Subsection 4: Sociétés de participations financières de profession libérale de conseils en propriété industrielle (French only)

Companies formed, pursuant to Title IV of Law No. 90-1258 of 31 December 1990, with a view to holding shares in companies practising the profession of industrial property attorney are governed by the provisions of Book II of the Commercial Code, subject to the provisions of this chapter.

The company is entered on the list of industrial property attorneys provided for by Article L. 422-1, in a section specific to liberal profession financial holding companies.

The declaration of a société de participations financières de profession libérale de conseils en propriété industrielle shall be sent collectively by the partners, who shall appoint a common agent, to the Director General of the Institut national de la propriété industrielle by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, or delivered against receipt. This declaration shall be accompanied, on pain of inadmissibility, by the following documents: 1° A copy of the…

Sociétés de participations financières de profession libérale de conseil en propriété industrielle resulting from a merger or demerger are subject to the provisions of articles R. 422-51-2 to R. 422-51-3.

The société de participations financières de profession libérale de conseil en propriété industrielle shall notify the Director General of the Institut national de la propriété industrielle of any change in the situation declared pursuant to Article R. 422-51-3, with supporting documents, within thirty days of the date on which the change was made.

If this change results in the company’s declared situation not complying with the legislative and regulatory provisions in force, the company shall be given formal notice by the Director General of the Institute to regularise its situation within the period indicated in the formal notice. If, on expiry of that period, the company has not regularised its situation, the Director General of the Institute shall refer the members practising the…

Each financial holding company of the liberal profession of industrial property attorney is subject, by the Director General of the National Institute of Industrial Property, as soon as it is registered and then at least once every four years thereafter, to an inspection relating to compliance with the legislative and regulatory provisions applicable to it. During each inspection, the opinion of the Compagnie nationale des conseils en propriété industrielle is…

The dissolution of the company, when it does not result from removal from the list of industrial property attorneys, is notified to the Director General of the National Institute of Industrial Property at the behest of the liquidator.

The liquidator may be chosen from among the partners. More than one liquidator may be appointed. The liquidator may be replaced on the grounds of impediment, or for any other serious reason, by the president of the judicial court of the place of the company’s registered office, ruling in summary proceedings at the request of the liquidator himself, the partners or their successors, or the director general of the Institut…

In the case provided for in article R. 422-51-10, the liquidator shall proceed with the transfer of the shares that the struck-off company holds in the liberal practice company or companies, under the conditions provided for in Article R. 422-48.