Lawyer of Counsel admitted to the Paris Bar since 2002
Specialist in criminal law
Benoît Denis has been a member of the Paris Bar since 2002, and holds a certificate of specialization in criminal law. His practice focuses mainly on environmental and energy law before the criminal, commercial and administrative courts.
A former legal assistant to the Paris financial division and the Paris Court of Appeal, he has pleaded a number of emblematic cases with Huglo Lepage, where he is in charge of sensitive environmental law cases (Xynthia, green algae, dioxin pollution, nuclear risk, Lubrizol, pollution of the Walloon Scheldt, etc.).
As an advisor, he works mainly in energy law, particularly in the field of energy saving certificates (CEE), in which the firm has developed recognized expertise. He is also involved in the sale of industrial and/or potentially polluted sites, and more generally in industrial risk, real estate and business law.
Benoît Denis has won several independent awards for his expertise in environmental criminal law and energy law.
The American legal magazine Best Lawyers, which lists French lawyers recognized by their peers, has recognized him in energy law since 2022 and in criminal law since 2024 (https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/benoit-denis/297338).
Décideurs Juridique magazine singled out HLA and Benoît Denis in its new ranking devoted to environmental criminal law since 2023 (https://www.leadersleague.com/fr/classements/droit-penal-de-l-environnement-classement-2022-france).
Le Monde du Droit, which conducted a survey of law firm clients, named Benoît Denis as one of the 5 energy lawyers of the year 2022 (https://www.lemondedudroit.fr/professions/238-avocat/80584-palmares-droit-paris-2022-avocats-annee.html).
Finance Monthly’s Legal Awards 2022 named Benoît Denis as France’s Lawyer of the Year in the Industrial and Environmental Risks category, for his work with Huglo Lepage Avocats. (https://legalawards.finance-monthly.com/previous-winner/benoit-denis/).
- Industrial and environmental risks
- Private business law
- Industrial environment
- Energy law
- New economy
- Environmental criminal law
Since 2023, Benoît Denis has been working with his colleagues at HLA on the Master in Energy Transition Management created with DeVinci Executive Education. Prior to this, he was a lecturer in criminal procedure at Université Paris-Sud XI.
- Certificate of specialisation in criminal law, CNB (2019)
- CAPA, EFB Paris (2000)
- DEA in Sociology of Law, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (1998)
- DESS (postgraduate diploma) in business law and corporate taxation, University of Burgundy (1997)
- Maîtrise (bachelor’s degree) in business and tax law, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (1996)
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Law and International Private Law, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (1995)
- Co-author of the Code commenté de l’environnement (LexisNexis and Huglo Lepage Editions, 2019).
- Periodical contributions to the Gazette du Palais, the Journal Spécial des Sociétés (JSS) and the Revue Energie Environnement Infrastructures.
- Among the latest productions:
- « Les nouveaux maux: les ondes électromagnétiques », JSS, February 2019
- « The offence of endangering others as a tool to protect health and the environment », JSS, February 2019
- « Taxation and the circular economy according to FREC », JSS, December 2018
- « Energy saving certificates: the challenges of the 4th period », JSS, May 2018
- « Environment and sustainable development – AZF trial – Commentary on the judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal of 31 October 2017 », Energy Environment Infrastructures, March 2018
- « Industrial risks and endangerment », Gazette du Palais, January 2017
- « Criminal law on waste: new QPC transmitted », August 2016
- « Libres propos sur la circulaire d’orientations de politique pénale », Energie Environnement Infrastructures, June 2015
- « Acquisition and pre-emption of potentially polluted former industrial sites », Gazette du Palais, March 2013
- French
- English