Steering Legal has opened an office in Lyon to complement its national network, marking an important step in its development.

This opening is the result of a strategic merger with Lexplus Avocats, a firm already well established in the Lyon area.
‘This new office is part of our drive to strengthen our local presence. Our approach is focused on the specific needs of our clients in the region and on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille axis, a city where the firm is already well integrated into the regional economy.
The opening of our office in Lyon is in line with this approach, enabling us to better serve our local clients by benefiting from a firm that is recognised and respected in the Lyon market, and whose team’s ability to meet its clients‘ needs is well established’, explains Nuno de Ayala Boaventura.

Steering Legal in Lyon will be led by Romain Luciani, a lawyer admitted to the Lyon Bar in 2010, who is recognised in the field of business law, with particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate law. He holds an LLM in International Commercial Law and has been a member of the Luxembourg Bar for several years, where he has built up a wealth of experience that enables him to handle large-scale cases with an international dimension. His professional career has been marked by his commitment to assisting companies and entrepreneurs in strategic, complex and high value-added transactions. In addition to his consultancy activities, Romain Luciani is also a recognised author in the legal field. His book ‘Acceptez-vous de prendre pour associé’ (‘Do you agree to take on a partner?’) takes a pertinent look at the challenges of professional association, an essential subject for entrepreneurs. This reflection on professional relationships and partnership management bears witness to his ability to combine legal theory with practical solutions tailored to the business world.

Its team of five associates are all committed to providing a quality service and supporting businesses in their day-to-day work and in their development.

The Lyon office is set to add new legal and tax expertise.

‘We took the time to find the right team to set up this project’, says Nuno de Ayala.

When Nuno de Ayala Boaventura, Managing Partner of Steering Legal, and Romain Luciani, his counterpart at Lexplus Avocats, met face-to-face to work on a merger and acquisition, the prospect of a joint and collaborative approach quickly emerged, both in terms of people and development.

Romain Luciani and his team were won over by ‘a solid network, because our customers today need a global and international approach to their activities. This integration enriches our expertise and enables us to offer innovative, tailor-made solutions and to broaden our range of services’, explains the lawyer, for whom “our integration into the Steering Legal teams is therefore an opportunity for both our clients and our staff”.

‘A move to Lyon in line with our strategy

Steering Legal, already recognised for its expertise on a national and international scale, has developed in regions and countries where its lawyers live and where they have a thorough understanding of local culture and procedures. This in-depth knowledge enables them to offer appropriate and relevant advice, whatever the geographical context.

The firm, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has recently stepped up the pace of its development with the arrival of new partners and associates: Aude Chartier, in tax and property law, Maud Lambert in IP/IT and David Lussigny in M&A/corporate finance.

Nuno de Ayala Boaventura is delighted that Steering Legal is perceived in the market as a French firm with an international practice, particularly in Africa, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, offering comprehensive expertise while also having a strong presence in certain industry sectors.

‘We’re not looking to grow for the sake of it. Our aim in opening offices abroad is to support our customers wherever they are and to build lasting partnerships with them. We are currently working on the best ways for our firm to take advantage of the opportunities in the Indian market to give our clients privileged access to it. We also know that Singapore and Hong Kong are among the major market hubs. Asia is part of our plans, no doubt in the same way as the United States.

He adds: ‘We have a client-focused practice, where teamwork is a priority. When we open a new office, we take care to recruit both experts in our target areas who can demonstrate leadership, and people with human qualities who share our cross-functional approach.

The opening of the Lyon office is no exception.