Section 1: Common provisions.

Articles in this section · 13

Article R228-3

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

I.-The information referred to in I and II of Article L. 228-2 and in Article L. 228-3 is, for each security owner, as follows:


1° Those listed in items 1 (a) to 11 of Table 2 of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1212 of 3 September 2018;


2° If expressly requested by the issuing company or its authorised representative, the information set out in item 12 of C of the same table or the categories or classes of shares held by each shareholder;


3° Where applicable, at the express request of the issuing company or its authorised representative, the information given in items 13 and 14 of C of the same table;


> 4° Where applicable, at the express request of the issuing company or its authorised representative, the information given in items 13 and 14 of C of the same table;


4° At the express request of the issuing company and subject to the availability of the information from the respondent:


a) Nationality a) Nationality;



b) Year of birth or year of incorporation, as appropriate;


> c) Restrictions, if any;


d) Nationality c) Where applicable, any restrictions to which the securities may be subject other than those directly related to the person of the holder of the securities;


> d) The code indicating the activity of the company. d) The code indicating the main activity carried out, with reference to the French nomenclature of activities (NAF) or its European equivalent within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Rev. 2;


e) Whether or not it is a professional activity, with reference to the French nomenclature of activities (NAF) or its European equivalent within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Rev. 2 e) Whether or not the owners of the securities are professionals within the meaning of Article L. 533-16 of the Monetary and Financial Code;


> f) If the security is a share or a unit in a company, whether or not the securities are held in the name of the same company. f) Where the security is a unit or share in a collective investment undertaking, the name and registration number of the distributor who has transferred them to the owner.

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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