U.S. Market Entry

In my last blog concerning market entry into Silicon Valley by foreign companies, I discussed some of the basic issues and tasks surrounding the effort. As an attorney practicing corporate law and representing technology startup companies, I am often asked to assist in designing and implementing the legal structures that enable a foreign-owned company to access the US market.

There are a number of factors that guide a company’s decision to enter the US market. First, what is it trying to sell? Second, does the company hope to generate its return on investment through a cash-flow from sales, or by building value and ultimately selling the company or taking it public? Third, does it need funding from US private investors? Let’s look at how each of these factors guide entity form.

The first factor focuses on the best method for product distribution. If the company is trying to sell simple, commodity type products using an established distribution network, it may be able to get by with no entity at all. In other words, it can sell its products directly into the US through a distributor or independent sales representative. Even if the product is complex, but does not require a sophisticated domestic marketing, sales, or support organization, an independent sales representative could be used.

Silicon Valley is a magnet for foreign technology companies seeking to expand their offerings into the US market. As a San Jose-based attorney specializing in corporate law, I have seen an uptick in US-based management talent being solicited by foreign companies to help the companies start up their US operations. When faced with the question of what to do, many of the same issues arise in structuring the US market entry of foreign-owned companies.

The first issue is why the company is coming to the United States in the first place. If the company merely wants to sell widgets, it may be able to make do with a simple contractual relationship with a sales professional or distributor. If, on the other hand, the company wants to access US management talent and venture investors, it might look at reorganizing, or flipping-up, its legal headquarters into the US.

The second issue involves taxes. If the company is a mature company and expects to generate significant revenue from its US operations, there are a number of tax planning opportunities that may enable the company to minimize its international tax burden. Understanding the company’s existing structure and its goals, and designing an appropriate corporate and technology ownership and use structure is a necessary task. It can, however, be an expensive undertaking depending on the nature of the company and its products and services.

Articles Posted in U.S. Market Entry

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