One of the founding partner’s of Allen & Overy’s (A&O’s) Paris office has left the firm after more than 20 years to join Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF).

Jean-Claude Rivalland is leaving A&O ahead of its planned merger with Shearman & Sterling, which was unveiled late last month. His departure follows A&O hiring corporate partner Guillaume Isautier in Paris in March from Shearman alongside a counsel and senior associate.

Rivalland brings more than 30 years of M&A experience in the Paris market to NRF, with a particular focus on cross-border transactions in the banking, consumer markets and media sectors. Recent work at A&O, where he was managing partner of the Paris office for eight years from 2010, includes leading teams that advised Société Générale on the sale of its entire stake in Rosbank and Samsung Life Insurance in relation to its 20% equity acquisition of the French infrastructure investment and management company Meridiam.

Bénédict Denis, NRF’s France head of corporate, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Jean-Claude, who has an outstanding reputation in the French market and whose experience fits with our own. His arrival reflects our ambition to extend the breadth of our offering to our French and international clients on their M&A transactions.”

Rivalland joined A&O in 1999 as one of the founding partners of its Paris office and earlier practised at French heavyweight Gide Loyrette Nouel and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. 

At NRF he will work closely alongside the Paris office’s three other M&A partners – Denis, Karine Montagut and Pierre François, who joined the firm last October from Pinsent Masons alongside a counsel and an associate. NRF noted Rivalland’s industry focus dovetailed nicely with the team’s strengths in insurance, banking, technology and healthcare. 

His arrival brings NRF’s corporate team in Paris to nine partners and 25 associates.

A&O did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Rivalland’s departure.