Legal advice, incorporation and local coordination for foreign companies
Setting up a business in France involves more than drafting articles of association.
A foreign company must choose the appropriate form of presence, identify the relevant legal and tax issues, arrange a registered office, prepare the corporate documents, deposit its capital and coordinate several French service providers.
Timo RAINIO, a French business lawyer and member of the Lyon Bar, assists foreign companies throughout this process.
The firm provides legal advice, prepares the French corporate documents, handles the corporate filing and coordinates the local providers required for the launch.
Is this service suitable for your project?
France Company Launch is intended for:
- foreign companies creating a French subsidiary;
- foreign businesses opening a branch in France;
- founders living abroad who intend to establish a French company;
- foreign law firms assisting a client with a French project;
- international groups requiring a French legal point of contact;
- companies planning to establish an operational presence in Lyon or elsewhere in France.
The service is not intended for anonymous ownership structures, nominee arrangements or projects whose beneficial owners and source of funds cannot be clearly documented.
Subsidiary, branch or liaison office?
The appropriate form of presence depends on the activities that will be carried out in France, the required level of autonomy, the expected commercial operations and the group’s legal and tax organisation.
French subsidiary
A French subsidiary is a separate legal entity. Depending on the project, it may take the form of a simplified joint-stock company, such as an SAS or SASU, or a limited liability company, such as an SARL or EURL.
French branch
A branch is a French establishment of the foreign company and does not have separate legal personality.The foreign company remains directly responsible for its operations.
Liaison office
A liaison office may be appropriate for limited preparatory or representative activities. It is not designed to carry out ordinary commercial operations in France.The Entry Review identifies the available options and the questions that must be referred to a French accountant, tax adviser or other specialist before a final decision is made.
One legal coordinator, separate regulated providers
The firm acts as the legal coordinator of the French launch.
When required, the firm can introduce and coordinate:
- a licensed registered-office provider;
- an English-speaking accountant;
- a French tax adviser;
- a certified translator;
- an immigration lawyer or specialist;
- a bank or payment institution;
- an employment or payroll specialist;
- an insurance or recruitment contact.
Each provider remains independent, performs its own checks, enters into its own engagement with the client and invoices its own services.
The firm cannot guarantee that a bank, registered-office provider, authority or other third party will accept the project.
Our services
1. Entry Review — €490 excluding taxes
The Entry Review is the mandatory first step for an international project.
It includes:
- a preliminary review of the proposed French activity;
- a 60-to-90-minute meeting in English;
- an initial comparison of a subsidiary, branch or liaison office;
- identification of the main governance issues;
- identification of banking, registered-office, tax and immigration dependencies;
- a written decision memorandum;
- a provisional sequence of the main steps and third-party costs.
The decision memorandum is normally provided within three business days after the meeting and receipt of the necessary information.
If a Legal Launch or Coordinated Launch 90 engagement is signed within 30 days, €250 of the Entry Review fee will be credited against the launch fee.
The Entry Review does not constitute a French tax, accounting, employment or immigration opinion.
2. Legal Launch — from €2,400 excluding taxes
Legal Launch covers the legal constitution and corporate filing of a standard French company.
Depending on the agreed scope, it may include:
- preparation of the articles of association;
- preparation of the first corporate resolutions;
- appointment of the first director or president;
- preparation of the list of subscribers;
- preparation of the beneficial ownership information;
- coordination of the legal publication;
- preparation and filing of the incorporation formalities;
- handling of standard requests for correction relating to the filing;
- preparation of the initial corporate records;
- a closing file containing the main corporate documents.
The client remains responsible for obtaining the registered office documentation, depositing the share capital and providing complete and accurate documents.
Complex governance, regulated activities, negotiated shareholders’ agreements, contributions in kind and complex ownership structures are subject to a separate quotation.
3. Coordinated Launch 90 — from €4,500 excluding taxes
Coordinated Launch 90 combines Legal Launch with a 90-day coordination service.
It includes:
- the Legal Launch services;
- a launch meeting with the client and, where appropriate, its foreign advisers;
- coordination of up to four local providers;
- a shared list of tasks, responsibilities, deadlines and outstanding documents;
- regular progress updates;
- two coordination meetings with local providers;
- preparation or review of one initial standard intragroup or commercial agreement, within the agreed limits;
- a first-year corporate compliance calendar;
- follow-up meetings approximately 30 and 90 days after registration;
- activation of a LexDélai Société first-year calendar.
The firm organises, explains and follows up.
It does not replace the accountant, tax adviser, bank, registered-office provider, translator or immigration specialist and does not assume responsibility for their services.
4. French Corporate Care — from €1,200 excluding taxes per year
After registration, the firm can provide recurring French corporate legal support.
The standard annual service may include:
- a first-year or annual corporate calendar;
- preparation of a standard annual approval of accounts;
- preparation of the decision on the allocation of profits or losses;
- electronic filing of the annual accounts;
- one annual legal review meeting;
- a limited number of short corporate follow-up questions;
- LexDélai Société calendar and reminders.
Accounting, tax returns, payroll, employment law, commercial agreements, restructuring and litigation are not included unless expressly agreed.
What is not included
Unless a separate written engagement is signed, the service does not include:
- French or international tax advice;
- transfer-pricing advice;
- accounting or preparation of annual accounts;
- payroll or social-security declarations;
- provision of a registered office by the law firm;
- certified translations;
- immigration or visa applications;
- employment law advice;
- regulated-activity authorisations;
- intellectual-property filings;
- commercial leases;
- recruitment;
- financing or public grants.
Third-party fees, filing taxes, publication costs, translations and registered-office fees are invoiced separately or identified as estimated third-party costs.
No guaranteed outcome for third-party procedures
The firm does not guarantee:
- the opening of a French bank account;
- the acceptance of the client by a registered-office provider;
- the granting of a visa or residence permit;
- the granting of an administrative authorisation;
- the availability of a particular tax treatment;
- access to financing or public aid;
- registration within a guaranteed period.
The timetable depends on the client’s responsiveness, the completeness of the documents and the processing times of banks, providers and public authorities.
The launch process
Step 1 — Qualification
Complete the initial form with general information about the foreign company, the proposed French activity, the intended ownership and the target timetable.
No passport, identity document or other sensitive document should be uploaded through the public form.
Step 2 — Conflict check and client identification
Before providing substantive legal advice, the firm identifies the prospective client, checks for conflicts of interest and carries out the required client and beneficial-owner verification.
Step 3 — Entry Review
The project is discussed during an English-language meeting and summarised in a written decision memorandum.
Step 4 — Engagement
If the project proceeds, the scope, exclusions, fees, third-party costs and responsibilities are set out in a written engagement letter.
Step 5 — Document collection and drafting
Documents are collected through a secure channel. The firm prepares the corporate documents and a final summary for client approval.
Step 6 — Capital, signatures and filing
The client arranges the registered office and share-capital deposit. Once the final documents are signed and all required evidence has been received, the firm files the incorporation formalities.
Step 7 — Registration and first 90 days
After registration, the firm delivers the closing file, activates the first-year calendar and follows the matters still being handled by the local providers.
First-year compliance with LexDélai Société
The Coordinated Launch 90 service includes the preparation of a first-year compliance calendar using LexDélai Société.
The calendar helps identify and monitor:
- annual accounts approval;
- electronic filing of annual accounts;
- corporate decisions and registers;
- dividend-related decisions;
- beneficial ownership information;
- selected tax, employment and reporting dates requiring confirmation;
- reminder dates for the relevant actions.
The calendar provides an organisational starting point. Each deadline remains subject to verification according to the company’s documents, tax regime, workforce and actual circumstances.
About the lawyer
Your French legal point of contact
Direct advice from an experienced French business lawyer
Timo RAINIO is a French lawyer (avocat) and has been a member of the Lyon Bar since 2010.
He holds postgraduate degrees in French business law and taxation and in private law, with a particular academic background in contract law and the law of obligations. For more than fifteen years, he has advised companies, entrepreneurs and business owners on corporate, commercial, contractual and digital matters.
His practice covers the main legal issues that a company may encounter when establishing and operating a business in France, including:
- company formation and corporate governance;
- shareholders’ and directors’ decisions;
- commercial and intragroup agreements;
- general terms and conditions;
- relationships with French customers, suppliers and business partners;
- corporate compliance and annual legal requirements;
- business disputes and pre-litigation strategy;
- digital services, data protection and technology-related contracts.
Personal involvement throughout the French launch
Foreign companies often have to deal simultaneously with a lawyer, accountant, tax adviser, registered-office provider, bank, translator and, in some cases, an immigration or employment specialist.
Timo RAINIO acts as the client’s French legal point of contact throughout the launch.
His role is to:
- explain the available legal options in clear English;
- identify the decisions that must be made before incorporation;
- prepare and validate the French corporate documents;
- distinguish legal questions from tax, accounting, immigration and operational matters;
- refer specialised questions to the appropriate professional;
- coordinate the legal sequence with the client’s foreign advisers and French providers;
- monitor outstanding documents, decisions and formalities;
- keep the client informed of delays, external dependencies and matters requiring attention;
- remain available after registration during the company’s first months of operation.
The client therefore retains one identified legal contact without losing the benefit of independent advice from the accountant, tax adviser or other regulated professionals responsible for their respective fields.
Advice designed for foreign decision-makers
French corporate and administrative procedures may differ significantly from those encountered in other jurisdictions.
The firm does not assume that a foreign director is already familiar with French legal terminology, corporate forms or filing procedures. The available options, practical consequences and principal risks are explained in English before the client is asked to make a decision.
Meetings and day-to-day communications can be conducted in English.
Corporate documents and filings are prepared in French when required by French law or the competent authority.
English explanations or working translations can be provided for the client’s internal understanding, while the French version remains the authoritative version unless otherwise agreed.
Clear allocation of responsibilities
The firm provides French legal advice and coordinates the legal aspects of the project. It does not present itself as a bank, accountant, tax adviser, registered-office provider or immigration consultant.
Where another professional is required:
- the reason for the referral is explained to the client;
- the relevant question is clearly identified;
- the client remains free to appoint its own provider;
- each professional enters into a separate engagement with the client;
- each professional remains responsible for their own advice and services.
This allocation of responsibilities is intended to give the client a coordinated process without creating uncertainty as to who is responsible for each decision.
A defined scope and transparent fees
Before substantive work begins, the firm confirms in writing:
- the identity of the client;
- the scope of the legal engagement;
- the services included in the fee;
- the matters excluded or referred to another professional;
- the estimated third-party costs;
- the documents and decisions expected from the client;
- the applicable payment schedule.
No bank account, visa, administrative authorisation, tax treatment or registration date is guaranteed. When the progress of the project depends on a bank, provider or public authority, that dependency is identified and reported rather than concealed.
Based in Lyon, working throughout France
The firm is based in central Lyon and can assist with French company formations and corporate matters throughout France.
Meetings can be held by secure videoconference or, by appointment, at the firm’s office:
Timo RAINIO — French lawyer (avocat)Member of the Lyon Bar since 2010Individual law practice10 rue de la Charité69002 LyonFrance
Working languages: French and English
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee that a French bank account will be opened?
No. Banks and payment institutions conduct their own compliance and commercial reviews. The firm can help prepare the legal documents and coordinate the process but cannot guarantee acceptance.
Can a person living abroad manage a French company?
This depends on the individual’s nationality, residence, immigration status and the position to be held. The corporate-law aspects can be reviewed by the firm. Immigration questions are referred to an appropriate specialist.
Do you provide a registered office?
No. The firm can introduce a licensed registered-office provider, but it does not provide domiciliation services itself.
Do you handle French tax and accounting matters?
The firm identifies the issues that require tax or accounting advice and can coordinate an independent professional. Tax and accounting opinions are not included in the legal launch fee.
How long does registration take?
No fixed period can be guaranteed. The overall timetable depends on the ownership structure, document translations, capital deposit, regulated activities, third-party checks and the processing of the filing.
Which documents should a foreign parent company prepare?
The documents commonly required include:
- a recent company-registry extract;
- current constitutional documents;
- an ownership chart identifying the ultimate beneficial owners;
- a corporate resolution approving the French project;
- evidence of the directors’ and signatories’ authority;
- identity and address documents;
- information concerning the source of funds;
- translations, apostilles or legalisations where required.
The precise list is confirmed after qualification of the project.
Request
an Entry Review
