HFW continues Paris growth with launch of French bankruptcy, insolvency, and restructuring practice

Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has launched a bankruptcy, insolvency, and corporate restructuring practice in Paris with the hire of Partner Arnaud Pédron.

Arnaud has over 30 years’ experience advising debtors, creditors, investors, and management teams on complex restructuring, pre‑insolvency, and insolvency matters under French and English law.

He joins HFW from French law firm Franklin, and previously spent almost two decades at Deloitte Legal, including as head of its European Insolvency Group. He started his career as a court-appointed administrator and insolvency practitioner.

This continues the growth of HFW’s Paris office, following the recent arrival of disputes and regulatory investigations Partner Louis-Alexis Bret. HFW has been in Paris since 1977 and now has more than 50 lawyers advising on maritime and air transportation issues, insurance and reinsurance, industrial risks, infrastructure and construction, energy, international trade, and commodities, as well as commercial disputes, corporate, finance, and private equity.

Jean-Marc Zampa, Paris Office Head, HFW:

“Arnaud is a highly regarded practitioner with a strong market reputation, deep technical expertise, and a proven ability to develop business. His arrival builds on our corporate, finance, and disputes capabilities in Paris, and further broadens the support we can provide to our clients.”

Arnaud’s practice spans all stages of corporate distress, including confidential preventative proceedings such as mandat ad hoc and conciliation, formal safeguard, receivership, and liquidation processes, and distressed M&A transactions.

He advises clients across a wide of sectors, including construction, energy, transport, financial services, industrials, and consumer businesses.

Arnaud is a member of the Board of France’s Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and a former member of the Bar Council of the Hauts-de-Seine department.

Arnaud Pédron, Partner, HFW:

“HFW offers a compelling combination of a truly entrepreneurial culture and a genuinely international platform and approach. The firm’s sector focus and the strength of the Paris team make it an ideal environment in which to build a leading restructuring practice in France. I am excited to join HFW at a time of continued growth in Paris, and to work closely with colleagues across the firm to support clients on both domestic and cross‑border restructuring matters.”

Arnaud becomes HFW’s 10th new Partner in 2026, continuing a period of sustained growth across the firm’s global network. HFW has added 39 new Partners since the beginning of FY25, and now has 190 Partners and 700 lawyers in total across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the Americas.