In today’s increasingly regulated global business environment, having specialized corporate legal support is no longer optional, it is essential. Companies operating across multiple countries face complex compliance requirements, varying regulatory frameworks, and evolving risks. At Ongresso, we act as your one-stop shop for legal, compliance, and market-entry support across Latin America, helping you build a strong and secure foundation for sustainable growth.
Before exploring the solutions, it is important to understand the consequences of expanding without proper legal oversight. Many international companies underestimate the regulatory differences between countries, especially in highly regulated regions like Latin America.
Without preventive legal guidance, businesses are frequently exposed to:
Penalties and sanctions from local authorities
Labor claims due to misclassification or contract errors
Contract disputes resulting from inconsistent or non-compliant terms
Regulatory breaches that delay operations or generate financial losses
These risks often appear silently in the background and escalate only once the company has already committed resources. Preventive legal support helps avoid costly corrections later.
Each stage of expansion brings its own legal obligations. Understanding these areas is essential to building a secure corporate structure that can operate confidently across borders.
1. Entity Formation and Corporate Changes. Choosing the right legal entity determines taxation, liabilities, reporting obligations, and operational flexibility. Maintaining updated corporate records is also mandatory in many Latin American jurisdictions. A strong corporate structure protects your assets and ensures compliance from day one.
2. Intellectual Property Protection. In a global economy, your brand, products, and innovations are valuable assets. Registering trademarks, patents, and copyrights prevents unauthorized use and strengthens your competitive advantage. Many companies overlook this step and face disputes that could have been easily avoided.
3. Regulatory Compliance. Tax, labor, commercial, and data-protection regulations vary widely across countries. Staying compliant requires ongoing monitoring and expert interpretation. Failure to do so can result in audits, fines, and operational delays.
4. Audits and Legal Due Diligence. Whether entering a new market, acquiring a company, or opening a subsidiary, due diligence ensures that risks are identified early. It provides clarity on liabilities, contractual obligations, and regulatory gaps, allowing companies to make informed decisions before moving forward.
Real-World Case Based on Regional Studies
Recent analyses show that sanctions, audits and corporate investigations in Latin America have increased significantly, especially in highly regulated sectors. For example, a 2024 compliance report by Hogan Lovells, published in Lexology, indicates that only three corporate enforcement actions involving Latin America represented 52% of all monetary fines issued under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in 2024, including a single penalty of nearly USD $662 million (Hogan Lovells, 2024; Civic Research Institute, 2024).
This uptick in regulatory scrutiny has resulted in many multinational companies facing fines, temporary suspensions or legal remediation processes because they failed to adapt their operations to local legal frameworks. The studies show that the absence of legal due diligence and the lack of specialized expansion-support remain recurring factors in these incidents.
Legal compliance is not a one-time requirement, it is an ongoing strategic commitment. For companies expanding internationally, the following actions are essential:
Conduct regular evaluations of the legal and regulatory landscape in every country where you operate.
Partner with legal providers that offer both local expertise and international perspective.
Anticipate risks and act proactively, rather than waiting for audits or crises.
Ensure that legal processes are integrated into your broader expansion and operational strategy.
If your company is expanding; or already operating, across Latin America, Ongresso can support you with expert legal, compliance, and market-entry solutions. Schedule a personalized consultation with us and protect your business with the right structure from the very beginning.