Grégoire Andrieux is managing partner of the Paris office of McDermott Will & Emery, a position he has held since 2019. Behind this title lies a professional with a rich career path, who has combined academic rigor, international experience and business acumen to rise to the top of a demanding profession. His view of the profession of business lawyer is that of a passionate but pragmatic individual, aware of the challenges and responsibilities that the role entails.
From an early age, he harbored the desire to become a lawyer, even though at the time he still had no idea what it really meant. He began his law studies with the conviction that this was the path for him. It was only as he progressed through university that his interest in international and comparative law was honed. The first turning point came when he went to Canada, to the University of Ottawa, for an exchange year that had a profound effect on him. Simultaneous exposure to the common law and civil law systems awakened in him an intellectual curiosity and a taste for comparative analysis that would never leave him.
His entry into the professional world was almost by chance. When he landed his first internship at Linklaters, then at Latham, he had no idea that he would be working in the private equity sector. It was when he joined Weil Gotshal that things really took off. ‘I didn't know exactly what an LBO was when I started,’ he admits. However, he quickly got the hang of it and developed a passion for this discipline, which is at the crossroads of contract law, tax law and finance. The strategic dimension of the transactions, the intellectual demands and the dynamics of negotiation eventually won him over. ‘What I like is the interaction between the different areas of law and the pragmatic approach that this profession demands.
Far from being a simple legal mechanism, business law requires total involvement. He emphasizes the intensity of the profession: the pressure from clients, the complexity of the cases, the colossal financial stakes. Clients are often experts themselves and expect quick, appropriate and strategic responses. This level of demand, far from putting him off, is a driving force for him: ‘You're constantly being challenged, and that's what makes the job so stimulating.
An essential aspect of his approach is the ability to adapt and innovate. In his view, a good business lawyer should never set out with certainties but should instead be able to evolve and rethink his solutions according to the issues at stake in the case. ‘Negotiation is a living process, and it's by constantly questioning assumptions that we arrive at the best solutions.
His role as managing partner has not taken him out of the field. He continues to handle cases, while taking on strategic responsibilities within the firm. His duties include liaising between the Paris office and the US parent company, ensuring team cohesion and steering the firm's growth in France. He also plays an active role in the recruitment and training of young talent, convinced that the future of the profession lies in the transmission and renewal of skills.
For young lawyers, he insists on one key point: developing a personal client base. In his view, it is essential to learn early on how to build solid relationships with clients, as this is the key to a lasting career. ‘Being a good technician is not enough. You also have to know how to listen, understand needs and build a relationship of trust. He encourages his employees to build up their own network and not wait for opportunities to come to them.
International experience is another element that he considers indispensable. He never tires of repeating how much his stays in Canada and the United States have shaped his way of working and thinking about the law. ‘The internationalization of business law requires an open mind. Going abroad means coming face to face with other approaches and methods, and that makes us more effective. He points out that at McDermott Will & Emery, 70% of our dealings are in English, and that it has become unthinkable to do this job without a fluent command of that language.
As for failures, he sees them as inherent to the profession. ‘We all make mistakes, we lose clients, we sometimes get a strategy wrong. The important thing is to be able to bounce back and learn. The pressure is constant, especially when the financial stakes are high, but he sees this requirement as a source of constant progress.
If he had to sum up his philosophy, he would highlight three principles: rigor, creativity and interpersonal skills. Being a business lawyer means combining legal expertise with business acumen, while at the same time being able to forge bonds of trust with those he works with. Today, what motivates him most is seeing the younger generation take flight and contributing to their training. ‘Building a firm is not just about accumulating files. It's also about nurturing talent, passing on a way of working and instilling a dynamic.
Through his career and his vision, Grégoire Andrieux embodies a model of the modern lawyer, rooted in the realities of the market and looking to the future. It's a demanding profession, but one that he believes remains one of the most stimulating and rewarding there is.
Written by Maud Poirel & Luis Leclerc.
Comments