France Company Launch · English-speaking business lawyer in Lyon
Set up your company in France with one French lawyer, fixed fees and clear advice in English
For foreign companies, groups and founders opening a French subsidiary, branch or new business. You get a single legal point of contact in France, fixed-fee packages agreed in writing before work starts, and a clear path from the first structure decision to your first year of corporate compliance.
- Fixed fees for each stage – no open-ended hourly billing
- One point of contact who coordinates your accountant, bank and local providers
- Meetings and explanations in English, French corporate documents drafted to French-law standards
Why foreign companies work with the firm
A French business lawyer who keeps your launch simple
Fixed fees, agreed upfront
Each stage has a fixed fee confirmed in a written engagement letter before any work starts. Filing fees, legal publication and translations are identified in advance as third-party costs.
One point of contact in France
One lawyer follows your project from the first call to the first year and coordinates the accountant, bank, registered-office provider and translator, so you are not managing five advisers at once.
Clear English, French law
Calls, emails and explanations are in English. Corporate documents are drafted in French where French law requires it, with English working translations for your board and your head office.
A regulated lawyer, not a formation website
Professional secrecy, professional liability insurance, conflict checks and the ethical rules of the Lyon Bar apply to every engagement. You receive legal advice, not only paperwork.
Fixed-fee packages
Four stages, each with a fixed fee
All prices exclude VAT and third-party costs. The exact fee is confirmed in the engagement letter after the Entry Review, based on the agreed scope.
1
Entry Review
€490 excl. VAT
The starting point. A preliminary review, a 60-to-90-minute meeting in English and a written decision memorandum: subsidiary, branch or liaison office, governance, banking, registered office, tax and immigration dependencies, provisional sequence of steps and estimated third-party costs.
2
Legal Launch
From €2,400 excl. VAT
Incorporation of a standard French company (usually an SAS): articles of association, first resolutions, appointment of the president or director, beneficial-ownership filing, legal notice, registration formalities and a complete closing file.
3
Coordinated Launch 90
From €4,500 excl. VAT
Legal Launch plus 90 days of coordination: kick-off meeting, coordination of up to four local providers, shared task list, two coordination meetings, one standard intragroup or commercial agreement within agreed limits, a first-year compliance calendar and follow-ups at 30 and 90 days.
4
French Corporate Care
From €1,200 excl. VAT per year
Ongoing corporate compliance once the company is registered: annual corporate calendar, approval of the accounts and allocation of profits, electronic filing of the accounts, one annual legal review meeting and short follow-up questions.
€250 credit: if a Legal Launch or Coordinated Launch 90 engagement is signed within 30 days of the Entry Review, €250 of the Entry Review fee is credited against the launch fee. The Entry Review is a legal and corporate review; it is not a French tax, accounting, employment or immigration opinion.
Subsidiary or branch?
Choosing the right structure for your French business
Most foreign groups set up a French subsidiary (SAS), which limits liability and is familiar to French banks, clients and landlords. A branch or a liaison office can make sense for a test phase or a limited activity, but it has different consequences for liability, accounting and taxation. The Entry Review compares the options for your specific case before anything is filed.
How the launch works
1
Qualification
General information about the foreign company, the French activity, ownership and timetable.
2
Conflict check & KYC
Identification of the client and beneficial owners before any substantive advice.
3
Entry Review
Meeting in English and written decision memorandum.
4
Engagement letter
Scope, exclusions, fixed fee and third-party costs in writing.
5
Documents & drafting
Documents collected through a secure channel; corporate documents prepared for your approval.
6
Capital, signatures & filing
Registered office and capital deposit by the client, then filing of the formalities.
7
First 90 days
Closing file, first-year calendar and follow-up of matters handled by local providers.
What is not included
Unless a separate written engagement is signed, the packages do not include French or international tax advice, transfer pricing, accounting, payroll, provision of a registered office, 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 and translations 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, acceptance by a registered-office provider, the granting of a visa, residence permit or administrative authorisation, a particular tax treatment, access to financing, or registration within a guaranteed period. The timetable depends on your responsiveness, the completeness of the documents and the processing times of banks, providers and public authorities.
Your French legal point of contact
Timo RAINIO, French business lawyer (avocat), Lyon Bar
Timo RAINIO holds postgraduate degrees in French business law and taxation and in private law, and has advised companies, entrepreneurs and business owners on corporate, commercial, contractual and digital matters for more than fifteen years.
Foreign companies often deal at the same time with a lawyer, an accountant, a tax adviser, a registered-office provider, a bank and a translator. Timo RAINIO acts as your French legal point of contact throughout the launch: he explains the options in plain English, identifies the decisions to make before incorporation, prepares the French corporate documents, refers specialised questions to the right professional and tracks outstanding documents and formalities. Each professional keeps a separate engagement and remains responsible for their own advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to set up a company in France?
The firm works with fixed fees: €490 excl. VAT for the Entry Review, from €2,400 excl. VAT for the incorporation of a standard French company (Legal Launch) and from €4,500 excl. VAT with 90 days of coordination. Third-party costs (registration fees, legal notice, translations, registered office, accountant) are identified in advance.
How long does it take to incorporate a French company?
The timetable is set during the Entry Review. It depends mainly on how quickly the parent company documents, the registered office and the capital deposit are ready; once the file is complete, the filing itself is usually quick. No registration date can be guaranteed, as it depends on third parties and public authorities.
Can you guarantee that a French bank account will be opened?
No. Banks carry out their own compliance and commercial reviews. The firm helps 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 person’s nationality, residence, immigration status and position. The corporate-law aspects are 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 does not provide domiciliation services itself.
Which documents should the foreign parent company prepare?
Usually: a recent company-registry extract, constitutional documents, an ownership chart identifying the ultimate beneficial owners, a board or shareholder resolution approving the French project, evidence of the signatories’ authority, identity and address documents, information on the source of funds, and translations or apostilles where required. The precise list is confirmed after qualification.
Can we work entirely in English and remotely?
Yes. Meetings take place by video call or at the Lyon office, and day-to-day communication can be conducted in English. Corporate documents are prepared in French where French law requires it, with English working translations for internal understanding.
Next step
Start with an Entry Review
Tell us briefly about the foreign company, the planned French activity, the intended ownership and your target date. You will receive a reply with the next steps and a proposed date for the Entry Review.
Please do not send passports, identity documents or confidential information at this stage. Contacting the firm does not create a lawyer-client relationship before the conflict check and client identification.
Timo RAINIO — French lawyer (avocat), Lyon Bar · 10 rue de la Charité, 69002 Lyon, France · +33 6 65 31 40 88 · LinkedIn