Simmons & Simmons has announced the arrival of IT specialist Éric Le Quellenec to the firm’s corporate & commercial practice in Paris, headed by Christian Taylor.

A specialist in new technology, IT, and communication law, Éric Le Quellenec, 41, has developed particular expertise in the field of contract management. He is involved in the entire life cycle of his clients' contracts, right from their creation and negotiation to their closing, a process which includes the execution phase and associated litigation. A designated DPO, Éric Le Quellenec also assists his clients in the definition and implementation of GDPR compliance programmes.

Previously Director at Lexing law firm and Director of the IT-Data protection consulting department, Éric Le Quellenec began his career in 2004 at Avoxa before co-founding Lamon & Associés in 2010. He was a member of the Paris Bar Council, secretary of the GDPR digital commission, and co-referent to the Paris Bar Incubator between 2019 and 2021.

Jacques-Antoine Robert, Managing Partner of the Paris office, added: We are thrilled to welcome Éric to Simmons, as his cutting-edge expertise in digital transformation is a major asset to the firm. Securing and managing data is an increasingly complex issue, and one that is of primary concern to our clients. This is why structuring and strengthening our teams in this area was one of our priorities for 2022.

Éric Le Quellenec said: I am delighted to be joining the Simmons team, which has a great reputation in data protection and which brings together several renowned partners, such as Sarah Bailey on IP issues. The combination of our expertise with the firm's knowledge of the ICT sector and its appetite for new technologies were important factors in my decision. I look forward to developing opportunities to work with partners in Paris and across the network.”