Biography
Deborah specialises in insurance disputes, product liability and mass toxic and consumer litigation. She is used to working in large-scale litigation and has developed an online tool for claims management in this respect.
Deborah is a litigator handling EU-wide disputes related to commercial and product liability, for both manufacturers and insurers. In this respect, she advises clients from a range of industry sectors including automotive, energy, consumer goods and cosmetics both on regulatory aspects and in Court.
She has further developed a specific expertise in toxic tort, trying cases relating to alleged risks linked to exposure to chemical substances, including disease-related litigation, environment, successive owners’ disputes, etc.
Deborah also takes an active interest in advising online platforms and new technologies developers in the launch of their business in France and any related disputes with the authorities and consumers.
Prior to joining Signature Litigation, Deborah trained in an international insurance company and in the Paris office of a major international firm.
Experience
- Handling cases relating to operating losses suffered due to the Covid-19 crisis
- Managing EU-wide claims for a French leading insurance company on disputes related to an automotive manufacturer.
- Assisting an automotive spare-parts manufacturer in claims filed by plaintiffs on the ground of their anxiety to develop an asbestos-related disease in the future.
- Representing a variety of clients in cases filed by plaintiffs alleging that they have developed a disease linked to an exposure to chemical substances.
- Representing an online platform in all their disputes linked to French consumers’ complaints.
- Representing a leading French cosmetics manufacturer on the claims made on their labelling.
- Representing a plastic film manufacturer in the scope of a product liability claim filed by its French distributor.
Publications
2022
La nécessaire mutation des polices d’assurance face aux nouveaux risques – La Tribune de l’assurance – 2 November 2022
2020
Perte d’exploitation : le grand flou – La Tribune de l’assurance – 8 December 2020
Anxiety: a prejudice that is no longer limited to asbestos litigation – The Barrister – 19 August 2020
Pertes d’exploitation : quelles leçons tirer de la crise sanitaire ? – L’Argus de l’assurance – 9 July 2020
Covid-19 : une opportunité pour refonder l’assurance cyber – La Tribune de l’Assurance – 7 July 2020
Anxiety: a prejudice that is no longer limited to asbestos litigation – ODA – 1 July 2020
L’assurance cyber devra tirer des leçons du Covid-19 – L’AGEFI Hebdo – 11 June 2020
L’assurance cyber devra tirer des leçons du Covid-19 – La Tribune de l’Assurance – 11 June 2020
Insurance cancellation to the test of Covid-19 – La Tribune de l’Assurance – 9 June 2020
How should insurers address cyber risks, a French perspective – Actuarial Post – May 2020
La pandémie du Covid-19 : une opportunité de repenser l’assurance cyber ? – Le Monde du Droit – 15 May 2020
2019
Carriers need a better understanding of the insurability of cyber risk – Insurance Day – December 2019
L’anatomie du risque cyber : un enjeu de taille pour les assureurs – La Tribune de l’Assurance – 5 November 2019
Un panorama du risque cyber – Option Finance – 14 October 2019
An overview of cyber risk – ODA – 18 September 2019
What you need to know before doing business in France – Lawyer Monthly – 13 August 2019
Be Careful When Terminating Contractual Relations In France – Law360 – 23 July 2019
La fin du contentieux relatif à la rupture brutale des relations commerciales – Le Monde du Droit – 15 July 2019
Areas of Expertise
Deborah Azerraf's Latest Published Articles

@SignatureLitLLP
Read Associate Paul Grant’s recent article discussing the EU General Court’s challenge of the European Commission over the ruling that the UK illegally offered state aid to companies in Gibraltar: bit.ly/3WWWZmb #CommercialLitigation pic.twitter.com/jue7yxGaNZ