Section 2: Scope of collective bargaining

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Article L3122-19

French Labour CodeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

In the areas referred to in article L. 3132-24, either a collective agreement at company or establishment level or, failing that, a collective agreement at branch level, or an agreement concluded at territorial level may provide for the possibility of employing employees between 9 p.m. and midnight.

This agreement provides, in particular, for the benefit of employees employed between 9 p.m. and the start of the night work period:

1° The provision of a means of transport paid for by the employer to enable the employee to return to his place of residence;

2° Measures to make it easier for employees to balance their professional and personal lives, in particular measures to compensate for the cost of looking after children or a dependent person;

3° Setting the conditions for the employer to take into account changes in employees' personal circumstances, in particular their wish to stop working after 9pm. For the employees mentioned in article L. 1225-9, the choice not to work between 9 p.m. and the start of the night period is effective immediately.

Mariela Petrova

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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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