W h i te - c o l l a r c r i m e – F i n a n c i a l l i t i g a t i o n
The firm
The law firm « Visconti & Grundler » was founded in 2011 by Julien Visconti and Benjamin Grundler.
In September 2023, Francois Artuphel joined them, and the firm became “Visconti, Grundler &
Artuphel”.
The firm is a dedicated structure highly specialized in white-collar crime and securities litigation,
areas in which its partners and associates built a recognized expertise.
« Visconti, Grundler & Artuphel » provides its French and foreign clients with its expertise in high
stakes cases. The clients include individuals and corporations, as well as French and international law
firms faced with complex cases.
The firm is involved in many of the highest-profile cases of white-collar crime such as the Vivendi
case, the Lafarge case, Deliveroo, McDonald’s, Dassault, Alstom, Technip case, the Louvre Abu Dhabi
case or ill-gotten wealth cases.
Its competence is regularly acknowledged (Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, Décideurs Magazine,
Leaders League, Option finance et Option Droit & affaires, Who’s Who Legal, Le Point, Les Echos…)
The law firm obtained “the Gold Award” in white-collar crime category at ʺLes Trophées du
droit”2022
THE LAWYERS
Julien Visconti, partner
Julien Visconti specializes in securities litigation, stock market frauds and white-collar crime. He assists and advises institutional and individual clients in criminal and commercial cases related to financial litigation or for cases referred to the “Autorité des Marchés Financiers” (AMF).
A graduate from ESSEC Business School (1997), Julien Visconti has been a proprietary derivatives trader in Paris and London for high-profile investment banks (Ixis, Goldman Sachs).Along with other Goldman Sachs alumni, he set up a «hedge fund» in 2002 (Boussard & Gavaudan Asset Management).
He then completed his education with a double Law Master (Business Law and Criminal Law) before joining a prominent business criminal law firm (Metzner Associés) and ultimately setting up his own law firm, which specializes in white-collar crimes, stock market frauds and securities litigation.
He was involved in prominent cases such as Vivendi, Dassault, Balkany or Oberthur, in which he obtained, before the Constitutional Court along with EADS’ lawyers, the end of the double prosecution of market abuse cases. He also successfully assisted an institutional investor initially prosecuted for market manipulation in relation to “high-frequency trading”.
Julien Visconti also carries out, on behalf of various institutional investors and hedge funds, financial activist campaigns or litigations related to public offers (Club Méditerranée, Eurodisney, Canal +, Colas, SFR/Altice, CFAO, Radiall, Zodiac, Scor, Véolia/Suez, Esso, Atos, Vivendi). He also teaches at Sciences Po where he gives a course on ESG shareholder activism.
He was distinguished as a Leading Individual in the latest edition of the Décideurs rankings (band 2 for white-collar crime and band 1 for financial litigation.
Benjamin Grundler, partner
Benjamin Grundler is a well-known defence specialist in white-collar crime. He assists and advises French and International clients in criminal proceedings which are sensitive and/or have received media attention. He graduated from the London School of Economics “L.S.E” (Master in law) and the Pantheon-Assas University (Master in European business law).
Benjamin Grundler has gained a solid education in business law prior to joining Metzner Associés criminal law firm in January 2006, where he practiced and specialized in white-collar crime. In 2011, he co-founded the law firm “Visconti & Grundler” with Julien Visconti, a structure dedicated exclusively to white-collar crime and securities litigation.
Benjamin Grundler has represented clients or still intervenes in major cases such as Lafarge, Deliveroo, Dassault, Balkany the case of ill-gotten property or Oberthur/EADS case. He also assists major legal entities or individuals involved in criminal procedures notably in criminal law related to public sector or criminal labor law. Lastly, Benjamin Grundler is regularly involved in cross-border cases, especially related to international bribery (Alstom, Technip, Société Générale/Libya cases…). He taught international corruption topic at Paris Institute of Political Sciences (Sciences Po) for 7 years.
Benjamin “is savvy, knowledgeable and creative, and regularly handles insider trading,
money laundering and international corruption cases”. (Chambers and Partners)
“Benjamin Grundler applies an encyclopaedic understanding of criminal law
to complex cross-border white-collar disputes”. (Who’s Who Legal)
He is distinguished « Leading individual » by Legal 500 for white-collar crime defence.
He has been selected by peers for inclusion for several years in the Editions of The Best Lawyers in France in Criminal Defence and Litigation.
François Artuphel, partner
Admitted in the Paris Bar in 2010, François Artuphel specializes in white collar crime disputes, on both contentious and non-contentious matters. He regularly advocates before the criminal courts in economic and financial matters.
After graduating from Sciences Po Paris, University College of London and Paris II Assas, François Artuphel practiced for 13 years alongside Pierre Haïk and Jacqueline Laffont, leading figures of the Paris criminal Bar. He was appointed partner at Haïk & Associés in 2017 and joined Visconti Grundler & Artuphel in 2023.
François Artuphel assists and advises French and international companies, managers and political figures in the context of preliminary investigations or judicial enquiries, in France and abroad. He has developed particular expertise in money laundering, corruption and criminal competition law. Having participated in the conclusion of two criminal settlements (CJIP), he is well versed in the practice of transactional criminal justice in financial matters.
In recent years, François Artuphel has been involved in a large number of particularly sensitive and high-profile cases. In particular, he has taken part in the defence of a former President of the French Republic, directors of CAC 40 companies, various international industrial groups. He is also active in art related criminal cases.
François Artuphel has acted in France, Russia, Middle East, United States and Africa. He works in both French and English and regularly teaches at Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature on corruption issues. He is an active member of the Association des Avocats Pénalistes.
François Artuphel has been named Next Generation Partner in the Legal 500 White Collar Crime category and Leading Individual in the latest edition of the Décideurs rankings (band 2 for white-collar crime). He was also selected by peers in the Editions of Best Lawyers in France (criminal defence litigation).
Quentin Bertrand Lawyer Counsel
Quentin Bertrand advises the firm’s clients on commercial or financial disputes, and as regards to white collar crime matters.
He is a graduate of University Paris II Panthéon-Assas (professional master’s degree in business law and research master’s degree in banking and finance law), and holds a certificate in corporate finance (International Certificate in Corporate Finance, HEC Paris & First Finance).
He teaches a course on ESG shareholder activism at Science Po Paris, and is a member of the deontology commission of the French Society of Financial Analysts (SFAF).
Member of Droit & Procédure and of the Association des Professionnels du Contentieux des Affaires (APCA).
Juliette Savie, Lawyer at Court
Juliette Savie is a lawyer at the Paris Bar.
She specializes in general criminal law and business criminal law and also intervenes in press law.
She joined Visconti & Grundler as an associate after several experiences in law firms specialized in criminal law and business litigation, as well as in the Ministry of Justice and the public prosecutor's office at the Bobigny judicial court.
She is a Graduate of the Master of Economic Law of the Sciences Po Paris Law School.
She speaks English fluently.
Mathilde Avron Lawyer at Court
Mathilde Avron ’s practice focuses on white-collar crime and general criminal law, and she also assists clients on corporate law matters.
Before joining Visconti Grundler & Artuphel in 2023, she began her career in the French law firm Bredin Prat, where she practiced corporate law (M&A) for 4 years.
Admitted to the Paris Bar (2019), she graduated from HEC Paris (2016) and from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (Master’s degree in international tax law, 2016, and Master’s degree in business law, 2017). She is fluent in English.
Camille Fontaine, Lawyer at Court
Camille Fontaine specializes in criminal law and white-collar crime disputes.
Prior to joining Visconti-Grundler & Artuphel, she had several experiences in law firms (Lombard Baratelli Astolfe et Associés, French Cornut-Gentille, Vigo). Additionally, she previously worked as an intern at the Rennes Court of Appeal (white-collar crime section) and with a Court-appointed receiver (BTSG 2).
She graduated from the Master of Criminal Law of University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Compétence
Criminal defense / White-collar crime
Financial and Stock Market Litigation
White-collar crime
- Money laundering
- International corruption, domestic corruption, influence peddling, favoritism offences
- Fraud
- Embezzlement,
- Corporate abuse
- Tax fraud
Corporate Criminal Law
- Work-related injuries, Concealed work
- Obstruction offense
- Misleading advertising
- Compliance Programs
Securities fraud litigation
- Insider trading
- Market manipulation
- Accounting frauds
- False information
- IPO frauds
Extradition, European Arrest Warrant, Interpol
International and internal investigations, Compliance
Financial litigation
- Liability of financial companies
- Litigation between counterparts
- Complex products (exotic options, hybrids…)
- Shareholder activism and minority shareholders actions
- Takeovers and shareholders litigation
AMF and regulatory litigation
- Market abuse
- High-frequency trading
- Churning, front-running
- Various financial misconducts
News
Octobre 2024
Julien Visconti conseille CIAM dans le cadre de la contestation du projet de scission partielle de Vivendi par Groupe Bolloré October 2024
Julien Visconti advises CIAM in its campaign against the partial demerger of Vivendi by Groupe Bolloré
Octobre 2024
Benjamin Grundler obtient une ordonnance de non-lieu dans le dossier dit Lafarge (volet financement de terrorisme et sanctions) pour l’ancien DRH Groupe du groupe October 2024
Benjamin Grundler obtains a dismissal order for the former Group HR Director in the Lafarge case
