Subsection 2: Managing Director

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Article R1232-8

French General Code of Local AuthoritiesIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

The Chief Executive Officer has the following responsibilities:


1° He prepares the deliberations of the Board of Directors and ensures that they are carried out or has them carried out;


3° He is the authorising officer for the institution's revenue and expenditure. He may designate secondary authorising officers;



4° He manages the establishment's staff. In this capacity, it has authority over all staff, defines their duties, appoints to all positions for which no other authority has been given the power of appointment and recruits contract staff;


It decides on the investments necessary for the establishment's development. 5° It decides on the investments necessary for the performance of the duties set out in IV of Article L. 1231-2;


> It signs the contracts, agreements and other documents necessary for the performance of the duties set out in IV of Article L. 1231-2. 6° It signs contracts, agreements and procurement, disposal, acquisition or leasing deeds;


7° He represents the agency in legal proceedings and in all civil acts. He concludes and signs transactions under the conditions laid down by the Board of Directors;


8° He is responsible for the execution of the agreement mentioned in III of Article 2 of Law no. 2019-753 of 22 July 2019 creating a National Agency for Territorial Cohesion;


At the end of each calendar year, it sends a report on the implementation of the agreements referred to in Article L. 1233-3 to the ministers responsible for overseeing the establishment, after it has been examined by the Board of Directors. He may delegate his signature to take on his behalf acts relating to his responsibilities listed above, including those delegated to him by the Board of Directors.

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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