Dentons has announced the hire of partner Nicolas Theys to lead the firm’s restructuring insolvency and bankruptcy practice in France, replacing Gabriel Sonier and Caroline Texier.

Theys moves from UK-based firm King Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin. With over 15 years’ experience in French law, he specialises in insolvency and bankruptcy law, representing debtors, creditors and turn-around funds. He has strong litigating experience including insolvency and shareholder-related disputes.

From 2005 to 2009, he was the president of the French chapter of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), a non-profit organisation for practitioners in corporate renewal and turnaround management, and a member of the Association pour le Retournement des Entreprises.

In Dentons’ Paris office, he will work closely with a team of four lawyers: Audrey Molina, Géraldine Astrup, Elisabeth de Carvalho and Gwenaelle de Girval.

Commenting on the new role, Theys says: “I am looking forward to helping contribute to the firm and its future successes.

“[Dentons] has a fantastic reputation, and its polycentricity and dynamic growth distinguishes it from other providers in the international legal services market.”

CEO for Europe at Dentons, Tomasz Dabrowski, adds: “[Theys] will help build our offering to clients in France and contribute to the strategic goal of developing a leading restructuring practice in Europe.”

“Nicolas is a welcome addition to our strong existing restructuring teams in the UK, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia and Spain.”