A Brief Guide to Italians Doing Business in The U.S.

By Andrew Byer, Esq.

I was fortunate to have grown up in both Italy and the USA as a result of mixed parentage. Growing up bilingual is one thing, but to truly understand two separate cultures is another. It’s about being able to understand that a smirk, the inflection on a particular word or even something as innocuous as the way a “good-bye” is said, can make all the difference in the word.  Over the years I have represented a great many Italians conducting business in the U.S. and have endeavored to use my “bi-cultural” skills in an effort to assist those clients in making their transitions to our culture as painless as possible.

Ever since a guy named Columbus arrived in the New World, Italians have desperately been trying to import their culture to it. While their products have met with great success, the inhabitants of the New World just don’t seem to want to “get it”.  I cannot tell you the frustration that I have experienced over the years trying to make Italian businessmen understand that things just work differently here, especially in my home state of Florida. For example, in Italy, if you shake on something, it’s a done deal. So often, Italians doing business here do not want to understand the importance of having ironclad contracts for everything. And despite the fact that Italians are accustomed to a mind numbing bureaucratic process in their own country, once they arrive here, they don’t understand why Americans make such a big deal out of the smallest legal technicalities.

What I want to impress upon any Italian wishing to do business here in the U.S. is to hire competent legal counsel. Whether it’s me or someone else, I urge you to do so. Please don’t let your ego get in the way and please don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Do not make the mistake of thinking any detail is too small. Too many times I have seen the Italian entrepreneur wishing to expand to our shores pick my brain, then go off and do it all on their own, only to call me when it’s too late to ask for assistance in cleaning up the mess they’ve made. So please, hire a lawyer before embarking on your journey and if possible, hire one who understands your language and your culture.