Google’s operations in France are facing the potential temporary freezing of assets valued at about 129 million dollars following legal action initiated by the liquidator of the company’s former Russian subsidiary, according to newly reviewed court documents.
The case originates from a set of arbitration decisions issued in Moscow, where Google’s Russian unit was found liable for an unlawful dividend payment made in 2021. The court appointed liquidator for the bankrupt subsidiary has sought to enforce these rulings across several jurisdictions, including France, Spain, Turkey and South Africa.
French authorities have issued a provisional attachment order targeting shares owned by Google International in its French affiliate. The order takes effect immediately under French legal procedure and restricts the company from accessing or transferring the identified assets while the Paris Judicial Court considers whether to formally recognize and enforce the foreign arbitration decisions.
Under French law, the provisional freeze will lapse unless formal proceedings for enforcement are filed within one month. If the court ultimately validates the Russian arbitration rulings, assets held in France could be used to satisfy creditor claims linked to the now defunct Russian operation. Google retains the right to challenge the enforcement request as the case moves forward.
The enforcement campaign follows the collapse of Google’s Russian subsidiary in 2022, after authorities in Moscow seized its local bank account as part of broader pressure on Western technology companies. In the arbitration process, the liquidator argued that a dividend transfer of roughly ten billion roubles in late 2021 contributed to the unit’s financial failure and disadvantaged its creditors.
Legal analysts note that international enforcement actions of this nature typically involve extended litigation and intricate jurisdictional issues. The French decision may also influence similar cases under way in other countries where enforcement has been requested.
