Gide Loyrette Nouel's network of 16 offices across the world sets it apart from France's strong pack of major independent firms, underlining its claim to be a truly international, full-service firm. With 82 partners spread across four continents, the firm cites half of its key clients as non-French companies.

Founding partner Pierre Gide instilled the firm's orientation towards an international practice; he was qualified to practise both in England and France and had strong links with Africa through the mining industry. The firm was one of the first to be established, in 1955, after the Paris Bar reformed its practice rules to permit partnerships.

Senior partner Gerard Tavernier says the firm has always had a strategy of basing offices in emerging markets, competing at arm's length with US competitors.

"Most of the [emerging] markets we are in are closer to the civil code concept, which has been exported to Central Europe, North Africa and the Far East," he says. "Chinese lawyers, for example, are much closer mentally to civil law."

Indeed, Tavernier suggests Gide is not so much French as an international firm, "probably more so than some of the international firms that say they're just that", pointing out there are 28 nationalities among its ranks.

The firm has also been building up a reputation for advising governments in eastern Europe and Russia, acting exclusively for the Russian government in setting up their competition regulations.

Gide's London office will meanwhile remain concentrating on capital markets and finance rather than being full service: "We have to recognise that London is the financial centre in Europe, and if we can't offer a London service in the banking and capital markets fields, clients will go to a global firm," he says.

Gide is also the Lex Mundi member for France, raising its profile further in the 160 jurisdictions where the non-exclusive network is represented. In major markets where the firm has no special expertise, Gide works closely with the top tier of independents, naming Slaughter and May, Hengeler Mueller, Uria & Menendez and Italy's Chiomenti.

Addressing the sensitive issue of how far Gide considers itself to have been influenced by the Anglo-Saxon invasion of the French legal market, Tavernier says the firm has maintained its values and its "independent-minded" lawyers while drawing a number of lessons in terms of working together to be more efficient.

"A number of firms suffered badly with the Anglo-Saxon arrival, but they reacted by organising themselves much better in terms of management – this was very positive for firms in a way," he concedes.

He insists though that French firms are holding their own – looking at the major M&A transactions as a yardstick of success, Tavernier points out that the boutique and independent firms are still very present in the market.

He is keen to refute the one-stop shop as the client's first choice of firm, saying it is a myth that for any kind of transaction, clients will always choose the global firm. "Capital market, yes, are fairly commoditised, so the one-stop shop is satisfactory," he says. "But there are more cases where the client will go for the best in each country."