News from Eurojuris' International Business Group: on the occasion of our next Congress in Milan, the IBG will make the logistical solutions of big companies available for smaller ones. Get ready to learn and meet!
Always thought you were not big enough to use the same techniques as big companies? Think again – Eurojuris and its International Business Group (IBG) is making them available to you.
As the next Eurojuris Congress will open in Milan this month, it will be another occasion to prove the viability of the basic idea behind the network: when put together, small and mid-sized lawfirms can be just as efficient as a big group, and the same goes for their customers. As a network dedicated to putting together smaller structures so they can accumulate the strength of an international network, with the many advantages of a small office that remains close to its customer, Eurojuris targets clients of the same kind.
Although small, they should not be afraid to ask for big solutions. Lorenzo Bacciardi (EJ Italy) has been the head of Eurojuris' IBG for many years now, and his group vows to reach other professionals: “As early as 2007,” he recalls, “I organised the first IBG meeting which was open to Italian companies. More than seventy of them came to hear what we had to say. Since then, the IBG has taken many opportunities to bring lawyers and small to mid-sized companies together. Think about what we organised with Beat Eisner last year in Basel, or what we did in Vienna. This year, we do it again in Milan.”
At the occasion of the yearly Congress, the IBG set up a conference on May 9th starting from 2pm at the Hilton hotel of Milan, where the Congress itself will take place. The topic? How to manage a warehouse abroad. “We had the idea when we realised that many of our clients wanted to export goods abroad but were concerned about the cost and complexity of it: you have to create a branch abroad or create another company in this country... or at least that's what they first thought!” In fact, according to Lorenzo, there is another option that smaller businesses never dare to choose. “Bigger companies are aware that it is possible to own a warehouse abroad and manage it with your own corporate assignees. Smaller businesses think it is beyond their reach, but most of the time it is not true: with the right legal advice, you can make it happen too!”
Lorenzo and the IBG have developed a complete overview of this problem. “It is not always possible,” he explains. “For example, if you plan to also set up a sales department abroad, to make deals directly there, it ceases to be cost-efficient. The right idea is to use your foreign warehouse as a transit place: bring goods there, then take them out, but nothing else!” In this case, it becomes much more competitive. But you need a good lawyer to fix the contractual and fiscal issues. “We will highlight the main pitfalls for you, and what kind of planning you should have in order to avoid most issues. Many companies who attempt such a project are soon disappointed by the taxation, but if you plan correctly you can also avoid this problem. You should also be aware that this is an interesting thing to do only in some countries; you cannot do it everywhere with the same efficiency. We are here to advise you on which location you should choose.”
According to Lorenzo, bigger companies have been using this option for more than a decade. “Our customers are usually not aware of this possibility, or not confident enough. At our conference, we will gather lawyers and businesses. The idea is that, everywhere we go in the world, we should organise a meeting which is open to local business entrepreneurs in order to facilitate contacts between lawyers and potential clients.”
So expect to learn a lot about your own potential in Milan, may you be a lawyer or a client, you will discover one of the many things you can do just the same as big shots!
