Philippe Gurd Gross Jul 8, 2018:

Hi fourth: because it's a partnership, I would maintain that the equivalent of articles is the partnership agreement. The requirement to register is a separate issue which doesn't affect its legal form, in my view.

Daryo Jul 8, 2018:

... it is "une société de personnes" (says so the Swiss law), but it doesn't make it automatically a simple "partnership";


might be useful:

partnerships (Rechsgemeinschaft / société de personnes / società di persone):
--- eG (einfache Gesellschaft) / société simple / società semplice:≈ partnership by contract
--- KolG (Kollektivgesellschaft) / SNC (société en nom collectif) / società in nome collettivo:≈ GP
--- KG (Kommanditgesellschaft) / SC (société en commandite) / società in accomandita:≈ LP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_business_entities

the proposed translation would be:
for
KolG (Kollektivgesellschaft) / SNC (société en nom collectif) / società in nome collettivo
=
≈ GP: general(=ordinary) partnership

for

KG (Kommanditgesellschaft) / SC (société en commandite) / società in accomandita
=
≈ GP: limited partnership?

For comparison, when in 2000 a new legal form was created in UK that was a partnership without being an "ordinary" partnership (interesting story who and how and why created it, but let's not digress) it COULDN'T be simply called "partnership" - it's called a "Limited Liability Partnership". (it's NOT "une société en commandite")

Daryo Jul 8, 2018:

The key point is that "une société en commandite"

is a kind of hybrid, as detailed here:

10. Nombre nécessaire de propriétaires ou d'associés
La société en commandite est celle que contractent au moins une personne physique en tant qu'associé indéfiniment responsable (commandité) et au moins une personne physique ou morale ou société commerciale en tant qu'associé à responsabilité limitée (commanditaire) (art. 594 CO).

https://www.kmu.admin.ch/kmu/fr/home/savoir-pratique/creatio...

so some participant have *limited liability* while other are exposed to *unlimited liability*

which is not quite your bog standard "partnership", the main characteristic of it being:


La question de responsabilité peut être problématique, étant donné que les associés répondent de manière solidaire et illimitée. ....

https://www.kmu.admin.ch/kmu/fr/home/savoir-pratique/creatio...

IOW all involved have *unlimited liability*, not only for their own actions, but also of all others!

Short version: "une société en commandite" is not a partnership

Jack Dunwell (asker) Jul 8, 2018:

Thanks Philippe ! I'm happy about it being a partnership. I'm really trying to find out what its statutory duties are in registering its formation and equivalents of Articles.

Philippe Gurd Gross Jul 8, 2018:

As for sources, Quebec law and Swiss law share much in common, including the "société en commandite" as a type of partnership. The GDLF is a relevant source. Moreover, Daryo, your tone is completely unprofessional and has no place here.

Philippe Gurd Gross Jul 8, 2018:

Hi fourth, I believe the resources you found pertain to a "société de commandite par actions", which is a French hybrid partnership/corporation. Since we're talking about the Swiss "société en commandite", my position stands.

Jack Dunwell (asker) Jul 8, 2018:

https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00807573/document This also mentions "statuts"

Jack Dunwell (asker) Jul 8, 2018:

http://www.creeruneentreprise.fr/juridique/sca.htm This website states that a Société en commandité par actions has "statuts" Articles of Association

Jack Dunwell (asker) Jul 8, 2018:

Yes Daryo I've been browsing the TERMDAT, Swiss Federal glossary and it's really not very useful. Comments like "No equivalent in English"I suppose one of the probleme here is the paucity of this exact type of company. Any contribution very welcome!

Daryo Jul 8, 2018:

Point of method looking into a CANADIAN dictionary to figure out the inner working of a SWISS business entity is the kind method that wouldn't occur to me. (I confess my lack or originality - guilty as charged!)

I would have imagined that what an official Swiss website has to say about legal forms available to businesses operating in Switzerland is slightly more relevant ... but that's only me.