A Flexible Yet Comprehensive Template
We recently handled the English-to-French translation of a sales agency agreement (contrat de représentation commerciale) for an international business law firm. The contract governed the relationship between a principal (mandant) and a sales agent (représentant commercial).
The model agreement was flexible but detailed, with parameters such as:
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Exclusive or non-exclusive mandate (mandat exclusif ou non)
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Defined territory or nominative client list (territoire défini ou liste nominative de clients)
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Minimum sales target (objectif de vente minimum)
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Applicable price list (barème de prix)
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Duration and notice period (durée du contrat et durée de préavis de résiliation), whether fixed or reasonable
It also specified the terms of:
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Agent’s remuneration (taux de commission)
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Intermediation in customer contracts (intermédiation dans les contrats clients)
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Advertising, promotion and marketing obligations, including an optional advertising budget (budget publicitaire)
⚖️ A Cross-Border Contract: Legal Rigor Meets Commercial Logic
The main challenge was translating the Anglo-Saxon mechanisms of agency law while ensuring:
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Clarity and precision in contractual drafting (clarté contractuelle)
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Legal certainty under French law (sécurité juridique en droit français)
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Compliance with labor law (respect du droit social), particularly in case of requalification or interpretation of subordination (lien de subordination)
👉 This required a careful balance between legal accuracy and commercial pragmatism.
📌 Key Equivalents Encountered
(contextual translation only)
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principal / agent → mandant / représentant
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sales agent → représentant commercial
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commission rate → taux de commission
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minimum sales target → objectif de vente minimum
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price list → barème de prix
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advertising, promotion and marketing → publicité, promotion et marketing
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agent’s intermediation → intermédiation du représentant
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compliance with labor laws → respect du droit social
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net sales value → valeur nette des ventes
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customer contract → contrat client
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advertising spend → budget publicitaire
