Chapter III: The Examining Magistrate and the Investigating Divisions

Articles in this section · 4

D15-4-4D15-4-5D15-4-6D15-4-7

Article D15-4-5

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
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Updated 6 Nov 2023

The coordinating investigating judge(s) of the division provided for in the fourth paragraph of Article 52-1 shall be appointed by the president of the judicial court at the beginning of the judicial year, following the opinion of the general assembly of sitting judges.

The coordinating judge may convene regular meetings of the various investigating judges of the investigating division in order to examine the progress of proceedings with a view to ensuring the efficiency and speed of the information for which its members are responsible. These meetings may only concern specialised judges pursuant to articles 704,706-2,706-17,706-75-1 et 706-107.

At these meetings, examining magistrates may exchange information on the proceedings before them, in particular for the purpose of considering possible co-investigations. These exchanges are covered by the confidentiality of the investigation provided for by Article 11. With the agreement of the coordinating judge, the public prosecutor may take part in these meetings.

With due respect for the prerogatives of each of the investigating judges referred to under Articles 83 and 83-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the coordinating judge may recommend any legal or organisational measure useful for the proper functioning of the service.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

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.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

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.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

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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