Corporate law covers diverse areas requiring specialized expertise. Legal, tax, and notarial guidance is essential for businesses across various stages. This includes company incorporation, contract drafting and review, international expansion, and corporate financing. Experienced legal professionals advise national and international corporations, as well as sole traders and SMEs, on these matters.
As a starting entrepreneur, you have the choice between various legal forms. Amongst others, you can opt-in for a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a private limited liability company or a public limited company. The corporate law specialists at LexQuire are happy to discuss all the possibilities with you. Together with you, they will weigh your notarial, legal as well as fiscal interests regarding international commercial law.
If you are faced with the challenges of international growth, a merger or acquisition or even a restructuring, you should think about the right company structure and legal form. In addition, in the case of a merger or takeover, you must make agreements about cooperation, contribution, profit distribution and termination of the cooperation. There are plenty of corporate legal aspects to weigh in.
LexQuire’s lawyers specialise in corporate and commercial law will gladly assist you, together with our tax advisers and (deputy) civil law notaries. Drawing from this interdisciplinary approach, we can advise you which legal form suits your company best. Here are some example service:
Do you have international ambitions and are you thinking of establishing your business abroad? Then again, you are faced with a number of choices. In that case, it is advisable to obtain timely legal, tax and notarial advice from the top International Commercial Lawyers. It is a good idea to consider both the tax regime and the legal risks and opportunities for your company.
When choosing a legal form, you have more or less the following choices. Common forms include sole proprietorship, general partnership, private limited company, and public limited company. Other options include the foundation and cooperative. Each form has specific rules for liability, taxation, and management structure.
The sole proprietorship is a widely used legal form. In a sole proprietorship, there is no separation of private and business assets. If the company is held legally liable, the entrepreneur is liable with all his assets at stake, including his private assets. The bankruptcy of the company also results in the personal bankruptcy of the entrepreneur.
The general partnership is a legal form where two or more owners (the partners) contribute money, goods or labour. If the partners meet the requirements of the tax authorities, they can each make use of the fiscal benefits for entrepreneurs.
Agreements about the purpose of the general partnership and the liability, powers, contribution and distribution of profits are put into a partnership agreement. It is important that such an agreement is drawn up with well-nigh surgical precision following the highest commercial law standards. Our experienced company lawyers can help you with this.
In a general partnership, all partners are liable with their private assets for possible debts of the partnership. This also applies if these debts are caused by another partner. If the general partnership cannot meet its obligations towards its creditors, the partners are jointly and severally liable for any deficit. The bankruptcy of the general partnership thus can also result in the personal bankruptcy of the partners.
Private limited liability company ( ‘de besloten vennootschap’)
A private limited liability company is a legal entity with capital divided into shares. The shares are not registered. By far, the majority of BVs are in the hands of one person, the director-majority shareholder (or DGA). A shareholder is not personally liable for the actions of the BV.
If the BV can no longer meet its obligations towards its creditors, in principle only the BV is liable. If the BV goes bankrupt, this does not mean that the shareholders or bankruptcy directors will also be entailed.
This can be different if the director has not met his obligations under the articles of association or if he can be held liable for improper management of the BV. In such cases, the director can also be held personally liable for the company’s deficits.
A public limited company is a legal entity with capital divided into transferable shares. The requirements for setting up a public limited company are virtually the same as for establishing a private limited liability company (the BV). However, unlike BV, a public NV has a minimum share capital of € 45,000.
The same rules apply as to liability and the tax regime of an NV. Are you considering setting up an NV or converting your professional partnership or sole proprietorship into an NV? Are you a director of a BV and considering converting the entity to an NV? Or are you otherwise involved with an NV and would you like information about the consequences?
