Paris

About Whitfield & Crane LLP's Paris Office

GENERAL

Whitfield & Crane operates in France through a branch of Whitfield & Crane LLP, a limited liability partnership, registered in England and Wales (registered number OC425451). Whitfield & Crane LLP is a law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales under SRA No. 656035.

Whitfield & Crane LLP's registration number for Value Added Tax (TVA) in France is FR 55848906152. The SIREN number for Whitfield & Crane LLP in Paris is 848906152

Whitfield & Crane LLP comprises lawyers who are regulated by the Ordre des Avocats à la Cour de Paris (Paris Bar) as avocats (lawyers registered at the French Bar) and/or foreign lawyers who are admitted in their home jurisdiction. A list of the partners, giving each partner's professional qualification and jurisdiction of qualification, is open for inspection at the registered office of Whitfield & Crane LLP at 40 Leadenhall Street | London | EC3A 2AA | UK.

The rules and principles applicable to the professional conduct of avocats can be obtained on the Paris Bar website or by contacting either the Direction de l'Exercise Professionel or the Direction des Affaires Europeennes et Internationales + 33 1 44 32 47 77.

Whitfield & Crane LLP is also separately regulated as a firm by the Ordre des Avocats à la Cour. Foreign lawyers working in France at Whitfield & Crane LLP, must also comply with the rules of the French Bar.

COMPLAINTS

The Paris Bar (Ordre des Avocats à la Cour de Paris) provides various procedures for dispute resolution. Details of the procedures can be obtained from the Paris Bar, at http://www.avocatparis.org (exercice de la profession/textes sur la profession/décret no.91-1197).

If you would like to discuss how the service to you could be improved, or should there be any aspect of our service with which you are not satisfied at any time, you should raise the matter with the partner with whom you deal or with the head of the division or department where the work has been carried out. If you would like to make a formal complaint, including a complaint about any bill we have delivered to you, you should do so in writing addressed to the head of the relevant division or department or to the Complaints Counsel (Justine Cowling, General Counsel) and ask for a copy of our complaints procedure. We will look into your complaint carefully and promptly.

If, for any reason, we are unable to resolve any problem between us, you may be able to use the complaints and redress procedures operated by the Legal Ombudsman. This service is open to all members of the public, certain small businesses, charities, clubs, societies, associations and trusts. There are time limits on making such a complaint, generally within six months of our written response to your complaint and within six years from the act/omission complained of or three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

The contact details for the Legal Ombudsman are: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Phone 0300 555 0333 / enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is the professional regulator of Whitfield & Crane LLP and handles complaints relating to professional misconduct.

INTEREST

Where Whitfield & Crane LLP holds monies in its client accounts, it will ensure that interest paid will be fair and reasonable over the whole period for which client money is held. Whitfield & Crane LLP holds client accounts with Barclays Bank. Where funds are held in the Whitfield & Crane LLP General Client Accounts, sums in lieu of interest will be payable on the funds, calculated by reference to the bank's rates of interest for such accounts. The rates of interest are available on request from our Accounts. All funds held in separate designated accounts will receive the full amounts of interest credited by the banks. No interest is payable if the amount calculated on the balance held is £50 or less.

INSURANCE

In accordance with the disclosure requirements of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009, our professional indemnity insurer is Pembroke Syndicate 4000 at Lloyds of London, 1 Lime Street, London EC2M 7HA (broker reference no. F10141613, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited).

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Whitfield & Crane LLP is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but we are able in certain circumstances to offer a limited range of investment services to clients because we are authorised by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority which has complaints and redress procedures. We can only provide investment services, if they are an incidental part of the professional services we are engaged to provide.

We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or the Prudential Regulation Authority of England. However we are included on the register maintained by the FCA so that we can carry on insurance distribution activity which is broadly the advising on, selling and administration of insurance contracts. This part of our business, including arrangements for complaints or redress if something goes wrong, is regulated by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority. The register can be accessed via the FCA website.

Whitfield & Crane LLP acts as a legal adviser; it is not part of our role to give advice on the merits of investment transactions. Any investment decision is for our clients to make and no communication by us should be treated as an invitation or inducement to our clients to engage in investment activity.

ANTI CORRUPTION STATEMENT

Whitfield & Crane LLP is subject to the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in respect of its activities throughout the world and has adopted Anti-Corruption policies which have been approved by senior management. The policies are based on an assessment of the external and internal bribery risks that face us and reflect the standards we expect those who perform services for us and on our behalf to abide by, when acting on our behalf.

ANTI MONEY LAUNDERING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Our anti-money laundering (AML) policies are generally based on the highest standards that are required in the jurisdictions where we conduct business. We conduct customer due diligence enquiries based on the FATF recommendations and the EU Fourth Money Laundering Directive. We have internal procedures to ensure that any suspicions of money laundering are reported. Lawyers and other relevant staff are provided with training on these issues.