Section 3: Preparations for the ballot

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Article A713-9

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 3 Nov 2023

I.-Where the 3rd paragraph of Article R. 713-21 is applied, the candidates or their proxies shall submit, no later than twenty-one days before the last day of the ballot, to the secretariat of the election organisation committee, a number of circulars equal to the number of registered voters in the category or, where applicable, sub-category, plus 5% in order to enclose them with the voting instruments sent to the voters.

Thirteen days before the last day of the ballot at the latest, the candidates' circulars shall be made available to the voters on the website of the remote voting platform and on the website of the chamber of commerce and industry. No later than thirteen days before the last day of voting, the candidates' circulars are made available to voters on the website of the remote voting platform and on the website of the chamber of commerce and industry concerned, in an "elections" section, in accordance with the provisions of Article L. 49 of the Electoral Code.

II. II -When a postal vote is taken, the candidates or their proxies must submit a number of ballot papers and circulars equal to the number of registered voters in the category or, where applicable, sub-category, plus 5%, to the secretariat of the election organising committee within the same timeframe as set out in I.. In the case of automated enveloping, the additional number of ballot papers shall be at least 200.

>. No later than thirteen days before the last day of the ballot, the candidates' circulars are made available to voters on the website of the chamber of commerce and industry concerned, in an "elections" section, complying with the provisions of Article L. 49 of the Electoral 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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