Valérie Ménard

Partner, Paris

Biography

Overview

Valérie Ménard is a partner of the Paris employment team.

Valérie specializes in employment issues for corporate clients. She has developed a strong expertise in restructuring matters (acquisitions, business transfers and workforce reduction), internal investigations, pre-contentious and litigation files. She also deals with cross-border files (implementation of global policies, multinational investigations) including other practices when necessary (data privacy issues, criminal offences).

Bars and Courts
Paris
Education
DESS
Law and Science of European Employment Law
University of Toulouse
Master's Degree in Administration
University of Warwick
Languages
French
English

Experience

Assisting a client in the retail industry in the implementation of a large restructuring plan (from 2018)

Assisting a client in a large competitive business in analyzing the conditions for implementing an internal investigation process within the frame of potential competition risks amongst several European countries (2018) on employment laws and data privacy laws (before GDPR) 

Implementing a whistleblowing policy for a large public transportation company (2018) in France and abroad (15 countries involved in Europe, Asia, India and in the United States)

Implementing a redundancy plan for a Swedish bank (since 2017) including assistance before the employment tribunal for further litigation

Crédit Agricole CIB (2017) representation in a large multinational investigation involving the US regulatory authorities

Sale of Scotts Miracle-Gro Company's consumer operations (a leading marketer of lawn and garden products) in Europe and Australia for $250 million (2017) to Exponent Private Equity LLP (dealing with all employment issues in France)

Luxury Hotel in Paris (2017), assisting the shareholders of a luxury hotel in Paris in analyzing a collective litigation launched by former employees of a third-party cleaning company and related trade union.

Eurazeo acquiring Mondelez confectionery brands (2016), representation of Eurazeo, one of the largest European listed investment companies, in the acquisition from Mondelez International of certain assets in the confectionery products business, including a portfolio of local heritage confectionary brands (Poulain, Carambar, Krema, La Pie Qui Chante and Terry's -  5 plants located in France), and in the creation of a new independent group, CPK Group

Faurecia selling Automotive Exteriors business (2016), representation of Faurecia, one of the world's largest automotive equipment suppliers, on the sale of its Automotive Exteriors business to Plastic Omnium

Katara Hospitality acquiring InterContinental hotels (2014/2017), representation of Katara Hospitality, the Qatar-based global owner, developer and operator of hotels, on the employment aspects of the acquisition of five luxury InterContinental properties, including the Carlton Cannes and dealing with the information and consultation of employee representatives on the transformation of the hotel

Addivant France restructuring its manufacturing plant (2014), representation of Addivant France, French subsidiary of the US chemistry group Addivant on the implementation of a redundancy plan on a production plant 

Western Union acquiring Travelex (2010), representation of Western Union on employment issues, notably on the labor, employee benefits & data privacy aspects of the £606 million acquisition of Travelex Global Business Payments

MVCI Holidays France facing collective redundancy litigation (since 2008), representation of MVCI before the Appeal court of Paris and The Cour de Cassation in connection with litigation initiated by 50 former employees before the Labor Court of Meaux, Appeal Court of Paris and French Supreme Court with a view to obtain the nullity of a redundancy plan and reinstatement claims

Speaking Engagements

Client seminar: "GDPR: new data protection litigation for companies?", March 2019

Client seminar: "GDPR and HR", May 2019

Client seminar: "Ethics alert: get prepared", July 2017

Publications

Employee Information and Consultation Process: Private Acquisitions (France), Thomson Reuters, Practical Law, June 2022

Article on "Ethics alert", Le Club des Juristes (La Semaine Juridique), September 2017 and podcast: http://www.leclubdesjuristes.com/les-publications/lanceur-alerte-ethique/

Article "Simplification", Le Club des Juristes (La Semaine Juridique), October 2017 and podcast: http://www.leclubdesjuristes.com/les-publications/ordonnances/