From his office at 66 Avenue Marceau, steps from the Arc de Triomphe in the heart of Paris’s 8th arrondissement, Bruno Knadjian advises clients across five continents on complex international transactions. Head of the tax group at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, one of the world’s leading global law firms, he has spent two decades building a practice at the intersection of law, finance, and global business. He was recognized by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 EMEA among France’s leading tax practitioners and named “Best Young Corporate Lawyer” by the French association ACE earlier in his career.
Born in Paris in the early ’80s, Knadjian is a third-generation French Armenian. His grandparents arrived from Turkey in the 1920s, part of the generation that rebuilt their lives in the Diaspora in the aftermath of the Genocide. Raised and educated in France, he earned a Master’s degree in Law from Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne before completing his legal education with an LLM from University College London (UCL).
Throughout his career, Knadjian has developed recognized expertise in corporate and real estate taxation, capital markets, and cross-border M&A. He gained experience at Hogan Lovells in Paris and London, where he rose to partner, before joining Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in 2018 to lead its Paris tax practice.
Knadjian’s connection to AGBU did not begin with a membership card, but in a moment of crisis. In 1988, at just eight years old, he witnessed the Armenian community in France mobilize in response to the devastating Spitak earthquake that killed tens of thousands in Soviet Armenia. His parents, both chemists, volunteered immediately. “I remember going with my mother to the AGBU premises in Paris,” he recalls. “She spent hours there sorting medicines, deciding what would go to children, what would go to the elderly. I watched her and understood the meaning of all this—the meaning of helping fellow Armenians. That was my first connection with AGBU.”
A shared mission doesn’t remove the need for structure. We still have projects to deliver and goals to reach.
From that moment, AGBU became a constant presence in his life. He attended Colonie de Vacances, took part in sports programs, and in the early 2000s joined the AGBU Young Professionals of Paris, a platform he credits with shaping both his professional network and his commitment to community life. By the mid-2000s he had joined the Paris Chapter committee, and in 2015 he was invited onto the AGBU France Board as Treasurer, a role he holds to this day.
His years of involvement have coincided with a period of remarkable expansion in AGBU France’s programming, under the leadership of its co-president and AGBU Central Board member Nadia Gortzounian. Three flagship initiatives stand out. Arménie Terre de Vie sends young volunteers to rural Armenian villages each summer to carry out reconstruction and community projects. Discover Armenia immerses diaspora teenagers in the country’s culture and heritage through service and educational activities. And Goriz, AGBU Europe’s leadership development program, equips driven Armenian professionals with the tools to become the next generation of civic and community leaders. “Goriz is exactly the kind of initiative that reflects how AGBU thinks,” Knadjian says. “It’s not just about networking. It’s about building real capacity and directing it toward something that matters.”
When asked to define leadership in a community setting, Knadjian draws on decades of experience in both the corporate world and volunteer life. “The starting point is having a clear vision and a clear purpose,” he says. “You need a defined objective, a plan to reach it, and the ability to bring others along with you.” Equally essential, he argues, is leading by example. “People don’t just listen, they observe.” And communication, he adds, must flow in every direction. “I don’t believe in an approach where one person knows everything and everyone else simply follows. It’s a 360-degree dynamic. Everyone brings their own perspective, their own sensitivity. We all learn from each other.”
These principles apply as fully within AGBU as they do within a law firm. “We are all working toward the same objective—the development of Armenia, the Diaspora, and humanitarian causes,” he states. “A shared mission doesn’t remove the need for structure. We still have projects to deliver and goals to reach. The same leadership qualities are essential whether you are running a deal or running a community initiative.”
Throughout his years with AGBU, Knadjian has drawn inspiration from Berge Setrakian, former AGBU President. “He is a lawyer, like me,” Knadjian notes. “And every time I spend time with him, I am genuinely impressed. During his tenure as president, he was constantly traveling across the world, maintaining close connections with every community and every chapter. He has a perspective on everything, and at the same time, he remains a successful business lawyer and a devoted family member.” For Knadjian, leaders like Setrakian—and current AGBU President Sam Simonian—set a powerful standard for volunteers across the organization. “As volunteers, we are fortunate to have these kinds of leaders. They show us what is possible.”
For young Armenians wondering how to get involved but unsure where to start, his advice is simple: begin where you are. “When you are a volunteer, you sometimes feel like you will change the world,” he says with a smile. “But if you can start by changing something in your immediate environment—even within your own local community —that is already a meaningful first step.” He encourages young people to engage locally, whether through a YP group, a single event, or a program that speaks to their interests. “There is something for everyone. The important thing is to start something and to finish it. Start small, and one step naturally leads to the next.”
His deepest counsel, however, is about openness. “Be open-minded. Connect with people,” he reflects. “Life is a matter of connections. At some point, you might meet someone who takes you somewhere completely different. The more people you meet, the more opportunities open.”
When asked to describe AGBU in a single phrase, he does not hesitate. “The most impactful Armenian organization in the world. There is no equivalent. When you see what AGBU does globally, building or renovating schools in Armenia, assisting medical centers, responding to humanitarian crises swiftly and efficiently, and doing all of it through volunteers, it is truly remarkable.” He pauses before adding a final thought. “I often say that all Armenians share the same foundation, the same values and intention to help one another. That is what AGBU represents. It is a bridge between Armenia and the Diaspora, and a platform to build whatever you want to build.”
After more than thirty-five years of involvement, from an eight-year-old boy sorting medicine alongside his mother to Treasurer of AGBU France and head of the tax practice at one of the world’s leading international law firms, Bruno Knadjian has spent his life strengthening that bridge, one connection, one project, and one step at a time.
