Toxic Tort Litigation

• Our experience in handling toxic torts claims in the French Courts is extensive. In dealing with allegations against chemical substances or suspected dangerous products, we have acted in more than 200 cases over the past decade relating to these issues.
• Our track-record in toxic tort cases demonstrates our passion for this type of work: we enjoy getting into the technical details and understanding our clients’ products and culture.
• Our knowledge of how French Courts operate in dealing with allegations against chemical substances or suspected dangerous products enables us to provide clients with an unparalleled ability to deal with the specialist aspects of toxic tort litigation.
• Our approach centres on applying a vision to employee & toxic tort cases. This has resulted in very significant case law reversal and pro-company case law. Some of our toxic tort successes have even been mentioned in the Civil and Social Security Codes – a rare occurrence which only happens for cases of great significance.
• Our strategy is to win thanks to attention to detail. We have originated several innovative defences that French Courts were not used to seeing in such cases. Making a difference has allowed us to have plaintiffs’ actions dismissed.
• Our client-base is 80% manufacturers: we know how sites operate, what corporate obligations are and how Works Councils and unions think. In dealing with plaintiffs’ Counsel, we know what documents to look for to provide counter-evidence.
• We regularly work with US-based in-house Counsel. We understand the challenges of French litigation and translate this into reporting tools for company management. In dealing with the “home field advantage” of individual plaintiffs, we know how to change the approach of the French Courts.

Sylvie Gallage-Alwis is known in the French market as a leading toxic tort and mass litigation lawyer and her practice has focused, for the past ten years, on chemical-related litigation. As such she has been involved in most pro-company case law rendered in recent years, notably in asbestos related cases, with some cases being mentioned in the French Civil and Social Security Codes due to the significant reversal in case law they represent.

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”. In The Legal 500 EMEA 2021, 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.” The practice in Paris is “highly regarded for its know-how in defending companies against toxic tort claims and deals with a high amount of claims brought by employees regarding asbestos and other chemical substances.”