Expanding Your Company Abroad: Managing the Legal Risks

Use these links to jump to different sections:

• The Questions Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Need to Ask Before International Expansion
• Doing Business Outside the State of Illinois Requires More Work
• Find an Experienced International Business Law Attorney

“Sometimes companies just move at lightning speed, and they either knowingly decide that they’re taking a risk, or they naively don’t realize a potential risk is there,” says Terese M. Connolly, an international labor and employment partner with Barnes & Thornburg in Chicago.

Managing risk is the bulk of Connolly’s job as someone who advises companies with workforces in multiple countries. And there’s plenty of it.

“I get a lot of questions from U.S.-based companies looking to expand outside the U.S. They tell me, ‘We just want to test out expanding in this other country. We’re not going to set up an entity there yet; just send one person to test the market,’” she says.

So what is the verdict? Is this OK or not? How risky is it? As with nearly anything in international employment law, “it depends,” Connolly says.

The Questions Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Need to Ask Before International Expansion

“The biggest red flag I see is, ‘I’m just going to send Jimmy over there, and he’s just going to see if we can sell the product,’ versus, ‘Jimmy’s going to test the market and do some real market research and isn’t going to generate revenue.’”

To determine the best approach, Connolly must seek answers to a number of questions:

• What is this person going to be doing?
• Are they going to be generating revenue?
• Are they negotiating and concluding contracts? 

“Depending on the answers, the company might be dealing with a permanent establishment issue, and then we need to bring in a tax attorney to figure out whether there is a tax treaty between the two jurisdictions, et cetera.”

It’s a lot to parse and requires legal due diligence of business operations in the target market.

“Other questions I ask are, ‘What is the purpose of the assignment? How long will the person be there? How will the individual be paid?’ There are a lot of angles to assess; these could involve employment laws, tax laws, corporate laws, and immigration laws. Assembling the right legal team is essential,” she says.

Doing Business Outside the State of Illinois Requires More Work

In short, if your intentions are to test the waters by exploring the international market, scouting locations, talking with potential local partners or customers, and generating general interest, you might be OK from a tax perspective. 

If you’re looking at money/goods changing hands, you probably aren’t without taking other steps. Regardless, there are still employment and immigration issues to figure out. These issues can arise even with short-term business trips.

“There are a variety of ways to structure an expatriate assignment like Jimmy’s, and it is essential to get it right. We have to address under what circumstances that’s doable and get the right team together in order to be compliant with applicable laws,” Connolly says.

Find an Experienced International Business Law Attorney

The law is confusing at the best of times. Add multiple jurisdictions, governments, languages, time zones, and cultural differences, and it’s downright daunting. But international business attorneys like Connolly are up to the challenge. While she has a high-level knowledge of worldwide employment laws, Connolly says she’s constantly in touch with local experts to “sign off on any advice and advise on the more in-depth legal issues.” 

The key with any new business venture or expansion strategy—no matter how excited you are to jump at something—is to press pause and seek legal advice. What you don’t want to do is make too many assumptions or think you can do everything on your own. Getting it right on the front end can save a lot of money.

To further explore these legal issues, see our overviews of international law, business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property law.