Juridique et Administratif

🏦 Led by Géraud de Franclieu, Clémence Corpet, and Carole Ducler, Sekri Valentin Zerrouk's M&A team advised Turenne Hôtellerie on the sale of the 4-star Hôtel Cardinal de Rohan (35 keys) in Strasbourg to a family-owned hotel group. Additionally, GATE Avocats, represented by Thomas Verdeil, provided supplementary legal and tax advice. Sekri Valentin Zerrouk is a French business law firm established in 2004, with over 60 lawyers specializing in various legal domains.

🚨 The former director of Brive's tourism office was sentenced to ten years in prison for gang rape on February 1st, at the Eure-et-Loir criminal court. The crime dates back to 2013 in Chartres. Two others received twelve and eight years respectively. The victim, a 38-year-old woman, stood by her testimony throughout the eight-year process. Brive's tourism office, with 60 employees and 120,000 annual visitors, is shocked; measures are planned to protect the team.

💰 The French Directorate for Social Security announced a new "Employee Savings" section in the "Other Compensation Elements" block on January 24, 2025. This section includes a chapter on the Profit-Sharing Bonus (PPV), detailing the allocation of PPV to savings or retirement plans. Companies must amend their savings plan rules to include PPV by June 30, 2025, and outline potential employer matching contributions. The PPV affects the beneficiaries' reference tax income regardless of plan allocation. The new section takes effect on February 1, 2025, moving PPV from "Exceptional Measures" to reflect its permanence, and the FAQ on PPV remains accessible for amounts paid before January 1, 2024.

📌 Montréal's mayor proposes new regulations: adding inspectors to detect illegal rentals with fines up to $1,000 for first-time offenses and $2,000 per day for repeat offenses. Rental period restricted to June 10 - September 10, allowing only registered commercial residences year-round operation, targeting speculators bypassing "principal residence" rules.

🏀 France's government chose GL Events for exclusive concession negotiations for Stade de France management, sidelining current concessionaire Vinci-Bouygues since 1998. The selection began in October, amidst desires to involve sports federations in stadium governance. Vinci-Bouygues challenges the decision, citing GL Events' incomplete bid, lacking a constructor for the €100 million renovation. They claim unequal negotiation terms with football and rugby federations, and question Paris Entertainment Company's (PEC) role, despite GL Events presenting evidence of PEC's involvement in their technical team.

🏦 Caroline Krass named Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Hilton, reporting to CEO Chris Nassetta. Krass, former Senior Vice President at AIG and legal adviser at the DoD, joins Hilton's executive committee on March 17, 2025. Her career includes managing global teams and complex legal matters in public and private sectors. Nassetta highlights her ability to provide thoughtful legal counsel and drive strong stakeholder results.

🗿 Museums d'Orsay and de l'Orangerie in Paris fell victim to mirror site fraud on January 24, temporarily disabling their ticketing systems. Hundreds of visitors were scammed through fraudulent websites mimicking the original ones, directing them to buy tickets which led to the collection of personal and banking information. The issue was resolved by January 25. Previously, Parc Astérix also reported similar fraud. In response, the museums, which welcomed 4.9 million visitors in 2024, have filed a complaint.

🛃 On January 25, 2025, the French Minister of the Interior released a new circular on regularization of undocumented foreigners, effective immediately. Regularization is exceptional and not for those posing a public threat. A stay of 7 years is a key integration indicator, up from 3 years per the February 2024 circular. Catherine Quérard, GHR President, emphasizes the need for clear guidelines, particularly for employed foreigners.

📃 Between 2007 and 2009, a series of suicides linked to France Télécom's massive restructuring and workforce reduction led to the trial of its executives for institutional moral harassment. The Cour de Cassation recognized "institutional moral harassment" as a degradation of working conditions knowingly imposed by company policy. This landmark decision, while rooted in the specific case, has broader implications for all companies and the handling of moral harassment.