Corporate
Forming and structuring a holding company in Luxembourg
The firm structures your Luxembourg holding company, most often a SOPARFI: holding of participations, organisation of the upstreaming of dividends, group governance and preparation of the transmission, with particular attention to substance and compliance.
In short
A Luxembourg holding company, most often a SOPARFI, groups shareholdings in order to organise ownership, financing, dividend upstreaming and succession. The firm selects the vehicle, drafts the articles and governance, and documents the substance required in the face of anti-abuse rules.
Responsible for legal content: Maître Cora Maglo, Avocate à la Cour, Liste I du Barreau de Luxembourg depuis 2009. · Applicable law: Luxembourg
Holding company structuring lawyer in Luxembourg: key points at a glance
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Fees | Stated fees. Consultation from 175 EUR excl. VAT; holding company structuring on a fixed fee from 1,500 EUR depending on the complexity of the group and the scope of substance. Everything is quoted before any engagement. |
| Indicative timing | Forming a holding company is comparable to forming a SARL or an SA; putting substance and governance in place is planned over time. |
| Documents required |
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| Deliverables |
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A well-designed holding company is a tool for ownership, financing and transmission: the choice of vehicle, the quality of the articles of association and the organisation of dividend upstreaming determine both the efficiency of the structure and its security against anti-abuse provisions.
Cerno Law Firm designs and structures your Luxembourg holding company, organises its governance and documents its substance, coordinating with your tax advisers where the matter requires it.
Holding company structuring lawyer in Luxembourg: when should you call on the firm?
You hold, or are about to hold, participations and wish to consolidate them under a Luxembourg holding company to organise ownership, financing and transmission.
A poorly structured holding company, or one lacking real substance, exposes the structure and its advantages to the first audit.
What happens if you do nothing?
An unsuitable vehicle, generic articles of association, poorly organised dividend upstreaming, insufficient substance, exposure under anti-abuse provisions (parent-subsidiary regime, abuse of law, ATAD I and II).
A shell holding company, without governance or real means in Luxembourg, weakens the ownership chain and the transmission it is meant to secure.
How does the firm step in?
Choice and formation of the vehicle (most often a SOPARFI), drafting of the articles of association and the governance, organisation of dividend upstreaming and preparation of the transmission, with a documented substance file.
Cerno is a law firm admitted to the Luxembourg Bar; its digital tools only simplify information gathering, qualification of the matter and tracking of requests, never replacing the lawyer's advice. The lawyer designs and validates the structuring, coordinating with your tax advisers where needed.
Practice areas
When to call on the firm
- Consolidate participations under a Luxembourg holding company.
- Organise dividend upstreaming and group financing.
- Structure governance and intercompany flows.
- Prepare the transmission of an estate or a group.
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A simple, transparent process supervised by a lawyer admitted to the Luxembourg Bar.
Today, most cases can be initiated entirely online. Our digital tools streamline administrative steps so the lawyer can focus on the legal analysis of your situation.
Step 1 of 5 · 3 to 5 minutes
Describe your need
Select your issue, answer a few simple questions and share your documents if needed.
What you get
- Initial qualification of the case
- List of useful documents
- Secure transmission
What reassures our clients
Confidentiality
Lawyer’s professional secrecy.
Speed
Start your case online 24/7.
Transparency
Fees communicated before engagement.
Expertise
Review by a lawyer of the Luxembourg Bar.
Simplicity
Under 5 minutes to open your case.
Stated fees
Consultation from 175 EUR excl. VAT; holding company structuring on a fixed fee from 1,500 EUR depending on the complexity of the group and the scope of substance. Everything is quoted before any engagement.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a Luxembourg holding company necessarily a SOPARFI?
Most often, yes: the SOPARFI is an ordinary commercial company (SARL or SA) whose purpose is the holding of participations and which benefits from the parent-subsidiary regime. The firm guides you towards the vehicle suited to your project.
Why is substance essential?
Without real substance (registered office, governance, means and local decision-making), the advantages of the structure can be challenged, in particular under the anti-abuse rules in force (abuse of law, ATAD I and II). The firm documents the substance of your holding company.
Does a holding company facilitate transmission?
Yes: consolidating participations under a holding company makes it possible to organise governance, flows and transmission more clearly. The firm structures the arrangement to that end.
Is Cerno a holding company formation software?
No. Cerno is a law firm admitted to the Luxembourg Bar. The digital tools facilitate information gathering, but it is the lawyer who designs and validates the structuring of the holding company.
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Founded in 2013; Maître Cora Maglo has been admitted to the Luxembourg Bar since 2009
- 2013
- independent firm
- 2009
- at the Bar since 2009
- 4,7/5
- 81 Google reviewsRead reviews
Expertise & authority
Ongoing review and analysis of Luxembourg and European case law
Avocate à la Cour, List I of the Luxembourg Bar since 2009
Trained at the London School of Economics, formerly at Clifford Chance and Bonn Steichen & Partners
Member of international networks: EILN, AEA, Cross Border Advisory Solutions
Every matter handled and approved by a lawyer admitted to the Bar
Support in French and English
Testimonials
What our clients say
Selected excerpts from public reviews. Consult the Google listing for all ratings and comments; a testimonial does not guarantee a legal outcome.
Had a consultation with Me Cora Maglo about my Luxembourg Blue Card application. She explained everything clearly: the process, timeline and documents I need, and helped me with my wife’s family reunification too. Honest and practical advice. I felt confident after talking to her.F. P.J’ai beaucoup apprécié le service de Maître Maglo : son sérieux, sa sympathie, son professionnalisme et sa disponibilité. Toujours répondu rapidement et clairement, avec des conseils pragmatiques, sans pousser à des procédures longues et coûteuses lorsqu’elles ne sont pas justifiées.N. W.Super assistance and great support! Highly recommend. All my questions were answered, Cora and her team kept me updated all the time. I will definitely reach out to them next time for my residency.T.They talk about us
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- Response within 48 working hours
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