I’ve written several times (Minimizing ‘Alter Ego’ Risk for Irish and Northern Irish Parents of US Affiliates; and Effectively Using a Lightning Rod) about the need for Irish and Northern Irish companies to form a formal US affiliate as part of their US expansion strategy. I know that several US law firms have free online forms libraries/generators for US startups. That got me thinking—where are the free online forms/resources for Irish and Northern Irish companies looking to expand to the US? Well, it’s right here.
Let’s assume that the Irish/Northern Irish company will form a Delaware corporation (which is what I’d recommend in many cases). For a proper/complete formation, the Irish/NI company would need to draft (i) articles of incorporation (to be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State’s Corporations Division); (ii) bylaws; (iii) an initial action/consent of the incorporator; (iv) initial consent of the Board of Directors; and (v) SS-4/application for an employer identification number (to be completed and filed with the IRS). The filing with Delaware requires payment of a filing fee—and a filer can pay more for expedited service and other items; also, since the Irish/NI company is, well, in Ireland/NI, they will have to engage a registered agent (the registered agent serves as a point of contact between the company and the State of Delaware). And, filing can be made directly by the Irish/NI company—no real need to incur third-party filing or convenience fees. Continue reading