Establishing a UK Presence - A Practical Legal Guide for International Businesses

Introduction

This 4-part modular box set webinar will provide you with a guide on how the legal system in England operates.

It is aimed at those based outside of the UK with an interest in the English legal system relating to company law.

What You Will Learn

This webinar series will cover the following:

Module 1 - How the Legal System in England Operates - (30 minutes)

• The distinction between different types of law (criminal and civil)
• The structure and operation of the courts and tribunals system
• What is meant by case law, precedent and legislation
• An overview of the rules and presumptions used by courts when interpreting statutes
• Arbitration as an alternative to litigation
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (mediation) as an alternative to litigation

Module 2 - Establishing a Presence in the UK - (30 minutes)

This module will analyse the three common ways of establishing a presence in the UK; either by incorporating a UK private limited company as a subsidiary of an overseas parent, by setting up a UK branch of an existing non-UK entity or by acquiring an existing UK company, and will cover the following:

• Why London is a popular choice of location for a business
• The distinction between a private limited company and a UK establishment (branch) and the benefits and drawbacks to each method of establishing a presence in the UK; and
• Alternatives to these methods
• It will also cover the new requirements on establishments in the UK under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

Module 3 - Incorporating a UK Private Limited Company as a Subsidiary (& the Tricky Elements of Form IN01) - (30 minutes)

This module will analyse how to create your own private limited company as a subsidiary (for example of an overseas parent).

Some of the key elements involved in incorporating a UK private limited company, including the more complex elements of the Form IN01 will be explored as follows:

• Name restrictions - including new restrictions under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023
• Exemption from using Limited/Ltd
• What is a SIC Code?
• Which articles of association should I select (and what are the /Model Articles/)?
• What is entrenchment?
• Who are the officers and what is identity verification?
• What is a Section 243 exemption?
• What is a statement of guarantee and when do I need to complete it?
• Consent to act - what do I have to do?
• What is the statement of compliance and why do I have to confirm future activities of the company will be lawful?
• Checklist pointers

Module 4 - People with Significant Control - The Latest Position for Compliance - (1 hour)

This module will cover the PSC Register requirements brought about by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act, amended by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in order for you to ensure your clients remain fully compliant with the legislation.

This module will include a focus on the implications for being an overseas parent company owner and will cover the following:

• Definition of PSC (and identity verification requirements)
• Areas of complexity including indirect ownership, overseas companies, trusts and joint arrangements
• Steps a company must take to identify PSCs
• Filing requirements (and relevant changes since the 4th Money Laundering Directive and the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act)
• Compliance suggestions/practical tips
• Consequences of non-compliance

This pre-recorded webinar will be available to view from Monday 2nd March 2026

Alternatively, you can gain access to this webinar and 1,900+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email webinarsubscription@mblseminars.com for more details.