French company law is the law governing corporations incorporated in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
or under French corporate law.
History
In the wake of the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
in 1791, the right to free registration for all private companies was proclaimed. There was a boom in registrations, but this was followed by a bust in 1793. The law was reversed until 1796 when the principle of free incorporation was established again.
The law was consolidated in Napoleon's ''
Code de commerce
In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
'' of 1807 using a concession system. While previously public companies with special privileges were created by a special act of the state, the ''Code'' allowed the companies to be formed according to general company law rules. Specific state permission was still required. Article 33 recognised
limited liability
Limited liability is a legal status in which a person's financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, most commonly the value of a person's investment in a corporation, company or partnership. If a company that provides limited liability to it ...
for members. The ''Code de commerce'' was applicable outside France in
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
and the
Prussian Rhine province, and it came to serve as a model for all later European public company statutes. The first German public company statute was the Prussian Act of 1843, five years after the Prussian Act on railway enterprises of 1838. Under the ''
Loi sur les Sociétés'' of 1867 France adopted a system for free registration of companies.
[See Law of July 24, 1867 amending the Code de Commerce, Bull. des Lois 11e S., B. 1513, n. 15, 328 p. 94]
See also
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UK company law
The United Kingdom company law regulates corporations formed under the Companies Act 2006. Also governed by the Insolvency Act 1986, the UK Corporate Governance Code, European Union Directives and court cases, the company is the primary legal ...
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European company law
European company law is a part of European Union law, which concerns the formation, operation and insolvency of companies (or corporations) in the European Union. The EU creates minimum standards for companies throughout the EU, and has its own co ...
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German company law
German company law (''Gesellschaftsrecht'') is an influential legal regime for companies in Germany. The primary form of company is the public company or ''Aktiengesellschaft'' (AG). A private company with limited liability is known as a ''Gesells ...
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US corporate law
United States corporate law regulates the governance, finance and power of corporations in US law. Every state and territory has its own basic corporate code, while federal law creates minimum standards for trade in company shares and governance ...
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List of company registers
This is a list of official business registers around the world.
There are many types of official business registers, usually maintained for various purposes by a state authority, such as a government agency, or a court of law. In some cases, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:French Company Law
French business law