Matthias FEKL
Matthias Fekl, a former minister and administrative judge, is a founding partner of the firm. His practice focuses on both advisory and litigation matters, particularly in public law, investment projects and alternative dispute resolution. He regularly acts as a mediator or as counsel in mediations. He has always expressed a strong interest in arbitration, including through his strong support of ambitious reforms in investment arbitration. Matthias Fekl has a deep understanding of the functioning of the French economic fabric and of public and private decision-making processes at all levels: local, national, European and international. He assists SMEs, mid-sized corporations and large groups alike with their projects as well as in their litigations.
Matthias is a board member of the French Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC France). He is also a board member and contributes to the promotion of Paris City of Law – Paris – Place de droit -, where he leads the committee for “attractiveness,” in charge of all matters related to Paris’ and France’s attractiveness as major players in the field of law, litigation and legal influence.
Mr. Fekl is a French and German bi-national. He has long been involved in the French public life at the service of humanist and European values. He served as Minister for the Interior (Home Secretary), Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, and Member of Parliament, where he was Member of the Law Commission of the National Assembly.
He taught public law (constitutional law and administrative law) at Sciences-Po, as well as at the Prép’ENA Ecole Normale Supérieure – Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Bordeaux.
He is fluent in French, English and German.
- 2021 | Partner, Audit – Duprey – Fekl
- 2018 - 2020 | Partner, KGA Avocats
- 2017 | Minister for the Interior
- 2014 - 2017 | Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad
- 2012 - 2014 | Member of Parliament and / Member of the Law Commission of the National Assembly
- 2005-2010 | Administrative Judge and maître de conférences at Sciences-Po
- 2003 - 2005 | Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) – Promotion Romain-Gary
- 1999 - 2002 | Sciences-Po
- 1998 - 2002 | Ecole Normale Supérieure – Lettres et Sciences Humaines
Matthias Fekl writes a bimonthly European column entitled “Paris-Berlin” in the daily newspaper L’Opinion. In addition, he has published numerous books and reports, including:
- "Droit public" – Ellipses, Aug. 2008 (co-authored), 3rd Ed., Dec. 2012
- "Norme européenne, loi française : le mythe des 80%" (co-authored), Studies of the Terra Nova Foundation, Jan. 2010
- "Pour une primaire à la française", Terra Nova, Aug. 2008
- "2027 – deux jeunes élus confrontent leur vision de la France" with Wladimir d’Ormesson et and J.-F. Achilli, Editions du Moment, 2010
- "Les contestations de l’arbitrage d’investissement dans les négociations commerciales internationales contemporaines", Cahiers de l’Arbitrage, 2018, No. 3, pp. 413 – 435
- La fonction publique française et l'Europe communautaire : entre adaptation, réforme et influence", Les Petites Affiches, Apr. 19, 2007, No. 79 (special edition Les 50 ans du Traité de Rome, preface by the Vice-President of the Conseil d’Etat), pp 16 seq.
- "Les révisions de la Constitution", special edition Petites Affiches pour les 50 ans de la Vème République", Jul.10, 2008, preface by M. Rocard, former French Prime Minister ;
- "Non-cumul, modernisation et démocratie", Commentary, 2013, n° 141, pp. 65-72.
- Matthias Fekl is considered as “highly regarded” by the Legal 500 2019 edition
Contact : matthias.fekl@adf-avocats.com