Subsection 2: Ethics

Articles in this section · 6

Article R722-22

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 5 Nov 2023

The declaration of interests of commercial court judges referred to in I of article L. 722-21 includes the following information:

1° Identification of the declarant:

a) The surname, first name and date of birth of the declarant;

b) The postal address, e-mail address and telephone contact details of the declarant;

c) The duties in respect of which the declarant is making the declaration and the date on which these duties were taken up;

2° The professional activities giving rise to remuneration or gratuity carried out on the date on which the duties were taken up and over the previous five years:

a) Identification of the employer;

b) Description of the professional activity carried out;

c) Period during which the professional activity was carried out;

3° Consultancy activities carried out on the date of taking up the post and during the previous five years:

a) Identification of the employer;

b) Description of the professional activity carried out;

c) Period during which the professional activity was carried out;

4° Membership of the governing bodies of a public or private body or company on the date of taking up the post and during the previous five years:

a) The name of the body or company;

b) A description of the activity carried out within the governing bodies;

c) The period during which the declarant has participated in governing bodies;

5° The name of the company in which the declarant holds direct financial interests in the capital on the date he takes up his duties;

6° The professional activities carried out on the date he takes up his duties by the spouse, partner linked by a civil solidarity pact or cohabiting partner:

a) Identification of the employer;

b) Description of the professional activity carried out;

7° Voluntary duties likely to give rise to a conflict of interest carried out on the date of taking up office by the declarant:

a) The name and corporate purpose of the structure or legal entity in which the duties are exercised;

b) A description of the activities and responsibilities exercised;

8° Elective duties and mandates exercised on the date the declarant took up the duties:

a) The nature of the offices and mandates held;

b) The start and end dates of the office or mandate;

The additional declaration provided for in the sixth paragraph of Article L. 722-21 shall indicate the nature and date of the event that led to the substantial change in interests.

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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