Establishment in France of a “Legally Protected” Period Extending Many Legal Deadlines and Neutralizing Certain Contractual Prerogatives

On Thursday, April 16, Order no. 2020-427 dated April 15, 2020 has been published in the Journal Officiel of the French Republic. This Order amends the Order no. 2020-306 dated March 25, 2020 which, among other things, established a “legally protected” period neutralizing many legal deadlines, adjusting certain prerogatives of the creditor of an obligation and extending certain contractual deadlines. This short memo discusses the key points of this Covid-related regime, as amended by Order no. 2020-427 dated April 15, 2020.