INTERNATIONAL

BEST FRIENDS/INTEGRATED TEAM CONCEPT:

BREDIN PRAT
BONELLI EREDE PAPPALARDO
HENGELER MUELLER
SLAUGHTER AND MAY
URIA MENENDEZ


Who We Are

-  Independent law firms in Europe, each a leader in its own jurisdiction

- Practicing a non-exclusive, integrated team approach in the largest jurisdictions in Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom

-  This approach is successful since it is based on a joint decision by all of these firms working together as opposed to multi-jurisdictional teams imposed from the top as a result of a common ownership structure.

How It Works

-  The firms create integrated teams (often referred to as "Best Friends” in the press), on a transaction by transaction basis, to deliver seamless cross-border service; Best Friends work with one another on a daily basis

-  Focus is on service to the client, and not on integrating the administrative and business side of a law firm

- The integrated team approach builds upon Best Friends working groups, joint training sessions, multi-lateral secondments, joint research projects and publications, and numerous other inter-firm undertakings

- Successful and growing track record of "integrated team” representation in major multi-jurisdictional transactions (examples include the €3 billion private equity buy-out of Europcar by Eurazeo in 2006 and the acquisition by Groupe Steria of Xansa plc.)

-  The relationships are non-exclusive. Each of the Best Friends firms regularly works with other firms in these jurisdictions when desired by the client, its principal advisors and/or in the case of conflicts

-  Longstanding and close working relationships with the other Best Friends' members and with the top independent firms in other European capitals, the U.S. and Asia form the backbone of Bredin Prat's large practice in cross-border transactions in all other major business jurisdictions of the world.