Paris Managing partner Pascal Chadenet was interviewed by the Gazette du Palais, in an article which gathered several points of view on the new provision in the French consumer law of 17 March. Lawyers are now permitted to send more targeted, personalized solicitations for their services, in conformity with European regulations.

A commission has been working on these issues since autumn 2012. While advertising is now allowed, certain forms of publicity remain unacceptable, such as telemarketing or the use of client names.  Pascal believes that personalized solicitation is not adapted to certain areas of activity where reputation and word-of-mouth are irreplaceable. “In mergers and acquisitions, for example, you don’t break down doors,” he explains. ”If you go to see a client that you don’t know, he may wonder if you have enough work...”  Among the disadvantages mentioned in the article, Pascal feels that this new provision “should not lead to a consumption of useless services which would serve the interests of the lawyer, rather than the client.”