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Where do firms incorporate? Deregulation and the cost of entry

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  • Marco Becht
  • Colin Mayer
  • Hannes F. Wagner

Abstract

We study how deregulation of corporate law affects the decision of entrepreneurs of where to incorporate. Recent rulings by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) have enabled entrepreneurs to select their country of incorporation independently of their real seat. We analyze foreign incorporations in the U.K., where incorporations of limited liability companies can be arranged at low cost. Using data for over 2 million companies from around the world incorporating in the U.K., we find a large increase in cross-country incorporations from E.U. Member States following the ECJ rulings. In line with regulatory cost theories, incorporations are primarily driven by minimum capital requirements and setup costs in home countries. We record widespread use of special incorporation agents to facilitate legal mobility across countries.
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Suggested Citation

  • Marco Becht & Colin Mayer & Hannes F. Wagner, 2008. "Where do firms incorporate? Deregulation and the cost of entry," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/13306, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/13306
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    Cited by:

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    2. Goethner, Maximilian & Hornuf, Lars & Regner, Tobias, 2021. "Protecting investors in equity crowdfunding: An empirical analysis of the small investor protection act," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    3. Luc Renneboog & Peter G. Szilagyi & Cara Vansteenkiste, 2017. "Creditor rights, claims enforcement, and bond performance in mergers and acquisitions," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(2), pages 174-194, February.
    4. Renneboog, Luc & Szilagyi, Peter & Vansteenkiste, Cara, 2017. "Creditor rights, claims enforcement, and bond returns in mergers and acquisitions," Other publications TiSEM ef3ad779-66b4-4fca-a8e8-7, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Jodie A. Kirshner, 2009. "A Third Way: Regional Restructuring and the Societas Europaea," Working Papers wp385, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    6. Djankov, Simeon, 2008. "The Regulation of Entry: A Survey," CEPR Discussion Papers 7080, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Chris Mallin & Kean Ow-Yong, 2010. "The UK Alternative Investment Market – Ethical Dimensions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(2), pages 223-239, September.
    8. Bracht, Felix & Mahieu, Jeroen & Vanhaverbeke, Steven, 2023. "The signaling value of legal form in debt financing," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121335, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Felix Bracht & Jeroen Mahieu & Steven Vanhaverbeke, 2023. "The signaling value of legal form in debt financing," CEP Discussion Papers dp1914, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    10. Andrea Zorzi, 2016. "A European Nevada? Bad Enforcement As an Edge in State Competition for Incorporations," Working Papers 2016:12, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    11. Loureiro, Gilberto, 2010. "The reputation of underwriters: A test of the bonding hypothesis," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 516-532, September.
    12. Christa Hainz & Lars Hornuf & Lars Klöhn & Björn Brauer & Felix Ehrenfried & Gerrit Engelmann, 2017. "Praxiserfahrungen mit den Befreiungsvorschriften des Kleinanlegerschutzgesetzes," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 78.
    13. Gerner-Beuerle, Carsten & Mucciarelli, Federico M. & Schuster, Edmund & Siems, Mathias, 2018. "Why do businesses incorporate in other EU Member States? An empirical analysis of the role of conflict of laws rules," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 14-27.
    14. Eidenmüller, Horst & Engert, Andreas & Hornuf, Lars, 2015. "Where do firms issue debt? An empirical analysis of issuer location and regulatory competition in Europe," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 103-115.
    15. Luboš Smrčka & Dagmar Čámská & Markéta Arltová & Jan Plaček, 2017. "Charakteristiky insolvenčních řízení společností s virtuálními sídly [Characteristics of Insolvency Proceedings of Enterprises with Virtual Address]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2017(3), pages 287-300.
    16. Divanbeigi,Raian & Ramalho,Rita, 2015. "Business regulations and growth," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7299, The World Bank.
    17. Susanne Prantl & Frederik Thenée, 2017. "Incorporation Decisions and Job Creation in New Firms," Working Paper Series in Economics 91, University of Cologne, Department of Economics.
    18. Felix Bracht & Jeroen Mahieu & Steven Vanhaverbeke, 2022. "The signaling value of legal form in debt financing," POID Working Papers 052, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    19. Ben Arfa, Nouha & Karmani, Majdi & Labaronne, Daniel, 2017. "Antecedents of hedge fund activism in French listed target firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1315-1326.
    20. Peter J. Stauvermann & Ronald R. Kumar, 2022. "Does more market competition lead to higher income and utility in the long run?," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(3), pages 761-782, July.
    21. Ronald R. Kumar & Peter J. Stauvermann, 2020. "Economic and Social Sustainability: The Influence of Oligopolies on Inequality and Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-23, November.
    22. Maximilian Goethner & Lars Hornuf & Tobias Regner, 2020. "Protecting Investors in Equity Crowdfunding: An Empirical Analysis of the Small Investor Protection Act," Bremen Papers on Economics & Innovation 2008, University of Bremen, Faculty of Business Studies and Economics.
    23. Lars Hornuf, 2015. "Barbara Gabor: Regulatory competition in the internal market: comparing models for corporate law, securities law and competition law," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 179-182, August.
    24. Bracht, Felix & Mahieu, Jeroen & Vanhaverbeke, Steven, 2024. "The signaling value of legal form in entrepreneurial debt financing," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 39(3).
    25. Njoya, W., 2010. "Employee Ownership in the European Company: Reflexive Law, Reincorporation and Escaping Codetermination," Working Papers wp416, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.

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    JEL classification:

    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law

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