Translating “subsidiary” into French: filiale or succursale? A Corporate Law False Friend

⚠️ Legal false friend alert: subsidiary ≠ succursale

In French, subsidiary = filiale — not succursale. Using succursale for subsidiary leads to serious legal inaccuracies.

Why?

• Filiale (subsidiary): a separate legal entity majority-owned or controlled by a société mère (parent company).

• Succursale (branch): a local establishment with no separate legal personality; it’s part of the same company.

🏢 In corporate law: subsidiary → filiale

Examples (EN → FR):

• The company owns several subsidiaries in Europe → La société possède plusieurs filiales en Europe

• Subsidiary company → Société filiale

• A wholly-owned subsidiary → Une filiale détenue à 100 %

👉 A filiale is legally autonomous, even though it’s controlled by the parent — a distinction common law sources draw in the same way between a subsidiary and a mere division.

⚖️ Do not confuse with branch → succursale

Examples (EN → FR):

• The Paris branch of the company → La succursale parisienne de la société

• The branch does not have separate legal personality → La succursale ne possède pas de personnalité juridique propre

In the UK, this is why a foreign company’s branch must be registered with Companies House as an overseas establishment rather than as a separate company.

🧾 Quick reference

✅ Summary map

📌 TransLex Tip

As with other legal false friends, before translating subsidiary or branch, ask:

1. Does the entity have its own legal personality?

2. Are we dealing with an independent company or a local establishment?

3. Is the text about ownership/control (→ filiale) or local operations (→ succursale)?

👉 Bottom line: subsidiary = filiale; branch = succursale.

❓ FAQ: translating "subsidiary" into French