Paris La Défense, 18 December 2024 –

In order to support its growth and the deployment of its artificial intelligence solutions, Lefebvre Sarrut is becoming the ” Lefebvre Group” and is evolving its governance. The main mission of the group revolves around providing access to and processing high-value legal content for a clientele of legal and accounting professionals. It brings together 2,500 employees in Europe and has a turnover of 555 million euros (2023).

 

A Brand Transformation in Support of the Group’s International Development

 

Lefebvre Sarrut, the European leader in legal and tax knowledge (Publishing, Training, Software), will now expand under the brand “Groupe Lefebvre.” The “Lefebvre” brand will be incorporated into the name of each local brand in the 8 countries of the network, currently operating under the names of each market’s historical brands (Giufrè in Italy, SDU in the Netherlands…). In France, the Lefebvre Group already operates under this model with the Lefebvre Dalloz brand: this group/local brand association will now be extended on a European scale.

 

The brand’s evolution embodies an innovative vision and signals the beginning of a new chapter in the group’s history. This transformation aims to bolster its historical role as a facilitator of legal access in Europe and signifies its ambition to solidify its position as a European leader in services for legal and accounting professionals, ensuring European sovereignty in AI for legal and fiscal domains. This strategic move also signifies a commitment to enhancing international coordination to support the dissemination and future developments of GenIA-L, the generative AI developed by the group.

 

An acceleration of the deployment of AI solutions for legal and accounting professionals

 

The Lefebvre Group has been a pioneer in the development of AI specific to the legal and accounting professions with the launch of the GenIA-L solution at the end of 2023, an AI trained exclusively on the group’s document bases, guaranteeing the high quality of the responses it generates. More than just a search or drafting tool, GenIA-L has already established itself as a true intellectual partner for 30,000 legal and accounting professionals in Europe. GenIA-L leverages the group’s experience and excellence to enable its clients to maximize data utilization effectively.

 

The group utilizes the best available technologies on the market with a technology-agnostic approach, ensuring that its developments align with its security and ethical requirements. In this regard, under the agreement of November 27, 2024, Open AI commits to ensuring the storage of GenIA-L data in Europe. Additionally, the Lefebvre Group’s membership in the European Union’s AI Pact initiative in September 2024 underscores a commitment to ethical AI, a first in the sector. By primarily focusing on an AI approach based on its content and enriched with profound legal knowledge developed by its in-house writers and authors, the group distinctively sets itself apart from other market players, who primarily have a technological approach. The group’s future acquisitions will primarily aim to solidify its positions in high-quality content in the countries where it operates

 

 

Enhancement of governance to support the group’s growth strategy

 

The Lefebvre Group is also evolving its governance by replacing its supervisory board with a board of directors. This evolution reflects the family shareholders’ desire to strengthen their involvement in strategic and operational decision-making and participate in the success of the group’s transformation during this crucial moment marked by AI deployment and the transition from a publishing status to a service-oriented company firmly rooted in AI. The governance evolution of the group will provide strong momentum for the group to support the dissemination and further development of GenIA-L on a pan-European scale.

 

A transition in the group’s senior management.

 

These profound changes coincide with the retirement of Olivier Campenon in February 2025, who has been the CEO of the group since May 2018. Over the past six years, he has worked towards uniting previously independent companies into a cohesive group in France, now consolidated at La Défense since 2022. Olivier Campenon successfully led the restructuring and streamlining of the group’s foreign subsidiaries to become a European leader in legal and tax knowledge. He has been instrumental in exploring the potential of AI and established an R&D team and a culture of innovation that enabled the group to pioneer the launch of generative legal AIs. His successor will join the group in March 2025 as the General Manager, under the guidance of the Board of Directors chaired by Benoit Sillard.

 

Benoit Sillard, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Lefebvre Group, states, “At this crucial moment of innovation and transition for the group’s future, shareholders have decided to provide the necessary means for the company and reform its governance to accelerate its progress. Faced with globally renowned American players, we see an exceptional opportunity with the integration of generative AI to establish a European leader, aligned with new technologies and meeting European standards. We are fully investing in our expertise and are ahead in the field of AI. Our innovation teams are at the forefront of progress.”

 

Oliver Campenon, CEO of the Lefebvre Group, declares, “After 7 years of leadership within the European Group, I am looking towards new personal horizons. Our consistent growth in recent years reflects our commitment to ESG principles and technological innovation with AI. Under new governance, I am confident that our development trajectory will continue with success and vigor.”