Legal Entities of the World™
A spotter’s guide to corporate wildlife
Index: Click to expand:
Tell me more
Sign up for our newsletter — or just get in touch: for ½ a weekly 🍺 you get to consult JC. Ask about it here.

A société à responsabilité limitée (SARL and variations thereof; lit. “society with limited responsibility”) is legal entity in the form of a private company, mainly in French-speaking countries, such as France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Madagascar, Lebanon, and Switzerland (where it is also designated, in German, by GmbH).

One of the primary advantages of a SARL is limited liability; an owner or other investor in the company cannot be liable for more than they have contributed to the company’s capital. In this respect, a SARL is largely equivalent to a British limited company or American limited liability company.