The Galion Team
Galion’s success is built on technical excellence, teamwork and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Lionel Paraire, founding partner of the firm, has more than fifteen years of high-level experience within large English, American and French firms. He is renowned for litigation and dispute resolution on large scale, complex projects.
All our lawyers are used to working in French or English and are at home in a multicultural environment. They are able to combine deep legal knowledge with commercial sense, to obtain the best results for their clients. Rigour, independence and professional ethics form the foundation of their relationship with clients, fellow attorneys, courts and administrative bodies.
Lionel Paraire
PartnerLionel Paraire
PartnerLionel is the founder and managing partner of Galion.
He has an acknowledged expertise in the area of individual employment relations, high risk litigation and dispute resolution. He regularly assists companies as to the labour and employment law aspects of their corporate transactions and/or restructuring. His expertise also extends into Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), notably as a mediator.
Lionel was admitted to the Bar in 1997. He has a DESS de Droit des Affaires and a Magistère-DJCE (Masters in Business and Tax law) from the University of Montpellier. He worked for six years with Cabinet Jeantet Associés and then Baker & McKenzie, followed by Mayer Brown, where he became ‘Of-Counsel’.
Lionel has lectured at the University of Paris XII in Labour Law and European Labour Law. He is currently senior lecturer at the University of Montpellier I (DJCE and Certificate of Special Studies in Labour Law), where he teaches employment litigation.
He has written numerous articles for specialised and national press and frequently takes part in conferences on labour and employment law. He uses his knowledge to provide comprehensive training to his clients. Lionel is a member of various national and international associations including Avosial (French Employment Lawyers Association), AFPDC (French Association of Collaborative Professionals), EELA (European Employment Lawyers Association) and the IBA (International Bar Association).
Lionel speaks French, English, Spanish and German.
Marie Dang
AssociateMarie Dang
AssociateMarie holds a Master 2 in International Litigation Law and a University Diploma in Anglo-American Law.
With a wealthy professional experience both in France, notably with the Défenseur des Droits, and abroad, in particular with a French law firm in Vietnam, as well as with the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, Marie is able to work in both French and English.
She was sworn in at the Paris Bar in February 2020 and quickly moved into the practice of employment law within several Parisian law firms, dealing in particular with high-profile cases of illegal work, before joining Galion in 2024.
Marie has thus acquired significant multidisciplinary expertise in employment law, both as an adviser and in litigation.
Anaëlle Donnette
ConsultantAnaëlle Donnette
ConsultantAnaëlle joined Galion as a consultant in June 2017, to give the firm some scientific and doctrinal experience.
Anaëlle is a lecturer at the University of Montpellier, teaching International and European labour law, specialising in working relationships in struggling companies.
She holds a master’s degree in Working Relationships Law and Practice (Master 2 Droit et Pratique des Relations de Travail) and a doctorate in Private and Criminal Law (Doctorat en Droit privé et sciences criminelles). She also directs the University of Montpelier degree in Labour Law and International Companies.
Anaëlle is the author of numerous publications in labour law. She also carries out various scientific and educational activities, both within the University of Montpellier and at a professional level.
Ambre San Esteban
Intern attorneyAmbre San Esteban
Intern attorneyAmbre holds a Master 2 in Labour and Practice (DPRT) from the University of Montpellier and is currently an intern attorney at the HEDAC (Versailles Bar School).
She completed her Master 2 with an apprenticeship within a law firm advising employees and has also obtained several university degrees, especially in employment law for international companies and in social protection law and practice.
She is currently doing an internship with Galion and will be returning for her final internship in January 2025.
Ambre is fluent in English and Spanish.
Gabriel Chabal
JuristGabriel Chabal
JuristGabriel obtained his bachelor’s degree in private law at the University of Montpellier.
He also has a master’s degree « Droit et Pratiques des Relations de Travail » (DPRT) from the University of Montpellier and a University Degree (UD) in labor law for companies in difficulty. In parallel with his master’s degree, he is preparing a UD in employment law for international companies and a UD in law and practice of social protection
Gabriel has completed several internships with law firms specializing in labor law, a field for which he has a particular affinity.
As part of the validation of his Master 2 DPRT, he is doing an apprenticeship with Galion. With his sights set on becoming an attorney specialising in employment law, he is preparing to sit the bar exam.
He speaks English and Spanish.
Paul Avril
InternPaul Avril
InternAfter two years in the Ecole Normale Supérieure preparatory program in Law and Economics, Paul obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economic and Social Administration from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.
He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Law at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and is preparing for the bar exam, which he will take in September 2025.
Alongside his studies, Paul is completing an internship with Galion during his first year of the Master’s program.
Actively involved in student organizations, Paul serves as Vice President of the oratory arts association Révolte-toi Sorbonne, where he also acts as an eloquence coach.
Paul is proficient in English and Spanish.
Testimonial
The Galion team, particularly Lionel Paraire, has been advising Soitec for more than five years on various matters relating to labour law and employment law. In addition, the firm assists the company on a regular basis with respect to labour court litigation. A real partnership developed over time, providing customised advice assessment of risk-taking and the different options available, especially from the legal angle but also from that of the company’s in-house realities and its corporate culture. Galion combines the responsiveness and complementarity advantages of a structured team with the customised relationship of a more “boutique”-like approach.
Group HR Director, Soitec