associées

Associées is the feminine plural form of associé and is used in French to refer to persons who hold an equity stake in a company and participate in its governance. The exact rights and terminology depend on the form of the company and the jurisdiction, but the term generally conveys ownership and a role in decision-making beyond ordinary employment.

In common corporate forms such as SARL (société à responsabilité limitée) and sociétés civiles, associés (and associées for women) hold parts sociales, participate in assemblies, and share in profits and losses according to the statuts. In SAS (société par actions simplified), the owners may likewise be called associés or associées, with their rights defined by the bylaws; in some contexts and jurisdictions, the term actionnaires is used for shareholders, especially in public companies, though associées remains common in non-public entities.

In professional services firms, such as law or accounting, associées (and associés) designate partners who have a stake in the firm’s profits and governance, differentiating them from non-equity professionals or junior partners. The path to becoming associée can indicate a transition to greater managerial responsibility and a share in strategic decisions.

The feminine form associées also appears in mixed-gender or women-led groups of owners, reflecting gender composition in the ownership pool. The concept of associées emphasizes ownership, voting rights, and profit participation rather than mere employment. The term derives from Latin associatus, meaning joined together, and is widely used in French-speaking contexts to describe co-owners and partners in business structures. See also associé, association, droit des sociétés.