Stephanie De Giovanni

Stephanie De Giovanni is an accomplished international and litigation attorney with over 20 years of experience practicing commercial law and complex commercial litigation. Ms. De Giovanni has a background in international distribution law and spent her early career focused on commercial agency and the setting-up of distribution networks. For the duration of her legal career, she has dealt with termination issues and the disputes arising therefrom.

Over time, Ms. De Giovanni’s practice gradually evolved towards product liability and compliance and she now specializes in the following areas:

• International litigation, arbitration, and settlement negotiations with a strong focus on termination of contracts and relationships.
• Distribution law, international contracts, and product liability.
• Compliance, including anti-corruption, export rules, international sanctions, and ethical charters.

Ms. De Giovanni has deep experience advising clients on compliance issues, including anti-corruption, Sapin II law programs, regulatory issues, international sanctions as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.  She works with clients to assist them in developing effective and ethical compliance processes for their organizations. Ms. De Giovanni represents clients in a range of industries, including manufacturing, food, life sciences, automotive, aeronautics, and luxury goods. She advises Boards of Directors on their compliance challenges and conducts workshops to train clients on compliance issues including Anticorruption Sapin II law.

Ms. De Giovanni is a recognized trainer with the training Institute Francis Lefebvre Formation where she offers training on compliance issues and international contracts.

She advises clients daily in the following areas:

• Set-up or restructuring of cross-border distribution networks, subcontracting, agency and supply relationships.
• International contracts and cross-border litigation including international private law aspects (conflicts of laws and jurisdictions).
• Sudden or abusive termination of business relationships both as an advisor and litigator.
• Complex commercial litigation and settlement negotiations.
• Compliance policies, including anti-corruption audits, risk mapping, ethical charters, due diligence, and providing assistance in French Anticorruption Agency investigations. 
• Prevention mechanisms to avoid improper corporate practices.
• Financial sanctions and embargos, including international trade restrictions.
• Product liability matters, including regulatory issues, judicial or amicable expertise proceedings, recall or withdrawal situations, and settlement negotiations.

Ms. De Giovanni has been ranked by Legal 500 in the Healthcare and Life Sciences categories consistently since 2017.