Section 2: General authorisation conditions

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Article L5125-5

French Public Health CodeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

Two or more pharmacies are authorised to group together if their original location is situated in a municipality with a number of pharmacies in excess of the thresholds provided for in article L. 5125-4. The place where these pharmacies are grouped together is the location of one of them or any other location on national territory.

If the grouping takes place in a new location, the new pharmacy may not be effectively opened to the public until the original premises of each of the grouped pharmacies have been closed.

Following the grouping of pharmacies within one of the original municipalities, the number of licences affected by the grouping continues to be taken into account for the application of the provisions of article L. 5125-4 in the municipality where the grouping is carried out. At the end of a period of twelve years from the date of issue of the authorisation for the grouping, the Director General of the Regional Health Agency may, after obtaining the opinion of the representative appointed at regional level by each of the trade unions representing the profession within the meaning of article L. 162-33 of the Social Security Code and of the local council of the pharmacists' association, put an end to this taking into account and authorise the opening of a new pharmacy if the population's need for medicinal products is no longer optimally met.

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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