Sylvie Gallage-Alwis
Partner| sylvie.gallage-alwis@signaturelitigation.com | +33 (0)1 70 75 58 00 |
Biography
After 10 years practicing in a major international law firm, Sylvie became one of the founding partners of the Paris office of Signature Litigation and heads its product liability practice.
Sylvie is one of the youngest French practitioners recognised for her skills as a litigator by directories. She is specialised in all cutting-edge complex disputes linked to products, namely product liability, product safety, toxic tort, mass litigation/class action, regulatory compliance, and environment.
Sylvie is both an Avocat à la Cour in France and a Solicitor in England & Wales. She is described by Who’s Who Legal as a “dynamic and determined litigator“, who is “a firm favourite among clients“as “she always goes the extra mile to support her clients, and is proactive in seeking commercial solutions to disputes“and is “analytical, intelligent and responsive“. Sylvie is ranked as a ‘Thought Leader’ in the Who’s Who Legal France: Product Liability Defence 2021 Guide, which notes her “rigorous analysis, strategic guidance and seasoned litigation” on complex product disputes. Clients applaud Sylvie for her “customer-centric and financially aware” approach and Who’s Who Legal recognises her as a “a star in the international world” and “well-connected expert”. She has also been awarded the “Best in Product Liability” award at the 2019 LMG Euromoney Europe Women in Business Law Awards. In The Legal 500 EMEA 2020, France chapter, Sylvie is recognised as the only Next Generation Lawyer for product liability under Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation. Sylvie is recognised for her work on “high-profile toxic tort and product liability cases, handing a number of asbestos claims.”
Sylvie has experience in all ranges of product-related litigation. She “stands out in the product liability space for her creative solutions and strategic understanding of the many cases she works on“. She is recognised as a rising star for Product Liability in France since 2015 by the LMG Expert Guides. She represents a variety of globally recognised manufacturers from industries such as automotive, electronic products, cosmetics, new technologies, steel, energy, food, toys, etc. In this scope, she has developed strong regulatory knowledge, putting together innovative defences.
Sylvie is further known in the French market as a leading toxic tort / mass litigation lawyer. As such, she has been involved in most pro-company case law rendered in recent years, notably in asbestos-related cases, with some cases mentioned in the French Civil and Social Security Codes because of the significant reversal in case law they represent.
Sylvie is an active member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). She also regularly attends meetings of the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO).
Experience
Product Liability/Product Compliance
- Advising a leading automotive manufacturer in the scope of an investigation on diesel emissions.
- Representing a leading mobile phone manufacturer in the scope of allegations of planned obsolescence.
- Advising a pesticides manufacturer following investigations carried out by the French Customs on the composition of one of its products.
- Advising prominent cosmetics manufacturers in the scope of investigations by the EU market surveillance authorities on the composition and labelling of their products.
- Advising an automotive spare part manufacturer for the launching of innovative products on the EU market (connected vehicles related).
Toxic Tort / Mass Litigation / Class Action
- Handling a docket of more than 7,000 cases filed by plaintiffs on the ground of their anxiety to develop an asbestos-related disease in the future.
- Handling a docket of more than 400 cases filed by plaintiffs alleging that they have developed a disease linked to an exposure to chemical substances.
- Advising a seeds manufacturer in the scope of claims filed by dozens of farmers on the ground of alleged defects of the seeds.
Press Coverage
La 5G : début d’une nouvelle saga judiciaire ? – Option Droit et Affaires – 2 December 2020
Financial institutions: soon in the eye of the climate litigation storm? – Thomson Reuters – 27 November 2020
Class action and hidden defect: the judicial tribunal of Versailles sheds a welcome light – Revue de Jurisprudence de Droit des Affaires – November 2020 Edition
Climate Litigation Momentum Building in Europe – Today’s GC – Autumn 2020 Edition
Covid : ce que les entreprises doivent faire pour éviter la faute juridique – Les Echos – 25 September 2020
Product liability and safety in France: overview – PLC – 9 September 2020
COVID-19 and Force Majeure: French Courts Stick With the Contract – Legal Week – 31 August 2020
The anxiety to develop a disease: companies doing business in France should worry – The Barrister – 19 August 2020
CJEU’S Annual Report: Manufacturers, Climate change & Chemical substances – Lawyer Monthly – 4 August 2020
EU Class Action Policy Guided By Wrong Measure Of Success – Law360 – 15 July 2020
L’action de groupe : une déception, mais pour qui? – La Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires – 10 July 2020
L’anxiété : un préjudice qui n’est plus limité au contentieux de l’amiante – Option Droit et Affaires – 1 July 2020
French Force Majeure Case Holds COVID-19 Lessons For Cos. – Law360 – 18 June 2020
Clause by clause: COVID-19 can be a force majeure event – Thomson Reuters – 17 June 2020
Commercial Litigation: COVID-19 recognised as force majeure – Lawyer Monthly – 8 June 2020
What does product-related litigation look like in France today? – Who’s Who Legal – 29 May 2020
The DGCCRF and online platforms’ duty to inform consumers – Lawyer Monthly – 28 May 2020
Le Toxic Tort à la française : c’est pire qu’Outre-Atlantique… – Le Monde du Droit – 11 May 2020
Operating companies & Covid-19: Beware of tomorrow’s litigation! – The Barrister – 7 May 2020
Protection de l’environnement : entreprises, préparez-vous à une vague de contentieux – Le Monde du Droit – 23 April 2020
Why climate change litigation is heating up across Europe – Litigation Futures – 22 April 2020
COVID-19 : attention demain aux contentieux pour les entreprises – La Tribune – 21 April 2020
An inventory of litigation risks for operating businesses during COVID-19 – Lawyer Monthly – 17 April 2020
French Court Rebukes Amazon Over Worker Health and Safety, Prompts Company to Shut Warehouses in France – Legal Week – 15 April 2020
Covid-19 : comment éviter les risques de contentieux – Les Echos – 15 April 2020
French Cos. Should Beware 4 Legal Risks Of Reopening – Law360 – 14 April 2020
Does EU product law need to change to stay relevant? – Lawyer Monthly – 23 March 2020
Areas of Expertise
Sylvie Gallage-Alwis's Latest Published Articles
@SignatureLitLLP
Paul Brehony, Abdulali Jiwaji, @jdshearman, and Ligia Bob examine in PLC Magazine the transition from #LIBOR to alternatives and how businesses must act now to reduce risks and exposure in relation to potential LIBOR-related #litigation bit.ly/3uw5ohQ pic.twitter.com/GPVNPMXKNb
Signature Partners
Ioannis Alexopoulos
Ioannis is ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for international arbitration and is recognised in The Legal 500 UK 2021 as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for international arbitration. He is praised as a “brilliant advocate” and the Guide also notes that he is “is experienced in cases involving Greece, the Balkans, Russia and Central Asia, the Middle East, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa“. Ioannis is also ranked in Chambers Global for his international arbitration practice. He has been commended for his ability to “see right to the heart of sprawling banking disputes.”
Paul Brehony
Paul is recognised as a “notable practitioner” in banking litigation by The Legal 500 UK Guide and is also “highly recommended” for commercial litigation expertise. He is further described as “charming, well organised and a pleasure to litigate with.”
Nicolas Brooke
Nicolas has deep experience in the management of complex and international high stakes litigations. He receives high praise within the industry; his team at Société Générale was awarded the “Trophée d’or Direction Juridique Contentieux” by Décideurs/Leaders League and most recently Nicolas won the “Outstanding In-house Counsel” award at the Global Investigations Review Awards in 2018. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Nicolas as a ‘Leading Individual’ for compliance, and notes he has “outstanding professional skills and shows a good sense of strategy.”
Natalia Chumak
Natalia is ranked in the Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK Guides for her International Arbitration expertise. She has previously been praised by The Legal 500 and Chambers UK for her “fantastic experience and responsiveness“, for being an “extremely good tactical mind“, a “steely litigator with excellent litigation instincts” and she has been praised for her ability to “remain incredibly calm under pressure“.
Julian Connerty
Julian has been ranked in Chambers for Civil Fraud and the Guide notes he “has considerable expertise in international fraud cases.” Julian is recommended in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his civil fraud and banking litigation expertise. The Legal 500 notes that Julian is an “extremely experienced practitioner” and “a specialist in international fraud and asset recovery actions”. Julian is also described as “subtle and meticulous” and “inspires great confidence in all around him”.
Steven De Lara
Steven practices in both London and Gibraltar. A multi-faceted lawyer, Steven is used to concurrently manage complex contentious and non-contentious commercial, corporate and regulatory mandates. He enjoys a wide corporate and commercial practice, often acting on joint venture and shareholder disputes, contentious asset management, professional negligence claims and Fintech claims. Steven is ranked in the Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Europe 2020 Guides for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution. He is described as an “insightful, dedicated lawyer with great attention to detail” and adds that Steven is “extremely hard-working, client-focused and very knowledgeable.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide also recognises Steven as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar.
Sylvie Gallage-Alwis
Sylvie is described by Who’s Who Legal as a “dynamic and determined litigator“, who is “a firm favourite among clients” as “she always goes the extra mile to support her clients, and is proactive in seeking commercial solutions to disputes” and is “analytical, intelligent and responsive“. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Sylvie as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Product Liability Litigation in France and she is recognised for her work on “high-profile toxic tort and product liability cases, handing a number of asbestos claims.”
Graham Huntley
Graham is consistently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers as one of the UK’s highest ranked commercial and banking litigators and has been involved in some of the most significant cases of recent years. Chambers UK describes him as “an intense and effective solicitor with an incredibly client-focused approach” and he has previously been described as “very bright, very hard-working, a good tactician” and “very committed and driven”. The Legal 500 recognises Graham for being a “a leading figure in commercial dispute resolution and widely regarded as a rainmaker.”
Abdulali Jiwaji
Abdul is regarded as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail and Commercial Litigation. The Guide notes he “is always on the ball and has a good tactical brain” and recognises he “has always provided sound and very considered advice”. Abdul is also praised for being “a steady hand during turbulent times”. Chambers Global has described him as a “technically sound, sensible and robust litigator who always finds practical solutions”.
Emmanuèle Lutfalla
Emmanuèle is recognised as a ‘Thought Leader’ in Who’s Who Legal’s France 2020 Guide. She is also ranked as both a ‘National’ (in France) and ‘Global’ Leader for Product Liability Defence in Who’s Who Legal. The Guide notes Emmanuèle “excels in handling disputes at the intersection of product liability and insurance matters, representing clients from the life sciences sector in litigation and product risk management.” The Legal 500 EMEA Guide ranks Emmanuèle as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for commercial litigation.
Hermès Marangos
Hermès is recognised as a ‘Leading Individual’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his insurance and reinsurance litigation practice. Hermès is ranked as a Band 3 expert in Chambers Global 2021 and Chambers Latin America 2021 for his Insurance expertise in the region.
Elliott Phillips
Elliott is an internationally recognised barrister and specialises in global commercial litigation and international contentious trusts disputes. He has been recognised in The Legal 500 for his experience in dispute resolution work and is also ranked as a Band 2 individual in both Chambers Global and Chambers Europe for General Business Law: Dispute Resolution — Gibraltar. In 2019 Elliott was recognised as one of the world’s leading private client lawyers and trusts and estates litigators, and was listed in the Private Client Global Elite community. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide recognises Elliott as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in Gibraltar, and notes he “is a specialist in international trusts and estates disputes.”
Flore Poloni
Ranked in Who’s Who Legal Arbitration – Future Leaders, Flore is described as “the most dynamic young arbitration practitioner in Paris“, “a very dynamic and multi-skilled lawyer” and praised for her “excellent communication skills and perfect knowledge of arbitration“. The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 Guide ranks Flore as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ for dispute resolution in France and a ‘Rising Star’ lawyer for International Arbitration, recognising her “extensive expertise in international arbitration” and “extremely capable”.
Thomas Rouhette
Thomas is ranked Band 2 by both Chambers Global and Europe for his litigation and aviation law expertise, with sources praising him for his “invaluable” advice, experience and knowledge. The Legal 500 EMEA Guide consistently recognises Thomas as a ‘Leading Individual’ for his aviation and commercial litigation practices. Who’s Who Legal regards Thomas as the “finest product liability lawyer in the country and one of the very best on the continent.”
Tom Snelling
Highly ranked in the Chambers UK Guide for his commercial litigation expertise, Tom Snelling is described in the 2020 Guide as “extraordinarily good” and an “utter pleasure to work with and enormously talented, with a sixth sense for where a case is going and very sound judgement”. The Guides have also noted that Tom is “amazingly dedicated with strong credentials in international litigation” and that he is both “practical and commercial”. Tom is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail and Commercial Litigation expertise.
Daniel Spendlove
The Legal 500 UK Guide describes Daniel as “an exceptionally committed, exceptionally hard working lawyer, with a careful and thorough approach to issues” and “a really effective litigator“. He has also been described as “very smart, client focused and details-oriented” and “excellent, with great attention to detail, wide experience and excellent client care’“. He has also been praised as “highly professional”, and “a strategic thinker” who “brings real energy to cases”. He is highly ranked across the Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration and Professional Negligence categories. He was recently described, by Commercial Dispute Resolution magazine, as “one of a new breed of independent and forceful commercial litigation partners”.
Josh Wong
Josh is recognised as a ‘Recommended Lawyer’ in The Legal 500 UK 2021 for his international arbitration expertise, and the Guide notes that he is “an expert in security, asset tracing and enforcement actions involving multiple jurisdictions”. He is also ranked in Chambers Global as a ‘Foreign Expert Based in UK’ for his Chinese dispute resolution, arbitration expertise, and as a ‘Foreign Expert for China’ for UK dispute resolution.
