Section 1: Exercise of the right of appeal

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Article 509-1

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
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Updated 7 Nov 2023

The accused must appear before the Criminal Appeals Chamber within four months of either the appeal, if the accused is detained, or the date on which the accused was subsequently remanded in custody, pursuant to the decision handed down at first instance.

However, if the hearing on the merits of the case cannot be held before the expiry of this time limit, the President of the Chamber may, in exceptional circumstances, by a decision stating the factual or legal reasons preventing the case from being heard, order that the detention be extended for a further period of four months. The accused must appear in person if he or his lawyer so requests. This decision may be renewed once in the same manner.

When one of the acts constituting the offence was committed outside national territory or when the person is being prosecuted for an offence mentioned in articles 706-73 and 706-73-1, the period mentioned in the first two paragraphs of this article is extended to six months.

If the accused has not appeared before the court of appeal before the expiry of the time limits provided for in this article, he shall be released immediately if he is not detained for another reason.

Mariela Petrova

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Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

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We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

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Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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