Une suggestion, d'après le grand dictionnaire...

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Note added at 8 mins (2008-09-15 13:44:52 GMT)
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legal status, sorry

statutes signed under hand

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Note added at 13 mins (2008-09-15 13:49:09 GMT)
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References:

http://history.utah.gov/heritage_tourism_toolkit/partnership...

http://lrc.ky.gov/KRS/274-00/095.PDF

private writing: writing drafted without the intervention of a public officer and signed by the interested party or parties.

Termium

Statuts= Company Statutes=Articles of Association (and Memorandum if you like)
Sous seing privé: either private or, as in this case simple= standard

==Articles in standard format.

Dictionnaire juridique - Définition de Sous-seing privé
Définition de Sous-seing privé

by the notarial office.

L'acte "sous seing privé" (on dit aussi sous signature privée) est une convention écrite établie par les parties elles-mêmes ou par un tiers, qui a été signée par elles ou par une personne qu'elles ont constituée pour mandataire en vue de règler une situation contractuelle (vente, location, société, contrat de travail...). Un testament olographe, un contrat d'assurances sont des actes sous-seing privé

just another variation

In uk, we refer to memorandum and articles of association

Is this a 'société' as a private company? If it is, in US-EN it would be articles of incorporation rather than association. US 'articles of incorporation' = UK 'articles of association'. Who are your readers?

Also, I think sous seing privé, depending on jurisdiction, just means 'notarized', rather than officially filed with an authority. This question might be better answered in the 'law category'

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Note added at 7 hrs (2008-09-15 20:41:18 GMT)
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Please note that a notary public in the US is very different from a 'notary public' or 'civil law notary' in the UK, and very different from notaries in continental Europe who are authorized to practice certain kinds of law (convey property, family law. etc.).

Becoming a notary public in the US is fairly simple in most states, but what notaries are authorized to do is very limited relative to the UK or Europe. They mostly just witness signatures. The notary would not be custodian of documents unless he or she is also a licensed attorney. As Ellen Kraus noted, the notary does take custody of the documents here, but they probably would not in the US.

An agreement that would be signed and notarized, and confided to a notary in Europe, would be signed and notarized and confided to a custodian other than a notary in the US, usually a lawyer or maybe a bank custodian.

What is confusing here is the title 'notary PUBLIC'. The notary has a 'notary seal' which is the 'seing' in question. Although this matter is a 'private matter' at this point, the signatures have been authenticated by a notary public. Thus we have the concept of 'sous seing privé' although the certifier of the signatures is a notary PUBLIC. The documents are still in private custody and not filed with an authority, only the signatures have been notarized.

The agreement is private, but even documents reflecting private agreements usually are notarized in the US, but the documents not deposited with the notary. It would probably be best to get the opinion of some one versed in transnational law who is familiar with these differences, if the readership is US rather than UK and if it seems they might be of importance.