Pippa Middleton Gun Incident Puts Associate in Paris Office of Shearman & Sterling in the News
A lawyer in the Paris office of Shearman & Sterling is at the center of a controversy after he was photographed brandishing what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol while motoring with the sister-in-law of Britain’s Prince William.
Another individual who apparently was in the car that 36-year-old lawyer Romain Rabillard was driving in Paris at the time of the Saturday incident said Pippa Middleton knew the gun was a toy and considered the matter a joke, reports the London Evening Standard.
Articles in the Daily Mail and Sun about the incident include photos of a man in the driver’s seat next to Middleton who is pointing a gun.
Even if the gun is a fake, displaying one in public could be considered a crime under some circumstances, according to the articles. An investigation by police in Paris is ongoing, and questions have been raised about whether authorities are taking a more measured approach to the incident because of the barrister’s connection to the British royal family and reported intervention by London.
The articles don’t include any comment from Rabillard, and the New York Post said he wasn’t available for comment late Tuesday.
As a Shearman associate, Rabillard reportedly represents German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, among other clients.
Additional coverage:
The Lawyer: “Shearman in the Middleton”
The Mirror: “Gun waving barrister friend of Pippa Middleton is senior adviser to leading arms manufacturer”
