Establishing asset holding structures (from holding companies and investment vehicles to trusts and foundations) is a complex process involving numerous external parties - and a great deal of paperwork. Let the experts of United coordinate this process for you. We act as a single point of contact for all parties involved, taking the lead and pressing ahead until the process is complete.

Single point of contact

When we establish an asset holding structure for you, we:

• Advise you on the type of entity you need to structure your assets or operations
• Review the documentation
• Coordinate the process with service providers
• Open an account with our bank or the bank of your choice
• Assist the legal advisor with the actual registration process
• Help nominate a statutory auditor
• Ensure full compliance with the relevant laws and procedures (e.g. substance issues, KYC, ALM)

Alternatively, you can choose just what you need from this range of modular solutions

Once your legal entity has been created, whether it is a company, an investment fund, a trust or a foundation, it will need to maintain a registered office. The baseline services of this office are to house all files and records and receive correspondence. In your particular case, you may want a registered office that can do more – for example accommodate a staff.

Whatever you choose, United can help you meet your legal and practical requirements. If necessary, we can provide an appropriate office environment, complete with office furnishings. Our experienced IT experts can set up and maintain the IT systems you need. And we can provide you with the right people, from secretaries to board members or trustees.

Human resources are key

Do you want board members or trustees who manage proactively? United can provide them. Our picks are well-practised administrators, experts in their fields. They are also formally qualified and approved for regulated entities.

We can usually recruit your trustees or board members from United’s own staff. When an independent individual is required, we recommend proven experts from outside United. Routinely, we analyse your entity’s purpose—and provide the right leadership.

Depending on the complexity of your legal entity, the day-to-day management and administration can be quite time-consuming. United offers the support you need, so you can concentrate on what really matters to you. As your entity’s administrator and corporate secretary, and depending on your needs, we:

• Handle your day-to-day payments and administrative matters
• Prepare and publish your statutory accounts and annual report, in your preferred format (IFRS, USGAAP …), as well as other reports for regulators and other stakeholders
• Assist in the audit of your annual accounts
• Prepare your income tax return and VAT returns (if applicable)
• Coordinate information flows with service providers
• Organise your annual meeting and any extraordinary meetings
• Draft the meeting minutes

Alternatively, you can choose just what you need from this range of modular solutions.

Today, transparency and substance are more important issues than ever. The BEPS project launched by OECD and G20, aimed at protecting tax bases as well as offering increased certainty and predictability for taxpayers, has raised the bar for corporate entities. United is eager to help you in meeting the new requirements.

As an alternative to domiciliation, United Office Solutions offers you “ready-to-go” workspaces, with the widest possible range of complementary support services available on demand. In short, we offer you all you need to start working and do business immediately.

Our workspaces are equipped with state-of-the-art communication and IT solutions. You decide what else you need in terms of furniture and other equipment (telephone, computers, printers, etc.) – and you decide whether to purchase or lease it. A limited number of your subsidiaries can also opt to have their registered office at their parent company’s registered office.

Once you are up and running, United can offer additional support to you and your employees. Our helpdesk can arrange reception services, courier services e.g. to a notary, the apostille etc. or even driver services. Of course we can also arrange for food and beverage if desired.

Your advantages at a glance

• One bill with all charges included
• A customisable office space equipped with everything you need and operating the latest technology
• Option of office sharing with related group companies
• Dedicated specialist support from our helpdesk

United, via its fully-licensed bank in Curaçao, can support you and your activities with a comprehensive range of financial and payment services, including:​

• Commercial financial services
• Private wealth services
• Securities services
• Treasury services
• Carbon services
• Structured finance services

These services supplement our trust activities and makes us a one-stop shop for trust clients.  But we can also work seamlessly with your other service providers, building a relationship of trust with all parties. 

Supporting alternative investment funds is one of our particular specialties. In Luxembourg, we have a dedicated unit for this: United Fund Services. For our financial, legal and IT specialists, the extraordinary deals you chase - and the services you need to succeed - are nothing out of the ordinary. Your story and your needs make sense to us.

Specialist strengths
Our fund services team has a strong track record in:

• Funds of funds
• Private equity
• Venture capital
• Alternative and renewable energy investments
• Real estate
• Distressed debt
• Mezzanine financing

Specialist services
In addition to providing general administrative and secretarial services, we act as your transfer agent and:

• Assist in investment/divestment processes (including brokerage, clearing and settlement of financial market transactions)
• Calculate your fund’s net asset value (NAV)
• Coordinate information flows with your custodian bank
• Handle your subscriptions and redemptions
• Perform Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) verifications
• Process draw-downs (notices, follow-up fund inflow)
• Process distributions (including helping you develop your waterfall distribution model)

Alternatively, you can choose what you need from this range of modular solutions. 

Relocation

As a company or a wealthy individual, you have a global perspective, but nation states still define the legal environment in which you operate. To protect your assets or to improve the performance of your investment, you may one day want to relocate your legal entity (company, investment vehicle, trust or foundation) to another country. But migrating a legal entity is a complex proposition. United can handle your migration for you. Our seasoned experts fully understand the rules and regulations in the new local environment. We have the necessary operational processes at our fingertips and follow through with fully compliant financial and legal solutions that ensure you a seamless experience.

Winding up your legal entity

Your legal entity may at some point need to be dissolved or formally liquidated. This can be a concise or lengthy process, depending on the complexity and financial status of the entity at the time. In every case, United is committed to winding up the process as quickly and efficiently as possible. This service includes every component of the process, from realising any remaining assets and liabilities to arranging for the notarial deed.

United is an authorised escrow agent. Whatever kind of transaction you are engaging in, we can open an escrow account for you, where cash, securities, title documents etc. are held in escrow until both parties in the deal have met their obligations.

Escrow is a very versatile solution used in a wide range of situations, such as:

• International trade finance
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Project finance
• Capital raising
• Litigation settlement funds
• Real estate and construction
• Pension scheme funding

Using our escrow services means that United takes over your counterparty, banking, country and compliance risk. Also, since escrows are non-credit facilities — with no capital costs, low fees and unlimited capacity — they are a cost-effective alternative to credit-based risk solutions such as standby letters of credit.

With United as your escrow agent, your transaction gets settled faster. Our competent and dedicated staff typically get the account set up in 24 to 48 hours. We draw on our range of standard contract templates that are valid under a variety of governing laws and tailor the chosen contract to your specific escrow structure. Our international network guarantees short lines of communication with local parties. The result: a fast and flexible solution that blends seamlessly with your own processes.

Custody

Besides escrow services, United can also offer a longer-term solution for holding assets such as stocks, bonds, precious metals and cash. As your custodian, we guarantee the safekeeping of your assets and perform various related administrative duties, such settling purchases and sales, collecting dividends and coupons and settling withholding tax. Followed, of course, by faultless reporting.

Worldwide, policies are being developed to address the threat of global warming by curbing carbon emissions. A system of emissions trade is now in place in many countries, where companies are given limited emission permits and must offset any excess carbon emissions by purchasing permits (also called carbon credits) from others who have more than they need.

Pioneers

The financial sector was quick to develop innovative solutions to facilitate the trade in emissions rights. Several United people played a decisive role in pioneering the environmental markets and building the carbon business. Today, they are still among the reputable experts involved in the ongoing development of these markets - as well as still being part of our team.

As a carbon credit broker, United identifies and matches potential buyers and sellers. We also organise and manage carbon credit exchange platforms as well as auctions.

In the environmental markets, United can support you with a full range of services: trading and brokering, escrow and financing, clearing and custody. We can help you develop an environmental market strategy and manage your emissions-reduction transactions. We sit down with you to find a structure for your emissions rights that blends seamlessly with your own processes. And we can advise you on the financial aspects of your emissions reduction project.

Carbon funds

One way you can meet your emissions targets is by setting up a carbon fund. This is an investment fund that invests earmarked company money in emissions-reduction projects in developing countries. The projects generate carbon credits, which your company can use to offset its own emissions.

If you are considering setting up a carbon fund, why not talk to United? Not only do we have eminent environmental markets experts, we also have a dedicated team of highly experienced fund specialists in Luxembourg. We sit down with you and discuss your situation in detail. We help you choose the right fund structure and domicile, and can handle the entire process of creating and managing your fund. Allowing you to pursue your business goals.

• Escrow and Custody services
• Brokerage and Clearing
• Trading and Financing
• Carbon Fund services

At United, we understand the complexity of cross-border real estate structures and can offer you a one-stop shop solution. Cross-border (bilingual) communication with asset managers, property managers and authorities, cross-border tax issues, substance and reporting are our daily business. With United as your partner, you can be sure that you make the most of the real estate transfer tax blocker and trade tax benefits.

Our team of professionals has extensive real estate experience in markets around the world. We have a sound knowledge of complex transactions such as large portfolio sales and purchases (both share and asset deals).

Relating to real estate, we can offer you financing services through United Bank and fund services, as well as corporate and administrative services for special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

United manages and administers legal entities that are connected with real estate. Not just the company directly owning properties but also special purpose vehicles such as holding and financing companies. We provide full services for these entities through our own offices, or through our global network if required.