Chapter I: Links of interest and transparency

Articles in this section · 6

Article L1451-4

French Public Health CodeIn force

Updated 8 Nov 2023

I.-Each competent authority shall ensure that the persons reporting to it and mentioned in Articles L. 1451-1 and L. 1452-3 comply with the obligations to declare links of interest and to prevent conflicts of interest as defined in this chapter.

II.The authorities and bodies mentioned in articles L. 1142-22, L. 1222-1, L. 1313-1, L. 1413-1, L. 1415-2, L. 1418-1 and L. 5311-1 of this Code and inarticle L. 161-37 of the Social Security Code shall each also appoint a compliance officer responsible for this task and in particular for ensuring, at least annually, with the departments of the authority or body that the declarations of the persons mentioned in I of this article have been filed and are up to date.

Each year, by 31 March at the latest, the compliance officer shall submit a report on the conditions of application of the provisions relating to transparency and links of interest. This report is published on the website of the authority or body concerned.

The persons mentioned in article L. 1451-1 of this code are required to respond to requests for information sent to them in the performance of their duties by the compliance officer of the authority or body to which they belong.

The conditions governing the appointment and performance of the duties of the compliance officer are specified by decree in the Conseil d'Etat.

Mariela Petrova

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Common Questions

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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