Our Focus

Starting a business requires founders to give careful thought not only to issues that will arise short-term, but legal, regulatory, and sector–specific requirements that they will confront further down the road.  Decisions made at the early stages of a new company can significantly impact a company’s ability to secure financing, attract qualified personnel, and successfully expand its operations.
We represent entrepreneurs and start-up companies based both inside and outside the United States, assisting them in making the right decisions from the outset.  We have training and experience both in the legal and business aspects of company expansion, financing, partnering, and operation, and we provide business–savvy guidance in crafting structures for emerging technology companies.  We also act as outside general counsel to address the myriad issues that confront a growing company, collaborating with our network of colleagues both in the United States and abroad to provide coverage on the full spectrum of legal issues confronting a company.  We help clients manage big law firm engagements and the process such engagements entail cost-efficiently.

Expanding operations to the global marketplace outside U.S. borders requires U.S. companies to navigate not only complex issues of U.S. law but also foreign laws that may not offer the same protections as U.S. law or that impose greater restrictions on a company.  Failure to identify and comply with applicable legal requirements can seriously impede a company’s expansion strategy or make it more costly.   Choices regarding market presence outside the United States can also have significant tax consequences on a company and its affiliates.  The approach for expansion may also impact potential business liability.
We help U.S. companies understand the different alternatives available to them for expanding operations outside U.S. borders. Depending on the objectives of the client, the particular growth opportunity, the sector and market constraints, we analyze the legal consequences of various approaches and, with the assistance of our network of trusted advisors in relevant countries, we reconcile disparate laws and regulations to identify the optimal means for companies to access markets outside U.S. borders.

Off-shore companies seeking to access the United States are often surprised about the complexity of the U.S. marketplace — a marketplace comprised not of a uniform system of laws throughout, but rather of a patchwork of diverse laws, regulations, and practices.  New entrants must meld the laws of their home jurisdictions with complex federal and state laws and regulations in the United States.  It is overwhelmingly the case that the issues about which an offshore company is unaware – and, therefore, which it does not address – are the issues that will create the greatest problems for it in the future.
The size of the U.S. marketplace, its financial resources, and its technological prowess often make the United States one of the most important strategic markets for companies in their global strategy.  We work with multi-national companies in establishing themselves in the United States, through the formation of subsidiaries or branches, acquiring U.S. companies, or expanding distribution channels. We also assist emerging companies based off-shore in accessing venture capital and the capital markets, and in collaborating with technology partners.