution – Commercial litigation; Labor & Employment – Criminal labor law; Dispute resolution – White collar crime

• Muriel Goldberg-Darmon: Dispute resolution – Litigation with regulators and for listed operations; Compliance – Compliance program; Compliance – International investigation and internal investigation; Private Equity – Development capital transactions; Asset management – Asset management

Established in 2014, Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office provides comprehensive legal services for our clients, including advising on corporate, employment, tax, financial services, white collar defense, and litigation-related matters. Our Paris attorneys work closely with the lawyers in our other offices on cross-border transactions, investigations, and litigation, in order to provide superior service to French and international clients.

Paris Partners Johannes Jonas, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, and Loïc Henriot were recognized in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in France. Johannes was recognized for Corporate Law; Muriel for Banking and Finance Law, Financial Institutions, Mergers and Acquisition Law, and Regulatory Practice; and Loïc for Criminal Defense and Litigation.

About The Best Lawyers in France

The Best Lawyers in France were recognized by their peers in the legal industry for their professional excellence in their respective practice areas.

International law firm Cohen & Gresser is pleased to announce that its Paris office has once again been recognized in The Legal 500’s 2022 Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) guide for its work in five practice areas: Commercial Litigation, Employment, IT and Internet, Stock Market Litigation, and Tax. The Legal 500 recognizes practices that are “providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel.” Clients recognized C&G for its “ability to synthesise, analyse and argue matters” and noted that the firm “has an extensive technical track record and is able to support French and foreign clients” on all types of issues. Two C&G lawyers received top-level rankings and have been recognized as “Leading Individuals” in their respective practice areas.

• Muriel Goldberg-Darmon: Stock Market Litigation
• Franck Le Mentec: Transfer Pricing and International Tax

The full list of C&G lawyers recognized in The Legal 500 2022 EMEA guide includes:

• Angéline Duffour: Employment
• Muriel Goldberg-Darmon: Stock Market Litigation
• Guillaume Guérin: Stock Market Litigation
• Loïc Henriot: Commercial Litigation; Stock Market Litigation
• Franck Le Mentec: Tax
• Anna Milleret-Godet: Employment
• Guillaume Seligmann: IT and Internet
• Nicolas Vacca: Tax

 

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon spoke with Global Investigations Review (GIR)  to shed light on some of the new modalities of the French blocking statute.

Paris Partners Johannes Jonas, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Loïc Henriot, and Guillaume Seligmann were recognized in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in France. Johannes was recognized for Corporate Law; Muriel for Financial Institutions and Regulatory Practice; Loïc for Criminal Defense; and Guillaume for Information Technology Law and Privacy and Data Security Law.  Additionally, Héloïse Masson was recognized in The Best Lawyers in France: Ones to Watch. Héloïse was recognized for Privacy and Data Security Law.

About The Best Lawyers in France
The Best Lawyers in France were recognized by their peers in the legal industry for their professional excellence in their respective practice areas.

Cohen & Gresser is pleased to announce that its Paris office has once again been recognized in The Legal 500’s 2021 Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) guide for its work in six practice areas: Commercial Litigation, Compliance, Employment, IT and Internet, Stock Market Litigation, and Tax. These practices were identified as “providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel.” Clients recognized C&G as “extremely agile and user-friendly” and highlighted the firm’s “professionalism” and “pragmatic approach” when handling their most complex matters.

Paris Partners Johannes Jonas, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Seligmann, and Loïc Henriot were recognized in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in France. Johannes was recognized for Corporate Law; Muriel for Financial Institutions and Regulatory Practice; Guillaume for Information Technology Law and Privacy and Data Security Law; and Loïc for Criminal Defense. Lawyers named to The Best Lawyers in France were recognized by their peers in the legal industry for their professional excellence in their respective practice areas.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon speaks with Caroline Ruellan, President of SONJ Conseil, about the relationship between shareholder dialogue and privileged information in an interview with Forbes.

(Regards croisés entre Caroline Ruellan, Présidente de SONJ Conseil et Muriel Goldberg-Darmon.)

Cohen & Gresser is pleased to announce that its Paris Office was honored as Regulatory Law Firm of the Year at the 2019 Women in Compliance Awards.This award recognizes the significant contributions of the women on our Regulatory Compliance team in providing exceptional legal counsel to the firm’s global clients.

Women in Compliance noted that C&G has "an impressive team with great experience and in which women are placed at its core," and applauded the firm's "ability to work on cross-border investigations, which involves the concurrent applicability of many laws and procedures of foreign jurisdictions."

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon speaks to L'Agefi regarding shareholder activism in France.

C&G has been shortlisted for the International Financial Law Review’s (IFLR) 2018 Europe Awards M&A Deal of the Year for its representation of Berendsen plc, a European textile, hygiene, and safety solutions business, in its takeover by a French laundry services group, Elis. C&G advised Berendsen on aspects of the transaction relating to the French stock market.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon speaks to Décideurs Magazine regarding activist investment funds and minority shareholders.

Dalenys, a fintech company based in France, was recently sold to Natixis for 160 million EUR. Cohen & Gresser's Paris team advised Dalenys throughout the transaction. The following French news outlets covered the story:

• “Natixis and Dalenys Join Forces in Payment Solutions for Retailers and e-Commerce,” Clobe Newswire.
• “Combination Project with Natixis to Create a European Leader of Payment Services,” Business Wire.
• “Nataxis: rachète la fintech Dalenys,” Zonebourse.

Cohen & Gresser announces the expansion of its White Collar Defense & Regulation team in Paris. Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon and Guillaume Guérin will advise listed companies and their managers, investment funds, insurance companies, and financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory and compliance issues, investigations, and corporate transactions.

In their latest article in Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman examine the European Commission's Omnibus Package, introduced on February 26, 2025, which aims to simplify sustainability reporting obligations and due diligence obligations by narrowing the scopes of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

The sanction Commission of the French financial markets Authority (AMF) has sanctioned a financial investment adviser (CIF) for non-compliance with the regulatory obligations applicable to its status when engaging in unregulated financial advice activities.

This decision highlights that when a CIF provides unregulated financial advice, it shall comply with all the regulatory obligations applicable to its status, as if it was providing an investment service.

Cohen & Gresser’s Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman explore all implications of this ruling in their latest article published in Finascope.

In their latest article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss the impact of the June 2024 European directive on due diligence for French companies. The directive aims to prevent negative human rights and environmental impacts from large companies, their subsidiaries, and business partners. It expands the obligations established by the 2017 French law, lowering the employee threshold and introducing stricter penalties. This shift will likely lead to increased litigation, especially as a new regulatory authority will oversee compliance and impose fines for violations.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman analyze the press release issued on May 29, 2024 by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) concerning the best practices to be followed by listed companies in their exchanges with financial analysts prior to the publication of financial results. They also discuss the French Financial Markets Autority’s position on the subject.

In this article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses a ruling of the French Judicial Supreme Court, which held that when a press agency causes a sharp fall in the share price by disseminating, even unintentionally, false or misleading information about a listed company, it can be sanctioned by the French Financial Markets Authority for market abuse.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman analyse a draft legislation, which intends to introduce the possibility for listed companies to issue shares with multiple voting rights at the time of their listing. In particular, they discuss the regime of those shares and the impact the draft legislation could have on the attractiveness of the Paris marketplace.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Eleonore Messina discuss the regulatory changes effective January 1, 2024, which extend the scope of foreign investment control in France.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss the four new recommendations on financial advertising published by the French Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority in collaboration with the French Financial Markets Authority. They also discuss the new certificate of responsible influence in the financial sector.

In this article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the contrast between the European regulatory framework, characterized by legal certainty (in particular with the new Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation – MiCA – scheduled to come into effect on December 30, 2024), and the regulatory framework in the U.S., characterized by an overlap, and even contradiction, between various applicable regulations. Muriel concludes that the absence of comprehensive U.S. legislation is likely to lead to substantial legal dispute.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon participated in a webinar co-organized by the Cercle des Administrateurs (Club for Board Members) and Euronext to discuss the evolution of the shareholders’ dialogue. In particular, Muriel focused on the say on pay evolutions over the last few years.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss how the implementation of the European CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) in France will significantly strengthen companies’ sustainability reporting obligations and increase their litigation risks. In particular, they address the disputes that could arise from the French Financial Market Authority (AMF) or from investors.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin and Pierre Wolman discuss the new guidelines regarding the conduct of an internal anti-corruption investigation, published in March 2023 by the French Anti-Corruption Agency and the French Financial Prosecutor's Office. Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin and Pierre Wolman also analyze the importance of the internal anti-corruption investigation in the context of the negotiation of a judicial public interest agreement (the equivalent of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement in the United States).

In this article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the Say on Climate and how it has become a major issue in recent years due to the increased expectations of shareholders for environmental and climate strategy. Muriel also describes the French and European regulations which are currently being put in place with respect to climate reporting.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin and Pierre Wolman discuss the reinforcement by the French Financial markets authority of its policy with respect to dilutive financing transactions. In particular, they describe the new disclosure requirements for listed companies, namely the obligation to publish a press release and a warning in the event of a dilutive financing transaction concluded with an intermediary.

In this article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the new US Rule 10 D-1 by which US executives of listed companies are required to reimburse their incentive-based compensation when there is an accounting restatement, even in the absence of fault. Muriel Goldberg-Darmon compares this new regulation with the French applicable rules and reminds that although the implementation of such clawback clauses is not mandatory under French law, such implementation should develop in the coming years.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Louise Le Guilchet, and Pierre Wolman address the complexity of the new European regulations, Taxonomie and CSRD (Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive), that strengthen the requirements for companies in terms of extra-financial reporting. They also analyze the risks litigation companies now face as a result of the new regulations.

In this newsletter for the Cercle des Administrateurs (Club for Board Members), Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the future European rules that will apply to crypto-asset service providers, as well as the regulations that will prevent and sanction market abuse involving crypto-assets. Muriel also analyzes the risk of increasing litigation in the crypto-asset sector.

In this article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon mentions certain rules that should be included in the final version of the European regulation on Markets in Crypto-asssets (the MiCA Regulation). In particular, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses topics concerning crypto-asset service providers, crypto-assets market abuse, stablecoins, and sustainable digital finance.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss how the new Control Guidelines published by the French Anticorruption Authority (AFA) clarify the sequence of the control procedure and integrate the current practices of the AFA in terms of control.

In this bylined article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss the main contributions of the guide published on 16 March 2022 by the Strategic Information and Economic Security Service (SISSE), the French Business Federation (MEDEF), and the French Association of Private Companies (AFEP). This guide offers companies a methodology for classifying their “sensitive” data following the reform of the French blocking statute.

In this bylined article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the new modalities of the French blocking statute. In particular, she mentions the new role of the Strategic Information and Economic Security Service (SISSE) and the reinforcement of the opposability of the French blocking statute abroad.

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin and Pierre Wolman discuss France’s new whistleblower protection framework, which follows the adoption of the European whistleblowing Directive of 2019. In particular, they analyze the changes made to the “Sapin 2” law adopted in France in 2016.

In this bylined article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the French Financial Market Authority (AMF) priorities in sustainable finance for the year 2022. Muriel mentions the reinforcement of the AMF supervision regarding the information relating to sustainable finance provided by listed companies and asset management companies.

In this article for Actes Pratiques et Ingénierie Sociétaire, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman summarize and explain the different steps of a SPAC from a French-law perspective. They also address the issue of public information that must be provided to the public. (Subscription required.)

In this article for Finascope, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF's) modification of the Investigations Guidelines (Charte de l’enquête et du contrôle) regarding the right to remain silent. They also examine its articulation with a potential obstruction and/or cooperation with the AMF during an investigation.

 

In this bylined article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the latest trends in the SPAC market in Europe and the U.S. She also examines recent EU recommendations and potential risks regarding the disclosure of information.

In this bylined article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the safeguard and treatment of the voting rights during shareholders' meetings. She also examines recent recommendations and sanctions handed down by the AMF and offers guidance for how companies can better protect their shareholders' voting rights moving forward.

In this bylined article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the new Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) trend in France and, in particular, its legal specificities and listing requirements.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon and Guillaume Guérin discuss the 2020 recommendations made by the French AMF (France’s financial markets regulator) during the pandemic regarding the handling of financial communications for publicly traded companies. In this article, Muriel and Guillaume explore the lessons that public companies can learn from such recommendations.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the protection of shareholders’ rights during general meetings held behind closed doors due to the pandemic.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses recent French rules which strengthen France’s control over foreign investment in French companies listed on Euronext Paris.

In this C&G client alert, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Guillaume Guérin, and Pierre Wolman discuss the implications of two recent French rules that are meant to strengthen France’s control over foreign investment.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses three recent decisions by the Sanctions Commission of the AMF which further clarify how sanctions may be levied for an obstruction of justice in an investigation.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the difficulties facing companies in fulfilling their continued disclosure obligations to the market, as well as the resulting risks of potential AMF sanctions.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses how the outbreak of COVID-19 impacts a company’s responsibility to comply with financial communication and reporting obligations.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon explains the specific regime of navigating whistleblowing within the French financial sector through the internal procedures of financial institutions and external procedures of the French Financial Market Authority (AMF) and the French Banking Authority (ACPR).

Dans cette publication, Loïc Henriot, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Louise Le Guilchet et Magalie Jullien présentent la directive (UE) 2019/1937 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 23 octobre 2019, qui a vocation à établir des normes minimales communes entre les pays de l’Union européenne pour la protection des lanceurs d’alerte, et analysent les différences qu’elle présente avec le régime de protection des lanceurs d’alerte issu de la Loi Sapin 2.

(In this C&G Client Alert, Loïc Henriot, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Louise Le Guilchet, and Magalie Jullien discuss Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament (the “Directive”) on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law. The Directive is intended to establish common minimum standards among European Union countries to protect whistleblowers.)

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Regards croisés entre Muriel Goldberg-Darmon et Angéline Duffour, associées spécialisées respectivement en Compliance et Droit social.

(Muriel Goldberg-Darmon and Angéline Duffour discuss internal investigations and the associated employment law risks.)

In an article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the benefits of a recent market reform in France that lowers the threshold for majority shareholders to implement a squeeze-out, as well as the increased protection for minority shareholders proposed by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF, the French financial markets regulator) further to this reform.

In a recent article for Forbes, Muriel Goldberg-Darmon discusses the benefits of an entity’s or individual’s cooperation during an enforcement procedure before the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF, the French financial market regulator).

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon co-authors an article examining the evolving corporate and social responsibilities of activist investors.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon speaks to Le Revenu regarding a potential tender offer by Vivendi on Ubisoft.  She analyses the consequences of the obtention by Vivendi of double voting rights.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon speaks to Le Revenu regarding the tender offer launched by Altice on SFR Group.  She analyses the reasons for the rejection by the AMF of such offer.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon spoke at the Women's White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA) Annual Attorney Meeting in Miami on March 4 as part of the panel “Around the World: White Collar Hot Topics.”

She discussed the European MICA regulations on crypto, examining recent trends, the new market abuse regime on crypto-assets and its enforcement difficulties. As global regulators increase their focus on digital assets, staying ahead of these developments is more important than ever.

Muriel joined leading experts from around the world for this insightful discussion.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon participated in the American Bar Association's 12th Annual London White Collar Crime Institute on October 14th, joining a panel to discuss the evolving role of cryptocurrency in the financial services industry and its impact on black market transactions.

In particular, the panel discussed how law enforcement is turning the tide on crypto-fraudsters by weaponizing crypto in asset recovery. The panel also discussed what is hot in the crypto space specific to jurisdictions, including: the rise of parallel civil and criminal proceedings involving crypto enforcement in the US, the implementation of the new Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and rules on market abuse involving crypto-assets in France, and implementation of recent enforcement tools such as crypto freezing and forfeiture orders in the UK.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon a animé le 4 mars 2021 un webinaire organisé par Euronext et le Cercle des Administrateurs sur « L’AG 2.0 : à quoi ressemblera l'Assemblée Générale de demain » avec Julien Bracq (Direction Générale du Trésor), Loïc Dessaint (Directeur Général de Proxinvest), Camille Leca (Head of Listing Euronext Paris), Astrid Milsan (Secrétaire Générale Adjointe de l'AMF), Caroline Ruellan (Présidente du Cercle des Administrateurs), Sébastien Valentin (Chief Operating Officer d’Accor). The panel discussed the future of the French Shareholders Meeting and shared the latest developments, best practices, and recommendations for publicly-listed companies moving forward. Watch the recording of the event here.  

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Associée du cabinet Cohen & Gresser à Paris et leader du Chapitre Français du Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), a organisé un webinar à la suite de la publication par le CNB du guide « L’avocat Français et les enquêtes internes » au cours duquel Charlotte Gunka (Senior Legal Counsel Litigation & Compliance du Groupe Renault) et Victoire Chatelin (Avocat au Cabinet Bonifassi Avocats), membres du groupe de travail du CNB,  sont intervenues sur le thème de la RGPD et de la loi de blocage. Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, the leader of the French Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), hosted a webinar at Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office relating to the publication of a Conseil national des barreaux’s (CNB) Guide titled “The French Lawyer and Internal Investigations,” during which Charlotte Gunka (Senior Legal Counsel Litigation & Compliance - Groupe Renault) and Victoire Chatelin (Lawyer at Cabinet Bonifassi Avocats), both members of the CNB working group, spoke about RGPD and the blocking statute.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Associée du cabinet Cohen & Gresser à Paris et leader du Chapitre Français du Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), a organisé un webinar à la suite de la publication par le CNB du guide « L’avocat Français et les enquêtes internes » au cours duquel Sophie Scemla, Avocat Associée chez Gide membre du groupe de travail du CNB, est intervenue sur le thème de la désignation de l’avocat et du secret professionnel.

Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, the leader of the French Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), hosted a breakfast at Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office relating to the publication of the Conseil national des barreaux’s (CNB) Guide “The French Lawyer and Internal Investigations,” during which Sophie Scemla, a partner at Gide and a member of the CNB working group, spoke about appointing a lawyer and legal privilege.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon a animé le webinaire organisé par Euronext et le Cercle des Administrateurs "Nouvel environnement de marché : Faut-il s’attendre à une recrudescence des opérations structurantes du capital ?" avec Camille Leca (Head of listing France Euronext), François Wat ( Associé Gérant/ Partner Rothschild & Co), Anne-Sophie d'Andlau  (Co-fondatrice, CIAM), Pierre Rohfritsch (Direction générale du Trésor) et Caroline Ruellan (Présidente du Cercle des Administrateurs). (Muriel Goldberg-Darmon led a webinar organized by Euronext and the Cercle des Administrateurs titled "The New Financial Market Environment: Should We Expect an Increase in Major Corporate Transactions?" that discussed the impact of new market conditions on the operations of listed companies, particularly concerning restructuring, equity investments, and public offers.)

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Associée du cabinet Cohen & Gresser à Paris et leader du Chapitre Français du Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), a organisé un petit-déjeuner au cours duquel Sophie Schiller, Professeur de droit à  l'Université Paris-Dauphine et membre de la Commission des sanctions de l'Autorité des Marchés Financiers "AMF" est intervenue sur le thème de la répression des abus de marché (pénal et AMF).

(Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, leader of the French Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), hosted a breakfast at Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office during which Sophie Schiller, a Member of the Enforcement Committee of the French Financial Market Authority and a Law Professor at Paris-Dauphine University, spoke about the enforcement of market abuse (by the Financial Market Authority as well as the Criminal Judge).)

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon a participé à la Table Ronde sur l’« Activisme actionnarial - Etat des lieux - Présentation du Rapport de la Commission des finances par Éric Woerth » organisée par le Cercle des Administrateurs (CdA) le 8 octobre 2019, au Cercle de l’Union Interalliée . La table ronde était modérée par Caroline Ruellan, Présidente du CdA. Participaient également à cette table ronde Éric Woerth, Président de la Commission des finances et co-rapporteur de la mission parlementaire sur l’activisme actionnarial, et Joseph Oughourlian, Managing Partner de Amber Capital.

(Muriel Goldberg-Darmon was a panelist at a round table on “Shareholder Activism – Current State – Finance Committee Report Presentation by Eric Woerth” organized by the Cercle des Administrateurs (board members association) at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, and moderated by Caroline Ruellan, President of the Cercle des Administrateurs. Muriel’s fellow panelists were Eric Woerth, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the French National Assembly and co-rapporteur of the parliamentary mission on shareholder activism, and Joseph Oughourlian, Managing Partner of Amber Capital).

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Associée du cabinet Cohen & Gresser à Paris et leader du Chapitre Français du Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), a organisé un petit-déjeuner au cours duquel Yousr Khalil & Caroline Fagard, de Forensic Risk Alliance, ont fait une présentation sur l’eDiscovery et Forensic Accounting dans les contentieux et investigations. Des avocates de cabinets français ou internationaux, reconnues pour leur compétence en la matière, ont participé à cet évènement.

(Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, leader of the French Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), hosted a breakfast at Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office during which Yousr Khalil & Caroline Fagard from Forensic Risk Alliance spoke about eDiscovery and forensic accounting in litigation and investigations. High-profile female lawyers from major French and international law firms joined the breakfast).

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon est intervenue sur le thème « Activisme actionnarial et risques d’abus de marché » lors de la conférence sur les Risques de crédits & Risques de marché, Le Mans Université.

(Muriel Goldberg-Darmon gave a presentation, titled “Shareholder Activism and Market Abuse Risks,” at Le Mans University’s Credit Risks and Financial Market Risks conference).

Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon spoke to visiting Law and International Management students about the annual controls and investigations carried out by the Autorité des marchés finaciers (AMF). This was the first session of HEC Paris DMI’s Law Project titled “Market Abuse.”

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Associée du cabinet Cohen & Gresser à Paris et co-leader du Chapitre Français du Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), a organisé un petit-déjeuner au cours duquel Madame le Bâtonnier de Paris Marie-Aimée Peyron a fait une présentation sur le Legal Privilege. Des avocates de cabinets français ou internationaux, reconnues pour leur compétence en la matière, ont participé à cet évènement.

(Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, co-leader of the French Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA), hosted a breakfast in Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office during which Paris Bar President (Bâtonnier) Marie-Aimée Peyron spoke about legal privilege. High profile female lawyers from major French or international law firms joined the breakfast).

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon a participé à la Table Ronde sur “Quelle coopération entre les mis en cause et l’AMF ?” organisée par la Commission des sanctions de l’AMF le 3 octobre 2018. La table ronde était modérée par : Jean Gaeremynck, président de section au Conseil d’Etat, membre de la Commission des sanctions de l’AMF. Les intervenants étaients : Jean-Luc Blachon, premier vice-procureur, Parquet national financier, Sophie Bresny, chef du service des investigations de l’Autorité de la concurrence Andrew Cotterell, Head of Law, Policy & International, FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), Muriel Goldberg-Darmon Associée du cabinet  Cohen & Gresser,  Benoît de Juvigny, secrétaire général de l’AMF.

(Partner Muriel Goldberg-Darmon spoke at the AMF Enforcement Committee’s annual symposium on October 3, 2018, as the only speaker from a private law firm.  Muriel was a panelist for the second round table on “Cooperation between the respondents and the AMF during investigations or inspections and sanctions,” which was moderated by Jean Gaeremynck, State Councilor and member of the AMF Enforcement Committee.  Muriel’s fellow panelists were: Jean-Luc Blachon, First Vice-Prosecutor at the Parquet National Financier; Sophie Bresny, Head of the Inspections Unit at the Autorité de la concurrence; Andrew Cotterell, Head of Law, Policy & International at the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority); and Benoît de Juvigny, Secretary General of the AMF).

Partners Muriel Goldberg-Darmon and Angéline Duffour spoke at a roundtable on “Grey areas in privilege” during the Women in Investigations conference in London on June 28, 2018. The panelists were: Jane Shvets, Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, Polly Sprenger, Partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman, Mona Vaswani, Partner at Allen & Overy, and Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Partner at Cohen & Gresser. The moderator was Martina de Lind van Wijngaarden, Partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Muriel discussed the French Bar rules regarding privilege and internal investigations as well as cross border investigations (DOJ investigations and AMF/SEC investigations). Angéline spoke about specific issues in France regarding employment law (disciplinary sanctions and protection of employees).

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon participated in the “Activists Funds: Opportunity or Threat for the Economy” roundtable at the conference on Activists Funds and Governance organized by the Paris-Dauphine University on June 26th, 2018. The panelists were:  Hubert de Vauplanne, Partner at Kramer Levin, Edouard Dubois, Vice-President at Blackrock, Philippe Leroy, President at Associés en Finance, Ahmed Guenaoui, Administrateur civil at Direction générale du Trésor,  Laurence Boisseau, Journalist at Les Echos, Colette Neuville, President at ADAM (Minority Shareholders Defence Association), Anne-Sophie d’Andlau, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at CIAM,  and Muriel Goldberg-Darmon, Partner at Cohen & Gresser. The roundtable was moderated by Sophie Schiller, Professor at Paris-Dauphine. Please also find a link to the September 6, 2018 issue of the magazine, La Semaine Juridique, in which a transcription of Muriel's presentation, "Fonds activistes : opportunité ou menace pour l’économie ?" is featured on page 42.

Muriel Goldberg-Darmon participated in the “Ring the Bell” ceremony at Euronext Paris to celebrate International Women’s Day. Click here to see a photo of the bell ringing ceremony.

Cohen & Gresser, in collaboration with SONJ Conseil, organized a breakfast discussion on “The rise of a constructive shareholder activism”, at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, Paris, on December 5th, 2017. The panelists were: Ahmed Guenaoui (Direction Générale du Trésor (French Treasury)), Gilles Mentré (Managing Partner, Banque Lazard), Joseph Oughourlian  (Managing Partner, Amber Capital), Caroline Ruellan (President, Sonj Conseil) and Muriel Goldberg-Darmon (Attorney at law, Partner, Cohen & Gresser). A substantial number of financial leaders were present and enriched the debate (The French stock market regulator (AMF), Euronext, AFEP, MEDEF, banks, hedge funds, public companies, etc.).

Le cabinet Cohen & Gresser, en collaboration avec SONJ Conseil, a organisé un petit-déjeuner / débat sur “L’émergence d’un activisme constructif”, le 5 décembre 2017 au Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, autour de : Ahmed Guenaoui (Direction Générale du Trésor), Gilles Mentré (Associé Gérant, Banque Lazard), Joseph Oughourlian  (Managing Partner, Amber Capital), Caroline Ruellan (Présidente, Sonj Conseil) et Muriel Goldberg-Darmon (Avocate Associée, Cohen & Gresser).

Mark S Cohen and Muriel Goldberg-Darmon served as guest lecturers at the Université Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne for the 2017 fall semester. They taught a course titled “U.S. White Collar Criminal Law” to students in the Master 2 (JD equivalent) program. The course covered the fundamental principles of U.S. criminal law and a review of the key participants in white collar criminal practice. The course also covered substantive white collar issues, such as FCPA, banking, and finance-related issues. Jonathan S Abernethy and Christian R Everdell served as visiting lecturers. Reggie B Schafer served as the course’s teaching assistant.