The fourth release of the General Counsel Metrics global benchmark survey has among its 702 participants seven from France. During 2011, that number will surely increase dramatically. Meanwhile, the modest showing impelled me to see whether this blog has offered much about French legal departments.
In a mot, “Non!” I found only scattered references even to France and Paris let alone to specific companies headquartered in France (See my post of June 25, 2005: George Stansfield of AXA; March 30, 2006: Societe General’s convergence effort; May 27, 2007: Franck Tassan and Carrefour; and April 25, 2009: Peter Wexler of Schneider Electric.).
The other posts refer more generally to France and law departments (See my post of May 23, 2007: Juristes Associes on French Law Departments and Education; Aug. 26, 2006: large law departments in France; Jan. 3, 2007: US firms with branch offices in France; May 8, 2007: why French law departments change law firms; May 13, 2007: French law departments; Feb. 8, 2010: ratios of inside to outside lawyers in France; and Feb. 9, 2010 #1: attorney-client privilege for corporate lawyers; May 24, 2010: litigation costs in France; May 31, 2010: total legal spending as a percentage of revenue in France compared to other countries; June 11, 2010: recent survey data from France; and June 11, 2010: more survey data from French legal teams.). If I did not refer to a company as French or based in France (or Paris), however, I would not be able to find them with my search tools.