Chapter I: Prevention of business difficulties, ad hoc mandates and conciliation procedures

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Article L611-8

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

I. - The President of the Court, at the joint request of the parties, shall record their agreement and give it enforceability. He shall rule in the light of a certified statement from the debtor attesting that he was not in suspension of payments when the agreement was entered into, or that the agreement puts an end to such suspension. The decision recording the agreement is not subject to publication and cannot be appealed. It terminates the conciliation procedure.

II. - However, at the request of the debtor, the court shall homologate the agreement reached if the following conditions are met:

1° The debtor is not in suspension of payments or the agreement reached puts an end to it;

2° The terms of the agreement are such as to ensure the continued operation of the business;

3° The agreement does not prejudice the interests of non-signatory creditors.

III. - When the president of the court establishes the agreement or the court approves it, he may, at the request of the debtor, appoint the conciliator as an agent for the execution of the agreement for the duration of such execution. In the event of difficulties impeding the execution of the agreement, the appointed representative shall submit a report without delay to the president of the court or to the court, as the case may be, which may then terminate the appointment by decision notified to the debtor. The latter may also, at any time, request the termination of this mission.

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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