Paul Tournier

Paul primarily practices in the areas of business law, commercial law, and international contracts, and provides both advisory and litigation services.

He assists a diverse clientele that includes French and foreign companies and corporate groups operating in a wide range of industries, e.g., food distribution, sale of IT products and services, information and communication technologies, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment manufacturing, personal care services, the media, etc.

Paul provides comprehensive legal and regulatory guidance on business and commercial issues, assists businesses in drafting and negotiating all types of national and international commercial contracts, and supports clients in the creation and development of their distribution networks, particularly through franchising.

Paul also handles pre-litigation matters and represents clients before civil and commercial courts in disputes involving in particular business law, competition law, and distribution law.

Additionally, Paul is experienced in white-collar criminal defense matters.

Selected Operation Summary

Business law

• Assisted French businesses in the creation, organization, and development of their distribution networks (franchises, licenses, and distributorships), both domestically and internationally (Master Franchises)
• Represented network heads in disputes with franchisees, licensees, and distributors, including in relation to early termination of franchise agreements, contractual liability actions, and debt recovery
• Represented franchisees, licensees, and distributors in disputes with their network heads
• Represented a group specialized in the sale of IT products and services in litigation related to customer diversion
• Assisted and defended a French leading provider of IT and office equipment and associated services in disputes related to unfair competition, free riding, and trademark counterfeiting

Commercial litigation

• Provided legal assistance to a group specialized in the sale of IT products and services in contractual disputes with customers, including liability claim following a cyberattack, wrongful termination of services agreements, and debt recovery
• Assisted manufacturers of refrigeration, air conditioning, and HVAC equipment in contractual liability disputes, including in private and court-ordered expert investigations and before the courts

Commercial contracts

• Advised and assisted businesses in drafting their general terms of sale, legal notices, privacy policies, and website terms of use
• Defended businesses in disputes related to breach of representations and warranties following company acquisitions
• Provided legal assistance to a shareholder in negotiating the creation of a life insurance brokerage firm and its integration into an existing insurance brokerage group serving professionals

Banking law

• Assisted and defended a medical imaging company that fell victim to CEO fraud in a liability action against its bank for failing to meet its duty of care

Background

• Piot-Mouny, Roy & Machado, Lyon, associate, January 2022 – July 2024
• Delsol Avocats, Lyon, trainee-lawyer, March 2021 – August 2021
• Mark & Law – Intellectual Property Consulting Firm, Champagne-au-Mont-d’Or, trainee-lawyer, July 2020 – January 2021
• Du Parc Monnet – Avocats Associés, Dijon, internship, May 2017 – August 2017
• Eurogerm SA, Saint Apollinaire, internship, November 2017 – April 2018

Main publications

LE SAVOIR-FAIRE dans tous ses états, White Paper, L’Express Franchise & Commerce associé, 2024

Education

• Master’s Degree in European and International Business Law, University Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne, 2017
• Postgraduate Certificate in Private Law, University of Strasbourg, 2016
• University Diploma in English Legal Terminology, University of Strasbourg, 2016
• Postgraduate Certificate in Business Law and Corporate Law, University Jean Moulin Lyon 3 and Coventry University (England), 2015

Languages

• French
• English