Subsection 1: Conditions and procedures for authorisation of investment service providers other than portfolio management companies

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Article L532-3

French Monetary and Financial CodeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

I. - Authorisation to provide one or more investment services by a credit institution may be granted to legal entities having their registered office in France or to branches established in France of credit institutions having their registered office in a State which is neither a member of the European Union nor a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. To grant this authorisation, the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution verifies, in addition to the conditions set out in Article L. 511-10, whether the credit institution has:

1° Sufficient initial capital or endowment as determined by the Minister responsible for the economy, taking into account the nature of the service it intends to provide;

2° A programme of operations for each of the services it intends to provide, specifying the conditions under which it intends to provide the investment services concerned and indicating the type of transactions envisaged and its organisational structure.

The credit institution must also have subscribed to a securities guarantee scheme managed by the Fonds de garantie des dépôts et de résolution in accordance with Articles L. 322-1 to L. 322-4.

The AMF may attach special conditions to the authorisation in order to preserve the balance of the institution's financial structure. The Authority may also make the granting of authorisation subject to compliance with undertakings given by the applicant institution.

The credit institution must comply with the conditions of the authorisation at all times.

II. - When they are authorised to provide investment services, credit institutions having their registered office or central administration in a State which is neither a member of the European Union nor a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area may provide these investment services on French territory without having a branch in France, provided that the client alone initiates this provision.

These credit institutions are prohibited from marketing financial instruments or investment services other than those for which the client has initiated the provision, other than through a branch authorised in accordance with this sub-section.

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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