Blanche Balian
Of Counsel
Blanche Balian is an Of Counsel in the Ethics, Investigations & Defence practice at Stephenson Harwood in Paris.
Awards and Recognition
Biography
Languages - French, English
Jurisdiction - France
Admitted to the Paris Bar since 2014, she advises and defends legal entities, board members, and senior management in complex corporate criminal law matters, cross-border regulatory compliance, and crisis management strategies.
Her practice focuses on multi-jurisdictional internal investigations and defense strategies, particularly in connection with allegations of corruption, fraud, tax evasion, misconduct, and violations of international sanctions. Blanche assists clients across all stages of an investigation—from preliminary risk assessments and evidence collection to high-stakes interactions with enforcement authorities and regulatory bodies.
Blanche provides strategic guidance on designing, implementing, and assessing compliance and governance frameworks. She regularly handles corruption risk mapping, whistleblowing mechanisms, and anti-corruption effectiveness audits, ensuring preventive and defensive measures strictly align with evolving regulatory expectations.
Additionally, Blanche advises organizations on cybersecurity and digital risk, including incident response, data breach management, and the legal implications of cyber threats. She bridges the gap between criminal defense, regulatory compliance, and emerging technology-driven risks to deliver comprehensive risk management for corporate clients.
NEWS AND INSIGHTS
Yachting, AML and anti-terrorist financing – sanctions regime, recent litigation and operational aspects
Yachting, AML and anti-terrorist financing – reporting obligations, beneficial ownership transparency and the updated Monegasque framework
Yachting, money laundering and anti-terrorist financing – The new EU framework and compliance obligations
Four key lessons from the Binance case
