Chapter I: Judgment of compulsory liquidation.

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Article L641-10

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

If the sale of all or part of the business is conceivable or if the public interest or that of the creditors so requires, the continuation of the business may be authorised by the court for a maximum period set by decree in the Conseil d'Etat. It may be extended at the request of the public prosecutor for a period set by the same decree. In the case of a farm, this period is set by the court according to the current crop year and the specific customs of the productions concerned.

The liquidator administers the business.

Under the conditions set out in article L. 631-17, it may proceed with dismissals.

Where applicable, it prepares a disposal plan, takes the necessary steps to implement it, and receives and distributes the proceeds.

However, when the number of employees or the turnover is greater than or equal to thresholds set by decree in the Conseil d'Etat or, in case of necessity, the court appoints a court-appointed administrator to administer the business. In this case, the administrator exercises the prerogatives conferred on the liquidator by articles L. 641-11-1 et L. 641-12. It prepares the sale plan, takes the necessary steps to implement it and, under the conditions set out in article L. 631-17, may proceed with redundancies. The public prosecutor may propose the name of a receiver for appointment by the court, which may reject it only by a specially reasoned decision.

When the administrator does not have the sums necessary to continue the business, he may, with the authorisation of the juge-commissaire, have them remitted to him by the liquidator.

The liquidator or the administrator, where one has been appointed, shall exercise the functions conferred, as the case may be, on the administrator or the mandataire judiciaire by the articles L. 622-4 and L. 624-6.

The adoption of a total disposal plan or the expiry of the deadline set in application of the first paragraph puts an end to the continued operation of the business. The court may also decide to terminate it at any time if it is no longer justified.

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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