Paragraph 2: Chief Executive Officer

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Article R121-36

French Code governing the entry and residence of foreign nationals and the right of asylumIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023


The Director General of the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons prepares and implements the deliberations of the Board of Directors.
Within the framework of the guidelines defined by the Board, the Director General manages the Office, the departments of which are placed under his authority. In this capacity, he has the following powers in particular:
1° He/she is the authorising officer for revenue and expenditure;
2° He/she represents the Office in legal proceedings and in all civil acts;
3° He/she recruits, appoints and manages the Office's permanent and temporary staff;
4° He/she chairs the technical committee and the health, safety and working conditions committee;
5° It concludes contracts and agreements binding the establishment and is responsible for contracts;
6° It may set up imprest accounts with the approval of the accounting officer under the conditions set out in article R. 121-38;
7° It reports on its management to the Board of Directors.
The General Manager is assisted by a General Secretary, a Deputy General Secretary and Heads of Division.
In the event that the General Manager is absent or unable to attend, the General Secretary deputises for him/her and acts as interim General Manager.

The General Manager is assisted by a General Secretary, a Deputy General Secretary and Heads of Division.
The General Manager is assisted by a General Secretary, a Deputy General Secretary and Heads of Division.
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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