Growing your business outside your home country without burning your fingers, with Tom Thorelli, founder of Thorelli & Associates

Earlier this spring (what spring?) we had a lunch with Tom Thorelli, an american lawyer based in Paris. Tom is a specialist in helping companies develop new business in unknown markets, in particular to open up new business in the US, without falling into one of the many legal traps there are. Legal questions are of vital importance in the US and it is not easy to understand for an outsider. It may concern contracts, intellectual property (IP), patents and a host of other things. Tom explains:

The US market in particular, but also other foreign markets, are a challenge. It is easy to make mistakes, to think that things work as “at home” when you do business there. Many business that try and penetrate the US market, or other foreign markets, make simple and silly mistakes that can be avoided. Tom Thorelli has worked with many French (and European) companies to help them get established and win business in the US – without getting fingers burned – by taking the market and the competition seriously, by understanding contracts and legal issues, by knowing how to negotiate, and how to protect one’s interests. Tom will explain do:s and don’t:s based on his practical experiences from helping many foreign companies to success in the US.

Tom Thorelli is founder and managing partner of the Thorelli & Associates Law Firm in Chicago (Illinois). Tom is of Swedish origin (yes, again; I don’t do this on purpose!) and currently lives in Paris. And two days after this Lunch at the Circle event he will try to run the Paris marathon.

More info on: www.thorelli.com. “The law firm has five lawyers, four of which are located in Chicago. The focus of the firm is in protecting intellectual property rights; negotiating contracts; structuring companies; providing a full array of immigration service; and dispute resolution.”