#White collar crime
Fraud involving fake bank advisors: the French Cour de cassation tightens the rules on reimbursing victims
By a ruling of 4 March 2026, the Commercial Chamber of the French Cour de cassation addressed “spoofing”, a fraudulent technique consisting in impersonating a bank in order to deceive the customer and induce them to authorize certain transactions. In this decision, the Court held that a customer who personally validated payment transactions, despite explicit warning messages, may be deemed to have committed gross negligence. In such cases, the bank is released from its obligation to reimburse unauthorized transactions. This decision reflects a tightening of case law, limiting the rights of customers who are victims of “spoofing” and reinforcing their responsibility in securing their banking transactions. >Read the article.
The introduction of plea bargaining in criminal matters divides the judicial system
The bill put forward by the French Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, aims to introduce a plea bargaining mechanism in criminal cases, allowing a defendant who admits guilt to benefit from a reduced sentence and avoid standing trial. The reform pursues several objectives: easing the burden on courts, reducing costs, and, in certain cases, offering a faster procedure for victims who do not wish to go through a hearing. However, several practitioners and victims’ associations fear that the reform may undermine the safeguards of criminal proceedings, notably due to the absence of a public adversarial debate, as well as the risk of weakening the pedagogical role of the hearing. The proposed mechanism nevertheless preserves certain safeguards, by allowing the victim or the prosecution to oppose it and by providing for a validation hearing. >Read the article.
#Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations
Online Advertising: Google Ordered to Compensate M6
The Paris Economic Activities Court (Le Tribunal des activités économiques (TAE)) ordered Google to compensate M6 for abuse of a dominant position in the online advertising market. The court found that Google had favored its own advertising solutions to the detriment of publishers, including M6, and competitors. Already sanctioned in 2021 by the French Competition Authority, Google’s practices were re-examined in the context of a follow-on damages action: the TAE retained a broader infringement period, extending it until 2022. It further held that M6 suffered a decrease in its gross revenues, an increase in the commissions charged by Google, as well as damage linked to the persistent effects of the anticompetitive practices. > Read the article.
#Arbitration and Mediation
10th Edition: A decade of connecting the world of arbitration
The tenth edition of Paris Arbitration Week (PAW) will take place from 23 to 27 March 2026, confirming its central role in international arbitration. Organized with the support of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this edition illustrates France’s commitment to promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms on a global scale. Over the past ten years, PAW has brought together 288 partners, organized 267 events, and attracted more than 40,000 registration requests. The 2026 edition will address major issues such as the impact of artificial intelligence on dispute resolution, as well as matters related to energy, natural resources, and climate-related disputes. > Read the article.
