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Xavier Près

Partner

Xavier Près has had several careers since 1997: as a lawyer, legal manager, teacher, and an academic researcher. All have a common thread: Art.

Expertise:

  • Intellectual property
  • Digital law
  • Press and media law
  • Art and cultural heritage
  • Tourism law
  • Litigation (civil, commercial and criminal)

Career:

Lawyer and partner at the Valther firm since 2025, Xavier Près has been advising and defending a prestigious clientele in both the public and private sectors for nearly 25 years.


After being in charge of the legal department at the Louvre Museum (2002-2007), Xavier Près first joined a major business law firm (2007-2020) before founding VARET PRÈS (2020-2022), which became VARET PRÈS KILLY (2022-2024), a law firm dedicated to intangible assets, digital matters, and sports. Xavier Près is also a lecturer and the author of numerous works: Teachings:


  • "Law of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI)", MBA in Business Law and Management, University of Paris-Panthéon-Assas (since 2023)

  • "The Legal Issues of Protecting Audiovisual and Digital Formats", Master 2, CELSA, University of Paris-Panthéon-Sorbonne (since 2016)

  • "The Entrepreneur's Reflexes in Intellectual Property Law", M2 Entrepreneurship, University of Paris-Dauphine (since 2014)


Publications :

  • Author of two books: "Directives 2019/790 et 2019/789 sur le droit d'auteur dans le marché unique numérique” [Directives 2019/790 and 2019/789 on Copyright in the Digital Single Market], co-edited with Professor N. Binctin, Bruylant, 2021 and "les sources complémentaires du droit d’auteur” [Complementary Sources of Copyright Law], Presses universitaires d'Aix-Marseille, 2004.


  • Numerous publications notably in specialised legal journals (Dalloz, Legipresse, Revue Lamy Droit de l’immatériel, Revue Juris-associations, etc.) and in general magazines (Le Journal des Arts).


  • Frequently speaks at conferences and symposiums.

Training:

  • Mention of specialization of the Paris Bar in intellectual property law and in digital and communications law. 
  • Doctorate in private law cum laude, University of Paris-Panthéon-Assas (2003), thesis on "Complementary sources of copyright" published by the Aix-Marseille University Press. 
  • DEA in literary, artistic, and industrial property law, University of Paris-Panthéon-Assas (1997).

Languages:

  • French
  • English
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