Subsection 1: Board of Directors.

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Article D6431-12

French Public Health CodeIn force

Updated 30 Oct 2023

The minimum number of Board meetings is set by the school's internal regulations. It may not be less than four meetings per year.

The Board of Directors is convened by its Chairman.

The procedures for convening meetings are set out in the school's internal rules.

The agenda is drawn up by the Chairman and sent, except in emergencies, at least seven days before the date of the meeting to all members of the Board of Directors and to those who attend in an advisory capacity.

In an emergency, the Chairman may shorten the notice period, but it must not be less than one clear day. The Chairman shall report to the Board of Directors, which shall take a final decision on the urgency of the matter and may decide to defer all or part of the discussion to a later meeting.

The Chairman may not refuse to convene the Board of Directors if requested to do so by at least half of its members. In this case, the meeting must be convened within a maximum period of seven days and the Chairman is obliged to include on the agenda the question or questions which gave rise to the request for a meeting.

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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