Maître Tarek TERAS
Maître Tarek TERAS is a lawyer admitted to the Paris Bar. He holds the Certificate of Aptitude for the Legal Profession (CAPA), awarded by the Professional Training School of the Bars of the Paris Court of Appeal (EFB).
He mainly practises in business law, corporate law, real estate law, commercial leases, transfers and acquisitions of businesses as going concerns, franchise law, distribution law and commercial litigation. In these areas, he has developed recognised expertise through his handling of numerous complex matters involving significant economic stakes, both in advisory work and litigation.
Professional Experience
Maître Tarek TERAS's professional career led him to work within the French Competition Authority, an independent regulatory authority, where he contributed to the analysis of complex anti-competitive practices.
He then practised within several business law firms with national and international reputations, where he handled complex advisory and litigation matters, particularly in relation to transfers and acquisitions of businesses as going concerns, franchise law, distribution law, real estate law, commercial leases, corporate law and commercial litigation.
For several years, Maître TERAS has represented clients before the French courts, including judicial courts, commercial courts and courts of appeal, in matters involving business law, corporate law, real estate law, commercial law and business litigation. His litigation practice also enables him to advise his clients with a strategic, pragmatic and secure approach.
Transfers and Acquisitions of Businesses as Going Concerns
Maître Tarek TERAS regularly acts in transfer and acquisition transactions, particularly in connection with the acquisition of businesses as going concerns involving substantial amounts, sometimes reaching several million euros.
He assists clients across various economic sectors, including pharmaceuticals, industry, technology, entertainment, hospitality, restaurants, beauty institutes, hair salons, retail and services.
His work covers the entire process of transferring or acquiring a business as a going concern: project analysis, legal due diligence, review of the commercial lease, examination of employment contracts, analysis of franchise agreements, review of commercial contracts, drafting or reviewing the preliminary sale agreement, drafting the final deed of transfer, carrying out legal formalities and assisting the client through to completion of the transaction.
Maître TERAS has also acted as escrow agent in numerous significant business transfer transactions, ensuring the protection of his clients' interests and the legal security of the transaction.
Franchise Law and Distribution Law
Maître Tarek TERAS has in-depth expertise in franchise law, both in advisory work and litigation. He assists franchisors, franchisees, investors and business operators in the creation, negotiation, performance and termination of franchise agreements.
His work includes, in particular, the analysis of pre-contractual disclosure documents, the legal security of franchise agreements, the protection of know-how, the supervision of the franchisor's assistance obligations, the management of the parties' reciprocal obligations, as well as disputes relating to the termination of franchise agreements, competition, territorial exclusivity, network operation and relationships between franchisors and franchisees.
Maître TERAS has also acted in several sensitive and complex matters relating to the development of French franchise networks on European and international markets, particularly in the Middle East. He therefore assists franchise networks, brands, investors and commercial partners with their development projects in France and abroad.
Commercial Leases and Business Real Estate Law
Maître Tarek TERAS has been practising for many years in the field of commercial leases and business real estate law. He assists landlords, tenants, business operators, companies, investors and commercial occupiers in the negotiation, drafting, performance, renewal and litigation of commercial leases.
He has represented clients before the French courts, including urgent applications judges, judicial courts and courts of appeal, in disputes relating to the removal of statutory rent caps, renewal of commercial leases, determination of the renewed rent, termination clauses, termination of commercial leases, commercial eviction, unpaid rent, service charges and the obligations of landlords and tenants.
His experience in commercial lease litigation enables him to provide effective advisory support to clients from the negotiation stage of the commercial lease. He has been involved in the negotiation and drafting of commercial leases involving high economic stakes, acting for both landlords and tenants, including in matters involving major players in the French real estate market.
Maître TERAS acts in relation to both traditional commercial premises and premises located in shopping centres, taking into account the specific features of commercial leases in shopping centres, including service charges, operating clauses, activity-related obligations, opening hours, works, permitted use clauses and the constraints imposed by shopping centre managers.
He has drafted and negotiated commercial leases in numerous business sectors, including pharmaceuticals, industry, entertainment, hospitality, restaurants, beauty institutes, hair salons, retail and services.
Business Advisory Work and Commercial Litigation
Through his practice in business law, commercial law, real estate law, franchise law, corporate law and commercial litigation, Maître Tarek TERAS provides comprehensive legal support to companies, executives, investors, business operators, franchisors and franchisees.
He advises clients on securing legal transactions, structuring contractual relationships, anticipating risks, negotiating contracts and supporting business development.
He also represents clients in litigation before the French courts, including commercial courts, judicial courts and courts of appeal, in commercial disputes, shareholder disputes, contractual disputes, franchise disputes, commercial lease disputes, disputes relating to transfers of businesses as going concerns and disputes between business partners.
Languages and International Clients
Maître Tarek TERAS is fluent in French, English and Arabic. This linguistic ability enables him to assist French and international clients, particularly English-speaking and Arabic-speaking clients, in matters involving business law, real estate law, commercial leases, transfers of businesses as going concerns, franchise law, corporate law and commercial litigation.
He also advises foreign investors wishing to create, acquire, develop or defend a business activity in France, as well as French clients seeking to develop projects internationally, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.
Academic Background
After beginning his legal studies in 2004, Maître Tarek TERAS obtained a Master 1 in International and European Law from the University of Bordeaux IV Montesquieu, followed by a Master 2 in International, European and Comparative Law from Toulouse I Capitole University.
He then pursued a PhD in Economic Law at Aix-Marseille University, within the Centre for Economic Law, with a thesis on the monetary impact of the relationship between public and private enforcement actions in competition law, as part of a comparative study of European and American competition law.
This in-depth academic background enables him to approach complex matters with rigorous analysis, particularly in business law, competition law, economic law, commercial law, real estate law and business litigation.
Legal Certifications
Throughout his career, Maître Tarek TERAS has further strengthened his training through several legal and technical certifications obtained notably from the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL), The Hague Academy of International Law and the University of Chicago Law School.
These additional qualifications reinforce his expertise in high-stakes areas such as economic regulation, data protection law, international legal relations, competition law, international contracts and cross-border issues.
Whitefield Law Firm
Drawing on this academic and professional background, Maître Tarek TERAS founded Whitefield Law Firm in Paris, with the aim of offering a responsive, demanding and client-focused structure based on attentiveness, proximity and efficiency.
The firm provides high-quality legal support, with direct and continuous contact with the client, whether in France, Europe or internationally.
Maître Tarek TERAS thus places his experience in business law, real estate law, commercial leases, transfers and acquisitions of businesses as going concerns, franchise law, commercial law, corporate law, commercial litigation, economic law and competition law at the service of a clientele composed of companies, executives, investors, business operators, franchisors, franchisees and individuals facing complex legal challenges.