Authors: Becht, Marco; Enriques, Luca; Korom, Veronika

Source: Journal of Corporate Law Studies, Volume 9, Number 1, April 2009 , pp. 171-199(29)

Publisher: Hart Publishing

Abstract:

Following the Centros, Überseering and Inspire Art decisions of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), a thriving market for incorporations has developed in the European Union. Round-trip incorporation is competing with domestic incorporation. Entrepreneurs can set up a shell company in any EU jurisdiction and branch back to their home country to operate a business. The UK Limited Company (UK Limited) is a popular choice in many countries because it is rapidly and cheaply available online with minimum formalities. We have developed a taxonomy for measuring the cost of Limited round-trip incorporation. The cost of setting up a UK Limited is directly observable in the market while the cost of branching is not. We have run field experiments to measure the cost of branching. Our analysis reveals that despite the ECJ rulings, branching remains costly or impractical in many cases. Incorporation agents play an essential role in overcoming the limitations to branching.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2009-04-01

More about this publication?

• The Journal of Corporate Law Studies provides a forum for scholarship on corporate, securities and financial law broadly construed. Thus the Journal publishes articles on subjects as diverse as insolvency and the commercial conflict of laws, in addition to mainstream topics such as directors' duties and financial regulation. The Journal also embraces interdisciplinary work and work in cognate fields.Articles published in the Journal are subject to rigorous peer review. Shorter articles and notes are refereed where appropriate.
  The Journal is published twice a year in June and October.
  The journal will be of interest to academics and practitioners specialising in any of the subjects covered, and also to those with an interest in the strategic direction of the law and the influences which affect it - thus regulators, law and policy-makers, and the judiciary.
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