Section 3: Professional liability

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L211-16L211-17L211-17-1L211-17-2L211-17-3

Article L211-17

French Tourism CodeIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

I.-The traveller is entitled to an appropriate price reduction for any period of non-conformity of the services provided under a contract, unless the organiser or retailer proves that the non-conformity is attributable to the traveller.

II.-The traveller is entitled to compensation from the organiser or retailer for any loss suffered as a result of the non-conformity of the services provided. Compensation will be paid as soon as possible.

III -The traveller is not entitled to any compensation if the organiser or retailer proves that the non-conformity is attributable either to the traveller or to a third party outside the provision of the travel services included in the contract and is of an unforeseeable or unavoidable nature, or to exceptional and unavoidable circumstances.

IV -Insofar as international conventions circumscribe the conditions under which compensation is due by a service provider supplying a travel service which forms part of a journey or holiday or limit the extent of such compensation, the same limits apply to the organiser or retailer. In other cases, the contract may limit the damages to be paid by the organiser or retailer, provided that this limitation does not apply to personal injury or to damage caused intentionally or by negligence and does not represent less than three times the total price of the journey or stay.

V.-The rights to compensation or price reduction provided for in this Code are without prejudice to passengers' rights under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Regulation (EC) No 392/2009, Regulation (EU) No 1177/2010, Regulation (EU) No 181/2011, Regulation (EU) No 2021/782 and international conventions. Passengers have the right to lodge complaints under this Code and the said regulations and international conventions. Compensation or price reduction granted under this Code and compensation or price reduction granted under the said regulations and international conventions shall be deducted from each other to avoid double compensation.

VI - The limitation period for bringing claims under this article is set at two years, subject to the period provided for inArticle 2226 of the Civil Code.

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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