Olivier Vermeulen Appointed Chair of Paul Hastings’ Paris Office

March 12, 2019

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Paris – Paul Hastings LLP is pleased to announce that Olivier Vermeulen has been appointed Chair of Paul Hastings’ Paris office, succeeding Olivier Deren who had served in the position since 2012.

Olivier Vermeulen is one of the leading French lawyers in leveraged finance and fund finance. Vermeulen’s practice includes representing private equity sponsors, debt funds, financial institutions, and companies in their complex finance transactions. Olivier joined Paul Hastings in 2016 as partner and head of the French finance department, with the aim of significantly strengthening the office’s financing expertise. In 2017, Olivier was appointed vice chair of the Paris Office and chair of the Paris Associates Committee. Both these roles gave him a wealth of experience for his new position.

Olivier Vermeulen said: "It is a huge privilege to accept this new role as Office Chair of the Paris Office and to contribute to its development. I am honored to work with the many talents and experts across Paul Hastings to develop the full potential of Paul Hastings European platform. It is an exciting challenge to lead our Paris office into the future and I will put all my drive and energy in doing so.”

Ronan O’Sullivan, one of the Managing Partners of Paul Hastings said: “We are confident that Olivier’s appointment shall help us continue the financial and strategic progress that we have made in Paris and that his leadership shall enable us to accelerate our growth in such an important market for the Firm.”

Olivier Vermeulen’s appointment, in a time of fundamental changes in the legal industry globally as well as in France, reflects the dynamism and ambition of Paul Hastings.

“The French legal market faces new challenges resulting notably from the arrival of new strong competitors and a changing economic landscape, and Paul Hastings’ Paris office is up for these challenges,” explained Olivier Vermeulen. We are committing to accelerate profitable growth including by acquiring new talents to consolidate our core activities and, in particular, continue to develop our Private Equity and Finance practices. As one of today’s fastest growing law firms, we recognize the need to aim higher, work smarter and find the opportunities hidden in times of change. These goals were successfully pursued by Olivier Deren and I will ensure that we will continue to elevate the Paris office as a leader in our market.”

Overseeing a significant phase in the development of the firm in France during the last seven years, Olivier Deren welcomes Olivier Vermeulen’ s nomination: "I am very pleased to see Olivier take on the role of Office Chair and I am totally confident that he will prove an inspiring and innovative leader for us here in France while the firm pursues its European development. Olivier’s outstanding skill and his deep commitment will prove crucial assets in his work to further grow the firm’s reputation here in Paris.”

The appointment follows a strong year for Paul Hastings globally and in France. The firm’s gross revenue rose 9.1 percent to $1.22 billion in 2018, the seventh year of continuous growth at the firm. Moreover, profits per equity partner jumped 12 percent to $3.25 million last year, marking a nearly 25 percent increase over the past two years.

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.