| What state Incorporates more than a half-million | | | | of Chancery is a 210-year-old business court that has |
| business entities, including more than half of the | | | | written most of the modern U.S. corporation case law. |
| Fortune 500 companies? New York? California? | | | | It is widely recognized as the nation's most |
| Illinois? No. No. No. That state is Delaware. With a | | | | distinguished agency for dispute resolution involving |
| population smaller than 88% of all states, this | | | | corporate litigation. The state legislature takes seriously |
| business-friendly state attracts more corporations than | | | | its role in keeping the corporation statute, and other |
| any of the major cities. Businesses choose Delaware | | | | business laws current. Their unique expertise in, and |
| simply because of their flexible corporate laws, highly | | | | exposure to issues of business law are supreme. |
| respected Court of Chancery, a business-friendly | | | | Currently the Court of Chancery has made docket |
| State Government, and a customer service oriented | | | | information, and pleadings available over the Internet |
| Staff of the Delaware Division of Corporations. | | | | for civil actions filed in the Court. |
| Among the many business-friendly laws, Delaware | | | | Delaware's State Government is business-friendly and |
| does not require corporations to operate in the state, | | | | accessible. The Division of Corporation is in the |
| only to maintain a registered agent, who may be an | | | | forefront of efficiency, and their professional staff |
| individual resident, or an existing domestic corporation. | | | | provides prompt, friendly services to clients, attorneys, |
| Additionally, incorporations typically take 24 hours to | | | | registered agents and others. The office of the |
| process, however there are services that allow same | | | | Secretary of State operates more like a business |
| day, and 2 hour filing. There is no corporate income tax | | | | rather than a government bureaucracy with its leading |
| for corporations incorporated in Delaware, but not | | | | edge technology, and customer-service oriented staff. |
| transacting business in the state. Further, the cost to | | | | Delaware may make sense for large corporations, |
| incorporate is one of the lowest in the country, and | | | | however it may not be worth the effort for small, |
| one person can hold all officer positions of the | | | | privately held corporation who do business in their |
| corporation. Officer names are not required to be listed | | | | home state. Although Delaware does not tax out of |
| in the articles of incorporation. Shares of stock owned | | | | state businesses, taxes must be paid in the state the |
| by persons outside of Delaware are not subject to | | | | business is operating. While incorporating fees are |
| Delaware taxes. | | | | lowest in Delaware, appointing a corporate agent to |
| Delaware maintains a separate corporate court | | | | receive official notices in Delaware may negate any |
| system, called the Delaware Court of Chancery, that | | | | realized costs savings. All factors considered, |
| does not use juries, but only uses judges appointed for | | | | Delaware is a premiere legal home to companies all |
| their expertise in corporate law. The Delaware Court | | | | around the world. |