Lawyer-to-the-stars Celine Bekerman launches her own firm

Situated in the upscale surrounds of Paris’ Rue Montaigne, the founder chose the office not to create a buzz or as a status-symbol, but rather since it provides a spacious location capable of housing the crack team who will help her defuse legal and media bombshells on behalf of celebrity clients.  

The young criminal-defense lawyer’s motivations for setting up her own operation were twofold: the inadequacy of the law “to grasp the problems of my clients in their entirety” and “the uncertain nature of the resolution to long, costly and complex litigation.”

After passing the Bar in 2008, Bekerman had stints at Gide Loyrette Nouel and Kiejman & Marembert, but she forged her reputation at Pardo & Associés, where she spent a decade working with celebrity lawyer Olivier Pardo, who has handled cases for the actress Isabelle Adjani and businessman Bernard Tapie, among other French personalities. 

Crisis management
A specialist in crisis management, Celine Bekerman’s expertise extends to media and entertainment law, culture law, image rights, privacy rights, and the rights of social media influencers. Bekerman doesn’t just provide legal counsel, but supports clients caught in the eye of a media storm following a scandal, accompanying them on public appearances and when they speak to the media, and prepping them on the best way to use the media spotlight to their advantage.

In order to do so she relies on the help of a group of professionals with expertise complementary to her own. “The public relations aspect of representing public figures requires skills that are very different from those of the average lawyer. In high-profile criminal cases, the defense must be as convincing in the court of public opinion as they are before the judge. A simple accusation can be enough to condemn a celebrity, even if they are found not guilty in court.”

In high-profile criminal cases, the defense must be as convincing in the court of public opinion as they are before the judge

When defending clients in the sporting world accused of embezzlement, doping or taking bribes, the first task is to manage the reputational risk to the client and for this, “you have to be able to assemble a crisis response team in a matter of hours.” In the media world, time moves much faster than in the judicial world.

Putting together a team and surrounding yourself with the right people to solve any given problem is the secret sauce of Bekerman’s new boutique. “You won’t find answers to the types of problems my clients face in law manuals,” she adds. 

Conflict resolution
The firm prefers to prevent litigation and resolve conflicts out of court. Celine Bekerman “has seen so many cases go to trial that, with a little psychology, could have been resolved beforehand.” Which is why at her new firm the founder is putting the accent on mediation and “putting our network to use in order to take the sting out of disputes.”

The lawyer admits to drawing inspiration from American TV’s legal dramas for her firm’s Conciliabule team, “an experienced pool of neutral and impartial third-parties“ who have “the legitimacy to intervene because they are capable of understanding the issues facing our clients.”

Celine Bekerman's rollodex is replete with the names of prominent figures in the media, culture, banking, finance, insurance, tech and public-affairs domains, who she can call upon to “overcome impasses and find solutions acceptable to all parties.”

We await with interest details of the identities of those making up the war council for Bekerman Avocats’ legal and PR battles to come in the years ahead.