Regulated professions law

Physicians can practise together through a SEL (Société d'Exercice Libéral, a French professional practice company), an SCP (professional civil partnership) or an SCM (cost-sharing partnership). The choice depends on the objective: pooling resources only (SCM) or practising jointly (SEL, SCP). Each structure has specific tax, social security and professional body implications that a specialist lawyer helps you weigh up.

Selling a pharmacy involves valuing the business (turnover, location, customer base), negotiating the price, drafting the preliminary and final sale agreements in cooperation with the relevant professional body, and completing the licence transfer formalities. Whether the sale covers the pharmacy itself or the shares of the company operating it, the process generally takes 3 to 6 months with appropriate legal support.

Veterinarians mainly practise through a SEL (Société d'Exercice Libéral), an SCP or an SCM, structures governed by the French Rural Code and the veterinary code of ethics. Group practice allows veterinarians to pool equipment, organise on-call duties and continuity of care, and plan the transfer of the practice. Capital transactions (admitting a partner, sale, transfer) must comply with the professional body rules specific to the profession.

Depending on the objectives, several structures can be considered: a CPTS to coordinate care across a territory, an MSP (multidisciplinary health centre) in the form of a SISA for coordinated practice, or a GIE or SCM to pool resources. A specialist lawyer identifies the structure best suited to your group project.

A partnership requires drafting a practice agreement compliant with the code of medical ethics, choosing the legal structure, valuing each party's contributions, and defining governance rules and profit-sharing arrangements. Exit and non-compete clauses must be carefully negotiated to prevent disputes.

Health data is sensitive data within the meaning of the GDPR. The professional must keep a record of processing activities, secure access (certified HDS health data hosting), obtain informed consent, inform patients of their rights and notify data breaches. A lawyer supports you through compliance and the drafting of the required documents.

A share buyout requires valuing the company (asset-based, profitability and comparison methods), negotiating the price and payment terms, drafting the sale agreement and obtaining the approvals of the professional body. The transaction must comply with the shareholders' agreement and the provisions of the articles of association governing share transfers.

Medical biology laboratories operate mainly through SEL structures (SELARL, SELAS, SELAFA). Regulations require biologists to hold the majority of the capital and voting rights. Consolidation transactions between laboratories, common in this sector, require complex legal structuring that takes account of regulatory and professional body constraints.