Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce that employment expert Karine Audouze has joined the firm as a Partner, where she will head up the firm’s new Paris practice in that area. She joins from leading independent French law firm UGGC Avocats, having previously worked at both UK firm Olswang and US firm Cleary Gottlieb, where she qualified. Senior Associate Amandine Racé also joins with her, bringing the number of employment lawyers at WFW Paris to four.
Karine has over 20 years’ experience advising clients on a broad range of French employment law matters, including the employment law aspects of corporate and M&A transactions, restructurings, TUPE transfers, employment audits and profit-sharing schemes for major listed international companies with a presence in France in the healthcare, tech, media, telecoms and luxury goods sectors. She also advises clients on individual or collective employment disputes.
Qualified in both France and New York, Karine is Co-Chair of the IBA Diversity and Equality Committee and the French board member of the European Employment Lawyers’ Association (“EELA”).
WFW Paris Head Romain Girtanner commented: “Karine is a real employment law expert, especially when it comes to advising international businesses active in France. This makes her the ideal person to set up WFW’s new Paris employment law practice, which is vital for the continued development of our M&A, finance and tax work, particularly in the energy sector. I am delighted to welcome her to the firm”.
Karine commented: “I am thrilled to be joining WFW to help set up its first ever Paris employment law team. I am particularly excited to be able to utilise my international experience whilst providing in-depth French employment law expertise”.
