“A silent minority essential to economic activity”: the Alès bar advocates for its skills in business law

President Guillaume Garcia, accompanied by Me Gabrielle Le Dréau FREE MIDI – CHARLES LEDUC

The Bar Association of the capital of the Cévennes is campaigning so that the files do not go to other cities. To do this, he is putting his Institute of Business Law back on track.

Who says new president says new ambitions for the Alès Bar Association. Since taking office in January, Me Guillaume Garcia, who has campaigned in particular for "an offering of local services", also focuses its attention on business law and wishes to put the Institute of Business Law back on track, although it already exists but has been lethargic for many years. Me Gabrielle Le Dréau, who has just joined the council of the Order, has also been appointed to take charge of it.

The creation of a network in perspective

The President, specialized in labor law, aims to set up a network, with accountants, notaries and other bailiffs, or even a "cooperation with institutions, such as the chamber of commerce and industry". He explains that "the biggest contributor to business is the customer", since lawyers cannot all be specialized in a field, which leads them to refer someone to colleagues, such as Me Le Dréau. As he can do it himself and he justifies himself: "It’is offering the “full service” to employers and employees." In terms of business law, the objective is then that "the client can be accompanied from the creation to the transfer of business, and during all the acts of its existence". The lawyer then highlights "continuity of service".

Me Garcia: "We must be actors in Alesian life"

This, while staying in Alès, of course! "We must always highlight the know-how of Alesian lawyers", insists Me Garcia. "There are very great skills here." Thus, of the approximately 50 counsel registered with the bar, six or seven practice business law and three or four sometimes delve into it. For her part, Ms. Gabrielle Le Dréau devotes 90% of her time to consulting, and the remaining 10% to litigation, whether in corporate law, commercial law and taxation. The President is very clear: "In business law, we must occupy the ground […] We must be actors in Alesian life."

A world of "confidentiality"

Because it is clear that today, "the business law market is in Nîmes(where the commercial court is located), Montpellier, even Paris". However, insists the President, "there are big cases handled here, but we don't make the “A” newspapers. Multi-million euro company sales are concluded." But all this takes place under the seal of the "confidentiality".

More visibility for slogan

To relaunch the Institute of Business Law, the bar "will consider setting up free hotlines", without however treading on the flowerbeds of structures which already offer them, like the Cafés created by Crédit Agricole. "Where I will demand that a lawyer from Alès systematically go!", announces Me Garcia. He also plans to place emphasis on "something essential: support for companies in difficulty. The goal being to preserve the company and jobs, as well as the capital of the managers." In this first half of 2024, Me Le Dréau therefore mission of "put in place as many prevention tools as possible for companies in difficulty, such as conciliation mechanisms".< /p>

"Great avenues for work" available to lawyers

"We have, before us, great avenues of work to highlight our skills", believes Me Guillaume Garcia, whose colleagues constitute, he says, "a silent minority essential to economic activity".

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