Chapter IV: General provisions applicable to joint stock companies.

Articles in this section · 3

Article R224-2

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

In addition to the information listed in article

L. 210-2

, and without prejudice to any other useful provisions, the company's articles of association shall contain the following information:

1° For each class of shares issued, the number of shares and the nature of the special rights attached thereto and, as the case may be, the portion of share capital it represents or the par value of the shares comprising it;

2° The form, whether exclusively registered or registered or bearer, of the shares;

3° In the event of a restriction on the free trading or transfer of shares, the specific conditions to which the approval of transferees is subject;

4° The identity of the contributors in kind, the valuation of the contribution made by each of them and the number of shares remitted in consideration for the contribution ;

5° The identity of the beneficiaries of special benefits and the nature thereof;

6° The stipulations relating to the composition, operation and powers of the company's governing bodies;

7° Provisions relating to the distribution of profits, the constitution of reserves and the distribution of liquidation surpluses;

8° The identity of any natural or legal persons who have signed or on whose behalf the Articles of Association or draft Articles of Association have been signed.

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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