François M. Chateau

François M. Chateau is a Partner in Dentons' New York office and was previously global vice chairman of Dentons and chairman of the global board of Salans, which he helped lead through the combination that created Dentons. His primary practice area is Corporate Law.

He is engaged in the representation of French and other European companies in the US, as well as multinational companies globally. He primarily represents companies and individuals in the luxury, fashion and beauty industries and leads this Global Practice. He is also head of Dentons' French desk, a special cross-border practice group composed of bilingual, French-speaking lawyers in many Dentons offices around the world.

As a successful entrepreneur, he has extensive experience in contract negotiations, intellectual property issues, international tax planning, joint ventures, licensing and distribution agreements, venture capital and venture development.

In addition to such transnational work, he acts as an adviser to wealthy multinational families and individuals in their business affairs and as trustee for family trusts.

He is a dual French and US citizen, is very active in the French-American community in the US, and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite (France). He is a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Brain Trauma Foundation (New York), a trustee of the Naked Heart Foundation (New York, London, Paris, Moscow) and a board member of Interaudi Bank (New York). He is a former vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lycée Français de New York and former founder and C.E.O. of Chateaud'eau S.A.

He holds an LL.M. from New York University School of Law (1982) and a Maîtrise de droit des affaires from the University of Paris II – Panthéon Assas (1980).