Morgan Masson :
Yes, first of all thanks for having me. As you said, I am Morgane Masson, Associate at LEGI Avocats, which was established in 1986. This firm has therefore been around for almost 40 years. It is a Lyon firm specializing in commercial law, founded by legal advisers before they even became lawyers. This advisory aspect remains today the company’s trademark.
We are based in Villeurbanne, in the new industrial quarter, and historically we were already established in Villeurbanne, but in a district more centered on commerce.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Are there many of you in this office?
Morgan Masson :
Yes, we are nine partners and 23 employees. What is special about our firm is that we also host partners who are not legally part of LEGI Avocats, but whom we consider to be full members.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
This adds real value to the delivery of your services, right?
Morgan Masson :
Accurate.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Let’s get to the details of your services. Commercial law is a large area. Specifically, what types of legal services do you offer?
Morgan Masson :
As I mentioned, we have great expertise in company law. This involves supporting business creators, buyers or even managing high balance sheet operations such as mergers between groups or legal structures.
We also help managers finance their operations, which also includes finance law and new technology law. We take care of the preparation and negotiation of business leases, the purchase of leasehold rights and the purchase of business assets.
We also have a tax department which deals with both the manager’s and the company’s taxes, as well as a section on asset reallocation. Finally, we have lawyers specializing in business cases and employment law, where we defend employers in conflicts with employees.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
And regarding the partners that you host, you said that they are not directly part of the company, but that they complete your offering, is that correct?
Morgan Masson :
That’s exactly it. We call them partners, and their presence allows us to offer 360-degree advice to managers. For example, a business owner may need a lawyer specializing in family law if they are going through a divorce, or in public law and planning. These are not areas we deal with directly, but our partners are there for it.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
What is the typology of your customers? Rather SMEs, large groups, VSEs?
Morgan Masson :
We primarily support business managers, regardless of the size of their business. Historically, we work a lot with VSEs, SMEs and large regional SMEs. Our customers are mainly based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, but we also have some customers in Paris and other major French cities.
With regard to sectors of activity, we do not have a specialty. Our customers can come from the food industry, high-tech industry, etc. This makes the files varied and exciting.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
The economic context for the start of the 2024 school year is a little bleak, especially for business leaders. What are your customers’ biggest concerns right now?
Morgan Masson :
The most important need we feel is closeness and responsiveness. Our customers seek daily advice to make the right decisions in a timely manner. We also support companies that start to encounter difficulties, without ever giving up. We try to give them support and advice in these moments.
One area of concern concerns taxation, particularly the taxation of dividends, which can change. Executives are wondering whether to distribute their dividends before the end of 2024 for fear of a rise in taxation.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
And from a human point of view, how do you perceive the entrepreneurs you meet at the moment?
Morgan Masson :
I would say there is a lot of waiting. Business leaders always have projects, but they are in a wait-and-see attitude. They don’t really know how things will develop and that delays certain projects. But when we came out of COVID in 2020, we saw great dynamism with many business creations. Today it is calmer, but it is cyclical. It will come back.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Artificial intelligence is a hot topic in many industries, including yours. What is its impact on your job?
Morgan Masson :
Artificial intelligence is not a threat to us, but it will transform certain tasks, especially those that can be automated. For example, in our consulting profession, AI can simplify processes, but it will not replace humans in pleading or negotiations.
Lawyers must continue to deliver real added value, particularly in terms of legal strategy. It is also important to develop soft skills, such as negotiation, which cannot be replaced by machines.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Is your human relationship with your customers at the heart of your business?
Morgan Masson :
Yes, absolutely. For example, today there are platforms for creating online businesses. But often the files we receive relate to partners who no longer get along and nothing is planned in the event of a conflict. If these clients had consulted a lawyer from the start, it would have avoided a lot of problems.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Last question, Morgane, a tradition on this show: any recent news that particularly struck you?
Morgan Masson :
Yes, our Prime Minister’s intervention a few days ago, who talked about future reforms. We are waiting to see if these reforms come to a vote, but the month of October will be decisive with the Finance Act. There is still a lot of uncertainty.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Thank you very much Morgane Masson for coming to our studio. See you soon for another update!
Morgan Masson :
Thank you and see you soon.
Jean-Francois Pibre :
Thank you for following us. Find the show on our website, our YouTube channel and our social networks. Have a great day and see you soon.