Paragraph 1: Issue of the licence and prior declaration

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Article R7123-10-1

French Labour CodeIn force

Updated 1 Nov 2023

The licence application must include :

1° The company's unique identification number, together with its articles of association if it is a legal entity;

2° A curriculum vitae indicating, in particular, the applicant's professional experience at the date of application;

3° A list of permanent employees, delegates of the agency and persons authorised to represent the agency for all or part of its activities, at the head office of the agency or in its branches, indicating for each of them the surname, first names, nationality, date and place of birth, home address, professional experience (curriculum vitae) and the positions held within the agency;

4° A copy of the financial guarantee certificate referred to in article L. 7123-19 ;

5° An extract from police record no. 2 or any equivalent document of the applicant for the licence, the company directors and the managers of the agency;

6° A note on the conditions under which the agency will carry out its activity, particularly geographically, and including the identification of branches and the professional sectors concerned;

7° In respect of the activities or professions likely to give rise to a conflict of interest referred to in Article R. 7123-16, a statement indicating, where applicable, the other activities or professions pursued and the corporate offices held by each executive, corporate officer, partner, delegate and employee. The declaration must also specify the address where the activity in question is carried out or the registered office of the company of which they are representatives. This declaration is also required in the absence of other activities or corporate offices.

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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