our history

The HARLINGTON firm was founded by Maître AYACHE BOURGOIN, avocat à la Cour d’appel de Paris et de Luxembourg (member of the Paris and Luxembourg Bars). Having practised for more than two decades in the litigation departments and then in the investment fund and asset protection departments of various Anglo-Saxon firms based in different countries, but also within the International Court of Arbitration and the Cour de cassation, he sought to bring a new solution to the wealth protection market upon the entry into force of Law no. 2007-211 of 19 February 2007 establishing the fiducie (the French-law fiducie).

Drawing on this experience, Maître AYACHE BOURGOIN has adapted to the fiducie the principal tools and strategies developed over centuries in the Anglo-Saxon world under the regime of the Trust.

A recognised specialist in financial litigation, a member of the Association des avocats fiduciaires and founder of the Association française des victimes d’escroquerie financière, he was for years in a position to gauge and assess the shortcomings and the lack of awareness of private clients in matters of wealth protection, and how quickly, unfortunately, entrepreneurs and families could lose a large part or even the whole of their wealth as a result of poor structuring or of a complete lack of preparation. It was in this context that he decided to steer the firm’s business towards asset management and wealth protection, without ever abandoning litigation, which forged the reputation of the practice and constitutes the indispensable complement to the fiduciary practice while embodying the essence of the profession of avocat. This strategy proved particularly apposite, since the fiduciary department grew extremely rapidly by meeting a need which had not, until then, been covered by the profession of avocat even though the law encouraged it.

Thus, between 2008 and 2017, Maître AYACHE BOURGOIN developed his litigation practice in banking and financial law as well as in criminal law in various countries (France, Luxembourg, Canada and Australia) before diversifying the firm’s business into other sectors in order to meet the needs of professional clients. Over the years, the team has been strengthened by the gradual recruitment of experts in various key sectors so as to provide expertise that is unique on the market.

Lastly, in 2018, the firm opened its fiduciary business under the name “HARLINGTON | Fiducie” in order to meet the expectations of its clients as regards the management and protection of the personal and business wealth of private and institutional clients.

In only three years, the firm’s fiduciary business has established itself as a leader in Europe in the management and protection of assets, with several tens of millions of euros of assets under management on behalf of numerous companies and various families.