To successfully compete today, companies need to develop and scale their businesses globally. But in the process they learn that every country presents its own set of unique laws, rules and regulations and business practices.
In order to help clients meet the opportunities and challenges of international expansion, we have created a handy set of global guides that cover the basics companies need to know when doing business in new countries. The Guide to Going Global series reviews business-relevant corporate, employment, intellectual property and technology, executive compensation, and tax laws in key jurisdictions around the world.
With both global experience and local knowledge, we partner with our clients wherever they do business to find solutions and manage their risk in relation to their challenges and objectives. Please see our global locations below.
Our Guides to Going Global focus on practices that are particularly relevant to businesses seeking to expand their operations globally.
The Guide to Going Global – Corporate covers a wide range of corporate issues for companies expanding internationally. Among the topics we cover: establishing a corporate presence and choice of entity; liability considerations; tax presence and tax filings; capital requirements; the formation process; director, officer and shareholder requirements; registration processes; office lease processes; and possible exit strategies.
From corporate presence and payroll setup requirements, language rules, minimum employment rights, business transfer rules, through to termination and post-termination restraints, the Guide to Going Global – Employment covers the complete employment life span.
The Guide to Going Global – Global Equity reviews legal, regulatory and tax issues related to stock options, purchase rights and restricted stock, and restricted stock units relevant for the implementation of equity compensation programs.
Inside Guide to Going Global – Intellectual Property and Technology, we outline crucial aspects of IPT laws in key jurisdictions worldwide, while summarizing some fundamental commercial terms that customarily appear in IPT-related agreements. Each country section also includes a discussion on the enforceability of electronic signatures.
Successful expansion depends in part on strategic and effective tax planning and compliance. The Guide to Going Global – Tax addresses key features of tax laws by jurisdiction, including:
While these guides provide high-level guidance, they are not a substitute for legal advice, and we encourage you to seek advice regarding the specific matters that concern you. If you wish to speak to any of our contributors, you will find contact details under the "key contacts" topic for each guide. Please note that the laws and regulations applicable to these areas of law are constantly changing, and such changes may not yet be incorporated into the guides.
For Global Equity, we have made several assumptions about the stock awards that may or may not be applicable to your company. The assumptions include: (i) the local entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the issuing company; and (ii) the participants are employees of the local entity or the issuing company.
For Intellectual Property and Technology, please note the guide's use of the term "trademarks" also refers to service marks, unless specifically addressed separately. The summary of intellectual property covers only the most commonly used categories worldwide (for example, we have not addressed plant patents). We have also referred to international treaties and conventions with their most commonly used names and not their formal titles (such as the TRIPS Agreement, the Berne Convention, the Paris Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty).
We hope you find these guides valuable, and we welcome your feedback.
