Section 4: Acceptance.

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Article L511-17

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

Acceptance is written on the bill of exchange. It is expressed by the word "accepted" or any other equivalent word and is signed by the drawee. The mere signature of the drawee affixed to the face of the bill shall constitute acceptance.

When the bill is payable at a certain sight period or when it must be presented for acceptance within a specified period by virtue of a special stipulation, the acceptance must be dated the day on which it was given, unless the bearer requires it to be dated the day of presentation. In the absence of a date, the bearer, in order to preserve his rights of recourse against the endorsers and against the drawer, shall cause this omission to be established by a protest drawn up in due time.

Acceptance is pure and simple, but the drawee may restrict it to part of the sum.

Any other change made by the acceptance to the particulars of the bill of exchange amounts to a refusal of acceptance. However, the acceptor is bound in the terms of his acceptance.

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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