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De Pardieu Brocas Maffei has a lucrative niche giving advice on French law to firms outside Paris, say commentators, but the firm has been most impressive in debt capital markets work, where it moves up after competitors argued the firm's case.

"They have strong practice and when you compare their practice to others in tier three they deserve to be there," says one rival.

The firm's expertise has also won praise from clients. "From a quality point of view they are very good," says one client. The speed of the answers was a little bit delayed though, but they are qualified and I trusted them."

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei has also posted some impressive deals, particularly in relation to commercial paper programmes. In the first the firm acted as counsel to Deutsche Bank as arranger for the French tranche of its €2 billion multi-currency commercial paper programme with Adidas.

The firm also acted as counsel to the Metro Group in setting up its €1 billion commercial paper programme.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a strong banking firm, known for its French client base. "De Pardieu has a good name in traditional bank advisory roles," says one rival.

The firm has a strong capacity with regard to regulatory advice, which has served the firm well in the present climate of uncertainty. Name partner Antoine Maffei led on the mandate advising Société Générale in the context of the fallout of Lehman Prime Brokerage transactions.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is a large French firm with a focus on public M&A. The firm's corporate practice grew significantly in the beginning of the 2009 after a raid on Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson saw five new members join the firm. Foremost among these is Patrick Jaïs, who is considered an M&A authority by competitors.

Jaïs joins a team that already boasts a market leading name for corporate work - Thierry Brocas. Brocas led the firm in late July 2008, advising Holta Invest on the French aspects of the €593 million sale of Tinfos to Eramet, both steel industry players.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei moves down as competitors speak of a lack of prominence within the market when compared to its tier-two rivals. "I'm surprised at seeing De Pardieu there - it is a good export credit firm but I wouldn't rank it as tier two in project finance," says one peer.

Peers praised Antoine Maffei - the firm's leading lawyer - as a skilled practitioner, though with more of a capital markets focus.

In January 2009 the firm advised Société Française d'Eoliennes as sponsors on the €20 million construction, operation and financing of a wind farm project in Menaucourt.

De Pardieu Brocas Maffei is "very close to the top tier" according to one rival who adds that the firm's size is one of the factors that distinguishes it from Weil Gotshal & Manges and the other tier-one firms.

Jacques Henrot is the firm's leading lawyer and he is highly thought of among his peers. "Jacques Henrot is an excellent practitioner," says a competitor. "Henrot is very competent," says another: "He is doing a lot of work for banks."

The firm is traditionally associated with working on the creditor's side. But since the arrival of Philippe Dubois, De Pardieu has expanded its practice and acts for a variety of clients including debtors and shareholders in a wide range of instructions.

One of the firm's most high-profile restructurings was acting in the €1.8 billion sauvegarde procedure of the zero-employee Heart of La Defense (or Coeur Defense) and its holding company.