Section 1: Definitions.

Articles in this section · 3

R1121-1R1121-1-1R1121-2

Article R1121-1

French Public Health CodeIn force
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Updated 6 Nov 2023

I. - For the purposes of this Title, research involving the human person means research organised and carried out on healthy or sick volunteers, with a view to developing biological or medical knowledge and aimed at evaluating :

1° the functioning mechanisms of the human organism, whether normal or pathological ;

2° The efficacy and safety of the performance of procedures or the use or administration of products with a view to the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of pathological conditions.

II. - 1° Research involving the human person within the meaning of this Title is not research which, although organised and carried out on healthy or sick persons, does not have as its aims those mentioned in I, and which aims :

a) In the case of cosmetic products, in accordance with the definition given in Article L. 5131-1, to assess their ability to clean, perfume, change the appearance of, protect, maintain the human body in good condition or correct body odours;

b) To carry out consumer satisfaction surveys for cosmetic or food products;

c) Carry out any other patient satisfaction survey;

d) Carrying out experiments in the human and social sciences in the field of health.

2° Research involving the human person within the meaning of this Title is not research that is not organised or carried out on healthy or sick people and does not have as its aims those mentioned in I, and that aims to evaluate the way in which health professionals practise or teaching practices in the field of health.

3° Research involving the human person within the meaning of this title does not include research with a public interest objective of research, study or evaluation in the field of health conducted exclusively on the basis of the use of personal data processing mentioned in I of article 54 of law no. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 as amended relating to information technology, files and freedoms and which falls within the remit of the ethical and scientific committee for research, studies and evaluations provided for in 2° of II of the same article.

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

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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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