Anja Droege Gagnier
Partner

Anja Droege Gagnier

Career profil

Anja Droege Gagnier has gained extensive experience over more than 30 years in international transactions (M&A, joint ventures, distressed M&A, corporate finance) as well as in restructurings of companies in various sectors: real estate, banking and insurance, printing, steel, aeronautics, automotive, nuclear, oil refining, gas, cogeneration, transport and logistics, infrastructure, life sciences, biotechnology, art, fashion and luxury goods. She has developed a French, German-speaking and international clientele including companies, funds, financial institutions and insolvency practitioners.

Anja Droege Gagnier assists foreign investors in takeover bids at Court. She advises lenders in complex financing scenarios (structured finance – infrastructure transactions) and assists them in negotiations with the borrower and public authorities. She has particular experience in preventive/pre-insolvency proceedings (ad hoc mandate/conciliation), often in the interest of shareholders and creditors (banks or suppliers).

Anja Droege Gagnier represents and assists executives in “post-bankruptcy” legal proceedings (abuse of corporate assets, bankruptcy, etc.). She is particularly skilled in cross-border insolvency scenarios in EU countries, Switzerland or the United States.

Languages

German, French and English

Admissions

Paris

Education

DJCE/DESS Business law/Magistère des Juristes d’Affaires franco-allemands, Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg

Expertises

Membership

IBA – Insolvency Section: Member of the Advisory Board; World Bank Liaison Officer (2025–present)

DAV FRANCE (Deutscher AnwaltVerein)

INSOL Europe

CERIL

TMA France

VID (Verband Insolvenzverwalter und Sachwalter Deutschlands): Corresponding Member

Accolades

Lexology Index (former Who's Who) 2026

Thought Leaders – Restructuring & Insolvency
Thought Leaders – France : Catgory Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal 500 EMEA 2019: Distressed Companies

Comments from clients who consider that Anja Droege Gagnier “has very strong expertise in insolvency proceedings combining French and German law” and who appreciate her “pugnacity, her independence and her incorruptibility”.

Leaders League 2026 – Restructuring & insolvency

Advising banks and creditors: Excellent

Directory of companies and shareholders – Small & Mid-Cap: Highly recommended

Leaders League 2026 – Litigation & Arbitration

Commercial litigation up to € 100m: Highly recommended

GRR 100 Global Restructuring Review 2025

recommended by GRR among the top law firms from around the world as a safe pair of hands for carrying out insolvency and restructuring work with an international dimension

Publications

2025

 

2024

  • Facing New Challenges in the French Office Market: Statistics and Analysis. co-author Amélie Dorst

 

2023

  • Harmonisation and creditor representation in France: a new opportunity for creditors?. co-author Amélie Dorst
  • The French pre-pack proceedings challenged by the directive proposal of the European parliament and of the council, harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law: the difficulty of finding the balance between transparency and confidentiality
  • A New Opportunity for Creditors?: The Proposed Directive and Creditor Representation in France. co-author Amélie Dorst

 

2022

  • Transposition in France of the Restructuring and Insolvency Directive: evolution or revolution for creditors and equity holders? (in The Journal of the IBA Insolvency section, Insolvency and Restructuring International 2022, Vol 16, Issue 1, p25)

 

2021

  • Less Is More: Implementation of the Restructuring and Insolvency Directive in France: Evolution or Revolution for Creditors and Equity Holders? co-author Amélie Dorst
  • The role of the Insolvency section of the International Bar Association
  • Contribution to the chapter on France, “Cost Assessment for Debt Collection Abroad,” INSOL International

 

2020

 

2019

  • Less is more: Les crypto-monnaies dans le cadre de procédures collectives en France : comment traiter les actifs volatils ?

 

2018

  • France – quo vadis? France is keen to reform its security and insolvency law (in The Journal of the IBA insolvency section, Insolvency and Restructuring International Vol 12 No 2 September 2018). co-author Amélie Dorst
  • Less is more: La France s’est dotée d’un « security trustee » – agent des sûretés – souple et efficace en faveur des crédits syndiqués. co-author Amélie Dorst

 

2017

  • Chapter “France”: Shareholders’ Rights and Obligations: a global guide (in Global Law and Business). co-author Amélie Dorst

 

2016

  • Chapter “France”: Cash Pooling and Insolvency: A Practical Global Handbook, Second Edition (in Global Law and Business). co-author Amélie Dorst

 

2015

  • Less is more : Loi Macron : nouvelles précisions quant à l’obligation d’information des salariés en cas de vente de l’entreprise
  • Less is more : La fermeture de sites en France : halte à l’immixtion dans la gestion économique et sociale de la filiale. co-author Amélie Dorst
  • Chapter « France » : Retention of Title in and out of Insolvency (in Global Law and Business). co-author Amélie Dorst

 

2014

  • Chapter “France” : Licences and Insolvency: A Practical Global Guide to the Effects of Insolvency on IP Licence Agreements (in Global Law and Business). co-author Amélie Dorst
  • Der Debt-to-Equity Swap in französischen Insolvenzverfahren – ein Rechtsvergleich
  • France’s new legislation attempts to narrow shareholders’ powers in a restructuring scenario: a first step in rebalancing creditors’ and shareholders’ rights?

 

2013

  • Section “France – Les nullités de la période suspecte” : Gläubigerkommentar Anfechtungsrecht: Praxiskommentar zum gesamten für Gläubiger relevanten Anfechtungsrecht nach AnfG, InsO und ausgewählten ausländischen Rechtsordnungen, hrsg. Cranshaw/Hinkel, Finanz-Colloquium Heidelberg

 

2012

  • Lex Petroplus’ – neue Sicherungsmassnahmen in Sanierungsverfahren nach französischem Insolvenzrecht, NZI 11/2012, 449ff