France: Corporate/Commercial Law

Every few months, I find myself in a familiar conversation with a foreign investor who is approaching a French transaction for the first time. They have done cross-border deals before, and have done their research. They usually arrive with a version of the same assumption: that France is more complicated than it needs to be, that the regulatory environment is from a different era, and that with the right advisors, the complexity can be “figured out.”

The European Commission has released a comprehensive report outlining its reform agenda to address fragmentation in the EU banking market, simplify regulatory frameworks, and strengthen the international competitiveness...

Le Conseil d'État clarifie les modalités de calcul de la réintégration Charasse dans le cadre d'opérations de LBO, en confirmant que les fonds apportés lors d'une augmentation de capital peuvent s'imputer sur le prix d'acquisition sans condition d'affectation explicite à l'opération de rachat. Cette décision met fin aux tentatives de l'administration fiscale d'exclure ces fonds du calcul et offre une sécurité juridique accrue pour les groupes fiscalemen

France has definitively adopted Bill No. 339, establishing a general prohibition on access to online social networking services for children under fifteen years of age. The legislation, part of a broader international movement to regulate minors' access to social networks, creates significant compliance challenges for online platforms that must now determine whether their services fall within the law's scope and implement age-verification mechanisms that integrate safety by design.

France's Anti-Corruption Agency has imposed its first direct financial penalties under the Sapin II Law on a holding company and its executive for failing to implement required corruption prevention measures, marking a significant shift in enforcement approach. The decision establishes that compliance deficiencies are assessed at the audit date rather than when remediation occurs, and that senior executives may face personal liability for non-compliance. What does this landmark ruling mean for multinational

The French Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling clarifying that alcoholic beverage packaging does not constitute an advertising medium under the Évin Law unless reproduced in promotional materials. The decision also establishes that product names, even those with provocative connotations, qualify as permitted factual information when they serve to identify the marketed product.

Every few months, I find myself in a familiar conversation with a foreign investor who is approaching a French transaction for the first time. They have done cross-border deals before, and have done their research. They usually arrive with a version of the same assumption: that France is more complicated than it needs to be, that the regulatory environment is from a different era, and that with the right advisors, the complexity can be “figured out.”

Faisant application de la méthode d'assimilation issue de la jurisprudence Artémis, le Conseil d'État juge que des SARL unipersonnelles de droit luxembourgeois, dont le capital est divisé en parts sociales non librement négociables et dont l'associé unique ne répond des dettes sociales qu'à concurrence de ses apports, doivent être assimilées à des sociétés à responsabilité limitée de droit français dont l'associé unique est une personne physique.

France has reformed its foreign direct investment regime, broadening the scope of the 10% voting-rights threshold to capture French entities listed on nearly all regulated markets worldwide. The changes, effective August 17, 2026, extend FDI notification requirements to include major third-country exchanges through EU equivalence decisions and six specifically named markets, significantly expanding the reach of French investment screening for non-European investors.

La Cour de cassation se prononce sur un redressement de cotisations sociales concernant une convention de gestion qui dissimulait la rémunération d'un président de société. L'arrêt clarifie les conditions de régularité de la procédure de contrôle URSSAF et abandonne l'obligation d'appeler en cause le dirigeant bénéficiaire dans les contentieux de redressement. Cette décision précise également les limites de la procédure d'abus d

La pratique montre qu'une fois introduites en bourse, les PME-ETI gagnent à continuer de s'inspirer de certaines méthodes du venture capital et du private equity en matière d'organisation du conseil d'administration, ...

Les dirigeants de société savent combien il peut être délicat de voir son adresse personnelle divulguée dans des documents officiels accessibles au public.