We’re excited to partner with Inspire Business Law Group, one of San Francisco’s leading international law firm. Our many international clients will benefit from this partnership, as the complexities of personal and business taxation that crosses borders are only growing. Whether you are a high net worth individual looking for expatriate tax preparation, or a business owner with assets and activities that cross national boundaries, use this post to learn about our partnership. If you’re ready, please reach out for a consultation on your international tax needs.
Introduction
Inspire Business Law Group LLP (“Inspire”), an international law firm headquartered in San Francisco, works closely with Safe Harbor LLP (“SafeHarbor”), a leading boutique accounting firm based in San Francsico, to serve the interests of our mutual business clients. A business transaction, for example an acquisition, reorganization, or joint venture, often involves legal and financial considerations, and therefore the close working relationship of Inspire and SafeHarbor enables them to protect clients’ interests while meeting clients’ goals cost effectively. We serve clients’ needs in the following areas:
- Startups. Silicon Valley and the Bay Area are the leading hub for technology startups. Inspire represents startups from formation through exit, usually by an acquisition, and our services include entity formation, advising on the capital structure, shareholder and investor Issues, setting up the equity incentive plans, advising on seed funding, convertible notes, simple agreements for future equity (SAFEs), Series A and subsequent rounds, intellectual property and data privacy issues, employment matters, contracts, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
- Corporate. Inspire represents companies in a range of commercial transactions. At formation or incorporation, the firm counsels the company on choice of entity, funding, governance, shareholder issues, intellectual property issues, employment matters, and other startup matters. We often draft and negotiate significant vendor and customer contracts, domestic and international, and assist with contract disputes, employment matters, and intellectual property protection.
- Transactions. We are often engaged to advise on specific transactions, such as an investment, joint venture, partnership arrangements, stock redemptions, or corporate reorganizations, or for other day-to-day matters, including corporate governance, contracts, investments, shareholder matters, fiduciary obligations of directors and officers, federal and state securities compliance, and day-to-day outside counsel work.
- Qualified Small Business Stock. A frequent area of coordination between legal and accounting when considering entity formation is the availability of Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). QSBS is a tax incentive providing favorable capital gains treatment at the federal level and sometimes at the state level that encourages investment in small businesses. QSBS has a number of limitations to consider at formation, including that QSBS is issued by a domestic C corporation with gross assets not exceeding $50 million when the stock is issued.
- Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A). A transaction to sell a business to a private equity fund or other financial buyer, or a purchaser in a related industry (a strategic buyer), is one of the most significant transactions a company may face and one which is outside its normal business activities. We assist buyers and sellers in the structuring, negotiating, and closing of the acquisition transaction. Our work includes drafting and negotiating the Stock Purchase Agreement, Asset Purchase Agreement or Merger Agreement and the collateral documents, advising on financing, conducting due diligence, and advising on financing, employment, intellectual property, and tax issues. An M&A transaction involves significant coordination between the legal and accounting advisors, including in such areas as the preparation of the financial statements, the cap table, working capital adjustments, tax issues, and review of the principal M&A documents.
More Information
If you are a high net worth individual or a business with international exposure, reach out to us for a consultation. This partnership gives us leverage into the legal aspects as well as the bookkeeping, financial, tax, and advisory aspects of international business.
