Section 2: Disciplinary procedure

Articles in this section · 15

Article R241-16

French Sports CodeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

When the Agence française de lutte contre le dopage (French Anti-Doping Agency) has evidence to suggest a breach of the provisions of articles L. 241-2 and L. 241-3, the Secretary General of the Agency informs the interested party by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or by letter delivered against receipt. This notification shall specify :

1° The grounds on which the matter has been referred to the Agency ;

2° The alleged infringement of the provisions of articles L. 241-2 and L. 241-3 ;

3° Where applicable, that the interested party may request, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, within five days of receipt, that the B sample be analysed at his own expense, in accordance with the provisions of article R. 241-11, and that if he fails to make such a request within the time limit set, he will be deemed to have waived analysis of the B sample;

4° The penalties incurred under articles L. 241-6 and L. 241-7 ;

5° The opportunity to consult the documents in the case file at the Agency's General Secretariat, and to have a copy issued or sent to them, and to be assisted or represented by any counsel of their choice;

6° The possibility of submitting written observations within a period of 15 days, after which proceedings may be instituted;

7° The rights granted to them under articles R. 241-17 to R. 241-22-1 to present their defence;

8° (Repealed) ;

9° The possibility of providing evidence constituting substantial assistance within the meaning of Article L. 230-4 and, where applicable, of having the ban imposed partially suspended under the conditions set out in Article L. 232-23-3-2 ;

10° Where applicable, the possibility of requesting the provisional suspension provided for in article L. 241-6;

11° That it will be proposed to enter the administrative composition procedure in accordance with the provisions of the third paragraph of article L. 232-22.

The Secretary General shall also forward these documents, by any means, to the International Federation concerned. The sports federation shall be informed that the person concerned has received the notification provided for in this article.

Mariela Petrova

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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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