#Litigation and International Investigation
Patrick Balkany sentenced to unsuspended prison terms in two public funds misappropriation cases
On 28 May 2026, the Nanterre Criminal Court convicted Patrick Balkany in two separate cases of misappropriation of public funds. He was sentenced to fifteen months’ imprisonment and a €350,000 fine in the first case, and to three years’ imprisonment without a committal order and a €500,000 fine in the second, together with a ten-year disqualification from holding public office and a five-year ban on exercising any public service function. The first case concerned the use of funds from a subsidized association to supplement the remuneration of his former Director of Economic Development; the second involved the use of municipal police officers for personal purposes. Already convicted, notably in 2023 for concealing €13 million from the tax authorities, he had been released on parole. His counsel stated that Patrick Balkany intends to appeal both decisions. >Read the article.
#Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations
The French Financial Markets Authority’s (AMF) publishes its 2025 annual report
On 28 May 2026, the French Financial Markets Authority’s (Autorité des marchés financiers -AMF) published its 2025 annual report, outlining the main supervisory, enforcement and investor protection actions carried out in 2025 and early 2026. The AMF reaffirmed three strategic priorities: creating the conditions for an increasingly secure and resilient financial marketplace, fostering the development of European capital markets and the attractiveness of the Paris financial center, and promoting a framework conducive to financial innovation. The report notably highlights 2,772 mediation cases handled, 36 investigations opened and 59 inspections initiated. The AMF also published 18 settlement agreements amounting to €4.38 million and imposed 13 sanctions totaling €14.5 million. >Read the article.
Health data: €5 million fine imposed on IQVIA
On 26 May 2026, the French Data Protection Authority (Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés – CNIL) imposed a €5 million fine on IQVIA OPERATIONS FRANCE following several inspections relating to two health data warehouses used for medical and pharmaceutical studies. The investigations revealed significant shortcomings regarding the information provided to patients, the effective exercise of the right to object, and certain security measures applicable to particularly sensitive data. The CNIL also reiterated that the data processed could not be regarded as anonymous, despite the company’s arguments, since the individuals concerned could still be re-identified on the basis of the extensive data collected and the identifiers used to track their healthcare pathways. In addition to the fine, the decision rendered public, includes injunctions requiring the company to implement corrective measures within six months. >Read the article.
#Arbitration and Mediation
ICC publishes new rules
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has adopted a revised version of its Rules of Arbitration, which includes several amendments designed to enhance the efficiency and clarity of the arbitration process. The changes set out in these new rules relate, in particular, to the removal of the mandatory nature of the arbitration agreement, the introduction of a significantly expedited arbitration procedure, and the inclusion of certain provisions regarding fees and costs. The revised Rules also include provisions relating to the payment of fees and costs, which were previously set out in an accompanying note. Finally, the new rules specify that any doubt on the part of a prospective arbitrator as to whether to make a declaration regarding their independence or impartiality must be resolved in favour of making the declaration. This clarification is in line with the practice of the ICC Court, according to which such a declaration does not constitute a lack of independence or impartiality. >Read the article.
