ParisCross-border practiceResponse within 4h · CET
Foreign Investment
M&A · Disputes
Tax · Real Estate
Vernay & Lestang Law Firm · Paris
A Paris boutique for cross-border business

French ground.
Global reading.

We advise foreign investors entering France and French companies operating across borders — on M&A, foreign investment screening, tax structuring, real estate and international arbitration. A small circle of partners, working your matter in your own business language, without the conveyor belt of a large firm.

Practices
Foreign investment into France

The IEF screening is no longer a formality.

The list of sensitive sectors keeps widening and most clearances now come with conditions. Getting the feasibility read right — before signing — is what keeps a deal on schedule. We map the exposure, prepare the filing on the Plateforme IEF and carry it through to clearance.

Explore the foreign investment hub →

#1
FDI destination in Europe, six years running (EY/Ministry attractiveness data)
392
investments reviewed in 2024 (309 in 2023)
25% / 10%
voting-rights thresholds: non-EU investors / listed companies
54%
of 2024 clearances granted with conditions
Aurélien Vernay
“A foreign client should not have to translate their own deal before they can understand our advice. Our work is to read the French rule precisely — and to say it plainly, on both sides of the border.”
Aurélien Vernay — Managing Partner · Corporate, M&A & Foreign Investment
Latest insights

Considering a deal, a dispute or an entry into France? Start with a feasibility note.

Request a feasibility note
A short written read on whether your matter is workable — and what it would take.