France is one of Europe's largest economies and home to global leaders in luxury, aerospace, energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and financial services. Paris is a major centre for international arbitration and a gateway to francophone Africa. Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse and Bordeaux anchor strong regional economies. For international companies, France offers scale and sophistication, along with a demanding legal environment around privacy, anti-corruption and the gathering of evidence.
Risk Investigators provides corporate investigation, due diligence, background checks, IP investigation, brand protection, claim investigation, process service and private investigation for businesses in France. As an online venture of GREVESGROUP®, headquartered in Dubai with more than 30 years of group experience and around 1,000 cases a year, our corporate investigators in France work in French and English in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice and across the country, supported by a network in more than 100 countries.
Business and Investigation Risk in France
- Anti-corruption obligations under the Sapin II law, which requires larger companies to assess the integrity of clients, suppliers and intermediaries
- Counterfeiting of luxury goods, cosmetics, wines and spirits, where French brands are among the most copied in the world
- Strict privacy and data protection rules, enforced by the CNIL, that shape what investigators can lawfully do
- Rules on evidence for foreign proceedings, including the French blocking statute, which restricts certain information transfers
- Insolvency and asset transfers, where assets move between related companies before collective proceedings
- Fraud and misconduct in subsidiaries, franchise networks and supply chains
Our Investigation Services in France
Due Diligence in France
Our due diligence in France covers acquisition targets, partners, suppliers, distributors and investors. We research the Trade and Companies Register (RCS) through Infogreffe and the national business register, BODACC legal announcements, court decisions, insolvency proceedings, property information where accessible and French-language media, and identify beneficial owners and sanctions, PEP and adverse media exposure. Our Sapin II third-party due diligence helps French companies and their foreign subsidiaries document integrity assessments of higher-risk intermediaries.
Corporate Investigation in France
Our corporate investigation in Paris and across France covers fraud, embezzlement, bribery, conflicts of interest and employee misconduct. French employment law and data protection rules set clear limits on internal investigations, so we work closely with your counsel and HR team to keep every step lawful and proportionate, and to protect the usability of the evidence.
Background Check in France
Our background check in France services verify identity, education, employment history, directorships and litigation for executives, board members and business partners. Checks are limited to information relevant to the role, carried out with transparency and consent, and compliant with the GDPR and French employment law.
IP Investigation in France
We investigate trademark infringement, counterfeit production and distribution, design copying and trade secret misuse. Our counterfeit investigation in France traces fake goods from street markets, pop-up shops, online platforms and social media to importers and suppliers, and supports seizure procedures (saisie-contrefaçon) through your lawyers.
Brand Protection in France
For French luxury, cosmetics, wine and spirits and consumer brands, our brand protection programmes combine online monitoring, test purchases, market surveys and enforcement support in France and in the markets where French brands are counterfeited abroad.
Claim Investigation in France
We verify property, business interruption, cargo, motor, life and health claims with a French element, including incidents involving international travellers and cross-border transport.
Process Service in France
Our process server in France service handles delivery of judicial and extrajudicial documents to individuals and companies. France is a party to the Hague Service Convention, and service from other EU member states follows the EU Service Regulation. Service is frequently executed by French judicial officers (commissaires de justice). French translations are generally required, and we arrange them.
Private Investigation in France
For businesses and law firms, our business-focused private investigator in France services include witness location, debtor tracing, asset tracing in France, litigation support and lawful commercial enquiries. Private investigation is a regulated profession in France, and all field work is carried out within that framework. We do not accept personal or matrimonial cases.
Cities and Regions We Cover in France
Our investigators work across France, from the main commercial centres to secondary cities, ports and industrial zones. We regularly handle investigations, due diligence, background checks and process service in the following locations.
Major Cities
- Paris
- Marseille
- Lyon
- Toulouse
- Nice
- Nantes
- Strasbourg
- Montpellier
- Bordeaux
- Lille
- Le Havre
- Rennes
Regions
- Île-de-France
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Occitanie
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Hauts-de-France
- Grand Est
- Pays de la Loire
- Brittany
- Normandy
Need coverage in a location not listed here? We also handle enquiries in smaller towns and remote areas of France on request.
Sapin II and Third-Party Integrity Checks
The Sapin II law requires companies above certain size thresholds to maintain an anti-corruption programme, including assessments of the integrity of third parties such as intermediaries, distributors and suppliers. The French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) expects these assessments to be risk-based and documented. Our investigators provide the evidence behind higher-risk assessments: who owns and controls the third party, whether it has links to public officials, how it is regarded in its market and whether there are allegations of corruption or fraud. The reports are written to sit in your compliance file.
Evidence, Privacy and the Blocking Statute
France takes privacy and sovereignty over economic information seriously. Data protection law limits what can be collected about individuals. The French blocking statute restricts the communication of certain economic, commercial and technical information for use in foreign judicial or administrative proceedings. When our work in France supports litigation or investigations abroad, we coordinate with your French and foreign counsel from the outset so that information is gathered and shared lawfully.
Typical Matters We Handle in France
The examples below are illustrative of the work clients bring to us in France:
- A French industrial group assesses a new sales intermediary in West Africa as part of its Sapin II programme
- A luxury brand traces counterfeit handbags sold via social media accounts to a storage unit near Paris and an importer
- A creditor identifies properties and company interests held by a French debtor before enforcing an arbitral award
- An investor checks the founders of a French start-up before a funding round
- A foreign law firm serves proceedings on a company headquartered in Lyon
How an Investigation in France Works
You brief us in confidence and we sign an NDA. We agree the scope, legal limits, timeline and fee in writing, involving your counsel where needed. Our local investigators carry out record research and field enquiries in French, coordinated by your case manager in Dubai. You receive updates at agreed points and a final report in English.
Industries We Support in France
We support retail and luxury, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, banking and financial services, insurance, technology, real estate, logistics, legal services and professional services.
Why Choose Risk Investigators in France
Compliance-ready due diligence
Reports that support Sapin II and international anti-corruption requirements.
Luxury and brand expertise
Anti-counterfeiting investigations for French brands at home and abroad.
Lawful methods
Careful respect for French privacy, employment and evidence rules.
Francophone reach
Follow-up in francophone Africa, Belgium and beyond.
Group experience
More than 30 years of investigation work through GREVESGROUP®.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have corporate investigators in France?
Yes. Our investigators work in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice and across France, in French and English.
Can you help with Sapin II third-party due diligence?
Yes. We investigate the ownership, control, reputation and links to public officials of higher-risk third parties, and document the findings for your compliance programme.
Is France part of the Hague Service Convention?
Yes. France is a party to the Hague Service Convention, and service from other EU member states follows the EU Service Regulation. French translations are generally required.
Can you investigate counterfeit luxury goods in France?
Yes. We trace counterfeit goods sold online and offline to importers and suppliers, and support seizure procedures through your lawyers.
Do you conduct background checks in France?
Yes, limited to information relevant to the role, with transparency and consent, and in line with the GDPR and French employment law.
Can you trace assets in France for enforcement?
Yes. We identify property, company interests and other assets linked to a debtor, including assets transferred to related companies.
Can your findings be used in foreign proceedings?
Often, yes, but French rules on data protection and the blocking statute must be considered. We coordinate with your counsel so information is gathered and shared lawfully.
Do you provide reports in English?
Yes. All reports are in English, with key French documents summarised or translated where needed.
Do you take private or matrimonial cases?
No. We work only for businesses, law firms and organisations.