Doing Business Globally: Addressing Tax and Legal Challenges

Are you considering expanding your operations overseas? The legal and tax considerations are intimidating but can be strategically managed with careful planning. This program will feature a technical discussion of the key legal and tax considerations of international expansion including form (exports, sales office, distributor, joint venture, subsidiary, etc.), financing, taxation of profits and exit strategy.

Please join us for a lively and candid discussion.

SPEAKERS

Chris Bercaw, Panelist
Partner, Corporate Group, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Mr. Bercaw is based in Minneapolis, leads the firm’s Corporate Group in Minneapolis, and is active in the firm’s International practice. He has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and Latin America, and his practice includes corporate and commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, technology transactions and structuring international operations.

Dan Rosen, Panelist
Senior Manager, M&A Tax, KPMG LLP
Mr. Rosen is a senior manager in the Minneapolis office of KPMG LLP. Prior to joining the Minneapolis M&A tax practice, he worked in KPMG’s Washington National Tax-Corporate tax practice, as well as KPMG’s M&A tax practice in Chicago. Mr. Rosen has significant experience advising corporate and private equity clients on the US federal income tax consequences associated with a wide range of domestic and international transactions, including cross-border tax planning. Additionally, he has assisted clients in obtaining private letter rulings on issues relating to consolidated returns, tax free reorganizations and tax free spin-offs. Mr. Rosen also provides clients assistance with tax due diligence and structuring for potential acquisitions.

J. Robert Paulson,Panelist
President, CEO & Director, NxThera
Mr. Paulson has more than 20 years of experience in the medical device industry. Prior to joining NxThera as its president and chief executive officer in 2008, he was the president and CEO of Restore Medical from 2005 until the company’s acquisition by Medtronic in July of 2008. Mr. Paulson was the chief financial officer and vice president of global marketing for Endocardial Solutions prior to 2005. He also held management positions at Advanced Bionics, Medtronic and General Mills, and practiced law at Lindquist & Vennum.

Matt Lorenz, Moderator
Tax Partner, KPMG LLP
Mr. Lorenz is a tax partner in the Minneapolis office of KPMG LLP. He has more than 14 years of experience, all of which are with KPMG, directing the delivery of domestic and international tax services for a variety of public and private multinational organizations. From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Lorenz was seconded to the U.S. tax group in the U.K. member firm of KPMG International.

Rachel Limón, Panelist
Regional Trade Manager, Minnesota Trade Office
Ms. Limón serves as the director of Study Minnesota and is the regional trade manager for Latin America, Caribbean and Africa. She assists Minnesota companies in identifying and developing export strategies and opportunities in the international marketplace. Through her work at the MN Trade Office, Ms. Limón has led several trade missions, including Governor Ventura’s trade mission to China, and Governor Pawlenty’s trade missions to China, India and South America. She has assisted with Governor Dayton’s trade missions to Japan, Korea, China, and Europe and the Lt. Governor’s recent mission to Cuba. Ms. Limón has several years of international management experience, including working as an international distributor representative for Skyline Displays.

Frank Mortari, PhD, Panelist
Vice President for Corporate Development, Bio-Techne Corporation
Dr. Mortari serves as the vice president for Corporate Development for Bio-Techne Corporation, a Minneapolis-based public company (TECH) with a 40-year history of serving the research life science and diagnostic markets. He is an immunologist from Western University in London, Canada and has done post-doctoral research in neonatal immunoglobulin gene usage as well as in the field of homologous transplantation using benign stem cells from CML patients. Dr. Mortari has worked at Bio-Techne for 23 years in various capacities, including product development in different divisions and for the last 13 years as head of business development. Dr. Mortari leads M&A activities and strategic planning for the corporation.