About ArtusWise Law Firm

Artus Wise was founded by Corinne Bitoun and Salli Swartz, who each have over 35 years of experience.

Founded in July 2011 with a team of French attorneys, the firm’s mission is to give specialized, cost effective legal advice to French and foreign companies and individuals in our respective areas of expertise.

We pride ourselves on our client-attorney relationships which are intuit personae. Each client is different and our advice and legal services are designed to fit each client’s situation and project. We are hands-on and extremely responsive to our clients’ needs and requests.

Our legal teams are selected in light of the clients’ budgets and the type and level of expertise we provide. We do not train associates at the cost of the client and we do not overstaff deals. The partner in charge will always be available. As a result, clients will not need to explain their needs over and over again to different lawyers in the firm each time the client requires a service or information.

Although we are based in Paris 8th arrondissement, we often travel to see our clients, who are located in France, Europe, USA, Asia and the Middle East.

To meet our clients’ specialized international needs, we have a network of partner firms worldwide upon which we can call on our clients’ behalf to assure that specialized and personalized services are rendered to our clients worldwide. We also work with specialized French attorneys for certain administrative and tax issues.

Expertise

Business and Commercial law

We accompany our business clients through every step of their business life: from birth (incorporation of companies) through death (liquidation and dissolution). During the life of our clients’ businesses, we regularly advise on the choice, method and place of the incorporation for both French and foreign companies and entrepreneurs in France and for French companies abroad through our vast network of worldwide partner law firms. We advise on mergers and acquisitions for both incoming and outgoing investments, both French and foreign, negotiate shareholder agreements, advise and draft the documentation for joint ventures and consortiums, negotiate commercial leases , draft and negotiate distribution, agency and other commercial agreements, advise on commercial practices, general sales conditions and competition law in France, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Private Client

Artus Wise lawyers advise private individual clients and family offices in high stakes and high net worth divorce, child custody and estate matters both in France and internationally as well as in connection with the transmission of family owned real estate and other businesses. We regularly intervene in cross border litigation to protect the assets of clients who are reorganizing their personal fortunes and family situations.

White Collar Crime

We represent executives and companies in connection with criminal investigations and criminal procedures in France where we accompany and advise our clients throughout the different criminal procedures in France, including trial.

Compliance

We draft, customize and assist in the implementation of compliance programs for French businesses and assist in the training of their personnel and their compliance with the ethics and legal issues arising out of doing business both in France, Europe and elsewhere in Asia and the Middle East and the Americas.

Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation

Our lawyers litigate on behalf of both individuals and businesses in the French commercial, civil and criminal courts in connection with private client, criminal and commercial disputes in the first instance and on appeal both in France and before the European Union Courts. We have also acted as counsel in ICC, IATA, ad hoc, CMAP and other types of arbitrations both in France and abroad in construction, commercial and shareholder disputes. And we encourage alternative dispute resolution methods both in contract drafting and in resolving disputes. As such we have experienced mediators who have acted in a family and business mediations to resolve otherwise intractable disagreements.

Labor Law

Labor and employment relationships in France are complicated and extremely regulated. No business or private client lawyer can avoid the impact of labor law in France. Thus, we advise both individuals and businesses on hiring (drafting employment contracts) and dismissal procedures, represent both individuals and business in the labor courts and most often negotiate settlements to avoid litigation if possible.

Intellectual Property, Technology and Data Privacy

We work very closely with the law firm of Perrine Pelletier with whom we share offices and who is a specialist in IP/IT issues in France.