Paragraph 1: Definitions, activities and prohibitions

Articles in this section · 1

Article L773-2

French Monetary and Financial CodeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

I.- Subject to the provisions of II, the provisions of the articles mentioned in the left-hand column of the following table shall apply in New Caledonia, in the wording indicated in the right-hand column of the same table:


Applicable articles

In their wording resulting from

L. 511-1


Ordinance no. 2021-796 of 23 June 2021

L. 511-2


Law no. 2013-672 of 26 July 2013

L. 511-3


law no. 2014-773 of 7 July 2014

L. 511-4


order no. 2019-698 of 3 July 2019

L. 511-4-2


law no. 2013-672 of 26 July 2013

L. 511-4-3


Act no. 2019-1147 of 8 November 2019

L. 511-5


Order no. 2013-544 of 27 June 2013

L. 511-6 with the exception of its fourth to sixth, twelfth to fifteenth and eighteenth to twenty-second paragraphs


Order no. 2021-1735 of 22 December 2021

L. 511-7 with the exception of its third and ninth paragraphs


Act 2018-1021 of 23 November 2018

L. 511-8


Order no. 2013-544 of 27 June 2013

II of Article L. 511-8-1

Order no. 2015-558 of 21 May 2015

L. 511-8-2


Order no. 2014-158 of 20 February 2014

II.-For the application of I:
1° In Article L. 511-1, the words: "4 of Article L. 511-21" are replaced by the words: "Article L. 722-2";
2° In Article L. 511-6:
a) The first paragraph is replaced by the following paragraph:
"Without prejudice to the specific provisions applicable to them, the prohibitions defined in Article L. 511-5 shall not apply to investment firms, electronic money institutions, payment institutions or AIFs covered by paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 6 of Subsection 2, and Subsections 3, 4 and 5 of Section 2 of Chapter IV of Title I of Book II.";
b) In the twelfth paragraph, the words: ", finance companies and the institutions or services mentioned in Article L. 518-1" are replaced by the words: "and finance companies".

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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