“For several years now, the question of succession at the firm had been on my mind; this had already taken concrete form in our caseload through greater involvement by my partners, but I remained the manager and the one who ran the firm. As of January 1, I have become Of Counsel and have handed over full management of the firm to Aurélia Grignon and Capucine Lanta de Bérard. It was while talking with an American friend and colleague who held that role that I discovered what it entails: the bulk of the work involves providing guidance. What is the purpose of a senior partner? To play the role of the wise one,” emphasizes founder Daniel Soulez Larivière.
Handover
After working alongside Aurélia Grignon and Capucine Lanta de Bérard for more than 10 years—both of whom became partners in 2015 and were eager to carry on the firm’s legacy—the handover of full management of the firm came about naturally, taking effect on January 1, 2020. Aurélia Grignon and Capucine Lanta de Bérard take a highly pragmatic approach to cases and possess in-depth knowledge of all branches of criminal law, with a few distinct areas of focus: public health criminal law is one of Capucine’s key areas of expertise, while Aurélia is deeply rooted in the practice of international criminal law.
A boutique criminal defense firm
Since its founding, the firm has cultivated a passion for innovation and forward-thinking, as well as its pioneering commitment to business criminal law, a field that is constantly evolving. This remains the guiding principle of Soulez Larivière Avocats. “Our essence will endure: our history, our independence, our expertise, our pragmatism, and even our discretion in serving our clients’ defense, our values of ethics and commitment, and our agile, innovative, and solution-oriented methodology are solid foundations for moving forward. Exceptional, strategic, and atypical cases will remain our specialty,” emphasize the two partners.
Our development strategy will remain the same: to address emerging challenges in criminal justice—including negotiated justice, data, serial cases (particularly in public health and environmental law), and compliance. Thus, the new generation will take on new legal issues, new subjects, and new areas of business and corporate criminal law. “Regarding negotiated justice—a major innovation our firm has been pursuing since 2012—we will continue our efforts. And we are already asking ourselves questions about the consequences of the shift toward negotiation, which is fundamentally changing the relationships between attorneys, judges, and prosecutors. Or the issues surrounding internal investigations and individuals. ”
Soulez Larivière Avocats aims to advance in its core practice area: criminal defense. And to serve this purpose, it remains an independent, agile, and innovative boutique law firm.
“Our goals for the future? To make our firm—which is currently half ‘traditional’ and half ‘start-up’—a leading practice for the next 25 years, together with our clients!” conclude Aurélia Grignon and Capucine Lanta de Bérard.
