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Foreign Direct Investment

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Comprehensive Legal Support For Investors Globally

Ensuring you get the most for your money.

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Our Experience

Focused on the key legal services to help foreign businesses succeed in the U.S., China and Spain: We’ve got you covered.

Harris Sliwoski has the direct investment experience you need. Our Foreign Direct Investment Practice Group includes lawyers fluent in Mandarin Chinese, German, Spanish and French. From food distributors to tech companies to pharmaceutical giants to motorcycle manufacturers, we are able to assist a wide variety of international companies seeking help in the U.S. and in China and in Spain for their demanding and unique legal needs.

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Our FDI Services

  • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of assets
    • Business formation, including alternative business structures
    • Stock sales and exchanges
    • Acquisitions and dispositions of corporate, limited liability entities, partnership interests and joint venture interests
    • Tender offers
    • Recapitalizations and other similar transactions.
    • Counsel for clients on structuring transactions and legal terms
    • Assistance in negotiating transactions
    • Prepare documents to effect the transaction and handle closings.
    • Issuance of stock or other equity to founders and shareholders
    • Buy-sell, voting or other agreements among owners
    • Employment agreements and employee incentive arrangements
  • Venture Capital & Emerging Markets
    • Incorporation, business plan preparation, seed and angel investor financing
    • Venture capital investment
    • Intellectual property evaluation
    • Registration and protection
    • Employment matters
    • Strategic partnerships and business combinations
  • Employment & Labor Issues
    • Employment litigation, claims and settlements
    • Employment policy and compliance
    • Executive and employee work visas

China tax laws

  • Real Estate
    • Financing, acquisition and leasing
    • Zoning, construction and disposition
    • Environmental permitting
    • Redevelopment
    • Property management
    • Property tax appeals
  • Litigation
    • Handling complex cross-border litigation, from pleadings to trial
    • Legal counsel on complex issues, for clients in the U.S and abroad
  • Intellectual Property
    • IP litigation in U.S. federal courts and before the U.S. International Trade Commission
    • Pre-litigation dispute resolution and risk analysis relating to IP issues
    • Trade secret protection and technology development
    • Trademark infringement/non-infringement opinion letters
    • Trademark evaluation and registration
    • IP licensing and assignment
    • Cease and desist letters
  • International Trade and Customs Issues
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Commercial Real Estate
  • Immigration (as a part of the commercial transaction)
  • Tax
  • Banking & Finance
  • Business & Commercial Services
  • Corporate Structuring & Operations
  • Government Affairs
  • Land Use & Environmental

Get Independent and Focused Access to Answers

When it comes to assessing your company’s international legal risks,  Harris Sliwoski is the perspective your business needs.

Get in Touch with Our Foreign Direct Investment Lawyers

Get started by filling out the form, or call 1-888-330-0010 to schedule a free initial consultation.

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Our Clients' Successes

“Harris Sliwoski expertly guided us through the formation of our company. They continue to assist with necessary registrations and compliance with numerous regulations. They were able to promptly answer all our many questions and provide understandable options, explanations and practical advice. We expect to continue to use Harris Sliwoski on a regular basis as our company expands. They were also able to introduce us other professional experts. We would not hesitate to recommend Harris Sliwoski to any companies in need of legal advice.”

user icon Three Continents Foods LLC

This law firm was a huge help as our company went through the process of commercial licensing in the California cannabis industry.  They have helped us with a variety of legal issues in a timely fashion, while clearly communicating with us throughout the process.  Everyone we’ve worked with at Harris Sliwoski is an expert in their field and we have always felt that we were in good hands through our legal representation.

user icon Wil Crummer, CEO PRO Farms

Legal stuff is always scary. And I’ve had to play offense a couple times, begrudgingly. To have Harris Sliwoski have my back? It made things a lot less prickly. They quickly walked me through my options, and were refreshingly consistent in their communications, timing and billing. I’ve been lucky to stay out of the legal side of things my whole career, thankfully. When things went a little wrong, Harris Sliwoski quickly made things right.

user icon Aaron Draplin, Founder Draplin Design Co.

I am impressed with this law firm. They answered all my questions regarding cannabis businesses and the California cannabis framework, and they have helped me with a variety of legal issues in a timely fashion, while always clearly communicating with us throughout the process. They also redirected me to other quality people for my business needs. Everyone I worked with at Harris Sliwoski is an expert in their field, and I was in good hands throughout my legal representation.

user icon Corey T., CEO Thinc Cubed, LLC

I have been working with the lawyers at Harris Sliwoski for more than 20 years both as a business owner and as an executive at a large east-coast health system and that is because they have always efficiently provided high level and clear international law advice. Most recently, Harris Sliwoski provided legal support on many matters related to procuring medical products worldwide. Their support was particularly helpful to during the onset of COVID, when there was a big need for securing PPE quickly, all while navigating complicated international and domestic legal requirements. Harris Sliwoski’s team of international lawyers helped by conducting rapid-fire due diligence on potential suppliers, navigating the legal logistics for getting product from overseas and through U.S. customs, and drafting contracts to protect against various sorts of horribles. They did this by essentially providing what amounted to 24/7 service. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

user icon Dan Pak Hospital Supply Chain Executive

Harris Sliwoski has represented our company in the legal cannabis industry for years. Harris Sliwoski has advised us in a wide variety of legal matters, and they are truly experts in their field. I would highly recommend Harris Sliwoski to anyone with questions about cannabis law, or any legal matters. They have been great for our Company, and will continue to guide us as our industry evolves

user icon Matt Hurt, COO Cannabis Nation

You won’t find a better partner than Harris Sliwoski when trying to navigate the complex world of healthcare regulations.  They not only give sound and reliable legal advice, but they are also very responsive and are able to guide you in a way that helps you reach your business objectives as well.

user icon Joseph Axelrod, General Counsel Irwin Naturals

When we started the process of building a ‘seed to sale’ cannabis company in Oregon, we saw the need for expert legal counsel.  The cannabis sector is fraught with potential peril at every turn, and we wanted the best legal advice we could find.  After talking to several firms and individuals, we feel extremely fortunate to have chosen Harris Sliwoski as our legal counsel.

user icon Tony Theiss, CEO and Co-Founder Redbarn Cannabis 

We use Harris Sliwoski on all our international legal matters, including on our international litigation matters. We have over the last few years been involved in a couple big international legal disputes and Harris Sliwoski’s international dispute resolution team provided us with expert legal assistance on both matters. They were always very careful to explain to us what they were doing and why and what their actions would likely cost us in legal fees. Most importantly, we did extremely well on both cases and I have no doubt Harris Sliwoski was a big factor in that.

user icon Kevin English, CEO We Are Camp

We have used Harris Sliwoski for legal help related to our international manufacturing. The lawyers with whom I worked had extensive familiarity with the international legal issues involved in our various projects and offered us key insights. I particularly appreciated how they always quickly and efficiently do what they say they will do and always within their cost estimates.

user icon Andrea Barona Valladolid, Senior Legal Counsel Fairphone

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is an Example of a Foreign Investment?

Most FDIs fall into three categories — horizontal, vertical or conglomerate FDIs.

A horizontal FDI is an ownership stake in a foreign business that offers the same product or service. For example, a cellphone company in the United States could make a horizontal FDI by purchasing cellphone stores in Spain.

A vertical FDI is one where the company acquires a share of a business offering a related product or service. A manufacturing company in one nation could make a vertical FDI by purchasing a foreign business that procures the materials it needs to produce products domestically.

A conglomerate FDI is one where the business invests in an unrelated company from a foreign country. An automotive company from the United States could create a conglomerate FDI by investing in a restaurant chain, software development company, health care network or any other unrelated business.

What Are the Advantages of Foreign Investment?

An FDI will allow your business to:

  • Expand into a new market by reaching a new audience.
  • Diversify and protect its assets by investing in a new economy or industry.
  • Reduce expenses by moving certain operations to a nation where labor or materials are more affordable.
  • Limit logistics costs by producing goods in or near a nation where you often conduct business.
  • Benefit from lower taxes or real estate prices in a different country.

What Are the Barriers and Risks of Foreign Investment?

Certain obstacles may complicate your foreign investment:

  • Laws and regulations: There may be restrictions on how much money you may invest or the types of investments you can make in a different country.
  • Import restrictions: Some nations may not allow you to import the quantity of material you need for the investment to be financially viable.
  • Taxation: Governments often tax foreign businesses at a higher level.
  • Consumer and market challenges: Your business may need to take extensive measures to localize the product or brand.
  • Control: Your business will have limited control over the management of the business or project.
  • Changes to governments: The political landscape could shift, resulting in laws that are less favorable for your business.
  • Economic shifts: The foreign nation’s economy may decline due to unforeseen circumstances.