Salomé Lemasson has joined Rahman Ravelli as it increases its European presence in response to its growing cross-border caseload.

Ms. Lemasson, a native Parisian and experienced French-qualified white collar crime litigator, will be based in Berlin and head Rahman Ravelli’s activities across Europe and North and West Africa.

The firm specialises in regulatory enforcement and white-collar crime, investigations and complex commercial disputes, and advising firms on worldwide regulatory compliance. Ms. Lemasson’s appointment is the latest phase of the firm’s plans for international growth as it looks to further extend its operations beyond its headquarters in the UK.

Ms. Lemasson was previously an associate at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Paris and Hogan Lovells LLP in Paris and Berlin. She brings nearly a decade of experience working on high-profile multilateral development bank (MDB) cases, internal investigations for major corporate clients, and criminal and regulatory actions against multinational companies and senior executives. She will be an integral part of Rahman Ravelli’s cross-border practice in these areas and will lead the firm’s regulatory advisory work in the booming German fintech market.

Aziz Rahman, the firm’s founder and senior partner said: “We have reached the stage where it is imperative that we increase our physical presence in Europe to meet the growing cross-border needs of clients.

“We have been looking for the right way to expand in Europe. It is about managing an increasing international workload and ensuring we represent - in the most robust way possible - those who need to work within the EU in the post-Brexit era. Salomé’s expertise further enhances our ability to represent clients in matters involving three key markets - the UK, US, and EU – while continuing to take on major cases elsewhere in the world.

“Bringing Salomé into Rahman Ravelli is part of our strategic growth plan to strengthen our European position. She is the first obvious, visible sign of Rahman Ravelli’s expansion in Europe and many other jurisdictions.

“We were looking for someone of the highest calibre – a senior figure with the in-depth experience and the expertise in EU law that is necessary to manage what we are doing in Europe. Salomé certainly meets those requirements.

“She has widely-recognised expertise in cross-border cases, has extensive knowledge of a number of countries’ legal systems and has conducted major internal investigations for huge corporates and represented them in high-profile cases. Her fluency in French and English and her high proficiency in Spanish and German will be a critical asset to our clients and to our firm.

“Salomé has shown she can achieve the best outcomes for the biggest possible clients in Europe. We are delighted to have her on board.’’

The firm has also promoted Niall Hearty to Legal Director and Josie Welland to Senior Associate.

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