In 2026, France recorded a 12% increase in collective proceedings compared to the previous year, according to data from the National Council of Commercial Court Clerks. Behind these figures lie thousands of companies – SMEs, mid-sized companies, and large groups – going through decisive moments where legal support in business law makes the difference between disappearance and rebirth. The law firm Mac Mahon Avocats, located on Avenue Mac-Mahon in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, exemplifies the growing specialization of the bar in restructuring and companies in difficulty. Its partners – Laurent Cazals, Driss Falih, and Harold Vandamme – have over 20 years of experience in this demanding field, intervening in both prevention and crisis resolution, in strict adherence to the ethics and neutrality that bind any lawyer registered with the Paris Bar.
In France, business law concerning companies in difficulty relies on a sophisticated legal arsenal, organized around Book VI of the Commercial Code. From the conciliation procedure – a confidential preventive tool for negotiating with creditors under the supervision of a conciliator – to safeguards, judicial reorganization, and judicial liquidation, each mechanism addresses a specific stage of difficulty. Safeguard proceedings, introduced by the law of July 26, 2005, and strengthened by the ordinance of September 15, 2021, transposing the European "Restructuring and Insolvency" directive, allow a company not yet in a state of insolvency to place itself under judicial protection to restructure its debts and continue its operations.
Financial restructuring constitutes the second pillar of this discipline. It encompasses renegotiating bank debt, divestitures of businesses or business units, continuation plans, approved conciliation protocols, and new money financing. In 2025, French commercial courts approved 4,200 conciliation protocols, a historic record that reflects the growing maturity of the entrepreneurial landscape in facing preventive tools. Specialized lawyers act as neutral intermediaries between the company, its creditors, the procedural bodies (judicial administrator, judicial representative), and the court.
Business litigation forms the third aspect of this specialization. Actions for deficit funding, director liability, debt contestation, appeals against decisions of the commercial court, and litigation concerning guarantees and securities – each procedure generates an increasing volume of disputes requiring sharp expertise. Article L. 651-2 of the Commercial Code, which governs liability actions for insufficient assets, was the subject of 1,800 decisions in 2025, illustrating the complexity and frequency of these litigations. The neutrality of the lawyer and adherence to professional secrecy (Article 2 of the National Internal Regulations of the Legal Profession) are fundamental guarantees for litigants in these sensitive proceedings.
The clientele concerned by these issues is remarkably diverse. SMEs and start-ups in rapid growth phases can experience cash flow tensions; family-owned mid-sized companies face transmission or turnaround challenges; large groups restructure their subsidiaries; investment funds (PE, VC, turnaround funds) seek opportunities in special situations; and incubators support their struggling start-ups. Sectors involved cover industry, commerce, services, tech, real estate, health, transport, distribution, hospitality, and fintech – a spectrum that mirrors the reality of the contemporary French economy.
The integration of artificial intelligence into business law is a fundamental trend in 2026. Legal tech tools now allow for real-time analysis of case law, anticipation of court decisions through predictive justice, and automation of part of the documentary analysis in due diligence. Rated "Excellent" by Leaders League in its category, the firm Mac Mahon Avocats embodies this evolution towards business law where human expertise – rigor, discretion, commitment – is supported by cutting-edge technological tools to best serve the interests of companies and their employees.
The societal stake extends far beyond the legal framework. Each company saved by a restructuring procedure preserves an average of 45 direct jobs and 120 indirect jobs, according to a study by the General Conference of French Consular Judges. In 2025, safeguard and judicial reorganization proceedings helped maintain over 380,000 jobs across the national territory – a figure that underscores the role of business law lawyers in companies in difficulty, discreet yet essential actors in preserving France's economic and social fabric.
