US-Based International Advisory
Navigating Global Markets.
Building Lasting Value.
Global Trading Firm partners with ambitious companies to design, launch, and optimize their international operations — from market entry and corporate architecture to cross-border M&A and trade compliance.
0
Years Experience
0
Engagements
0
Markets Served
$0B+
Deal Value
Trusted by leaders in
Technology
Private Equity
Manufacturing
Financial Services
Life Sciences
Consumer Goods
40+
Markets
6
Continents
$2.4B+
Deal Value
About Global Trading Firm
Built on Rigor.
Driven by Results.
Founded in 2009, Global Trading Firm is an independent advisory boutique specializing in the practical, legal, and strategic dimensions of international business. We do not sell financial products — we sell expertise, judgment, and outcomes.
Independent Perspective
We have no financial product sales targets. Our only metric is client outcomes — giving us the freedom to provide genuinely objective advice.
Senior Team Engagement
You work directly with Managing Partners and senior advisors — not analysts. Every engagement is staffed with practitioners who have done the work firsthand.
Execution-Ready Deliverables
Our outputs are built to be acted on — not filed away. Every strategy, structure, or compliance program we design includes an implementation roadmap.
What We Do
Six Practice Areas.
One Integrated Approach.
Every engagement draws on our cross-disciplinary expertise — so your market entry strategy is already tax-efficient, your M&A target is already compliance-screened.
Market Entry & Expansion
Enter New Markets with Confidence
Feasibility studies, go-to-market strategy design, and 90-day execution support for international market entry across 40+ jurisdictions.
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Corporate Architecture
Structures Built to Last
International holding structure design, entity setup advisory, and corporate governance frameworks for multi-jurisdictional operations.
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M&A Advisory
Cross-Border Deals Done Right
Target identification, deal structuring, valuation, and post-merger integration planning for cross-border acquisitions and strategic investments.
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Trade & Compliance
Compliant from Day One
Export control strategy, trade compliance audits, and customs duty optimization to protect operations and reduce duty burden across all trade lanes.
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Financial Structuring
Capital That Moves Efficiently
Cross-border treasury architecture, transfer pricing frameworks, and foreign investment structure design for tax-efficient global operations.
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Strategic Retainer Programs
Always-On Strategic Advisory
Monthly, quarterly, or annual retainer programs for continuous access to senior advisory capacity — from rapid-fire questions to full strategic reviews.
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Selected Engagements
Results That Speak
for Themselves.
We are a trusted partner in transactions and transformations across industries and geographies. All engagements are confidential; selected summaries shared with client consent.
APAC Expansion · SaaS
US Technology Company — 5-Market APAC Entry
A $1.2B US-listed SaaS firm engaged GTF to lead their APAC market entry across Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and India. We designed the market sequencing, entity structure, go-to-market strategy, and partnership framework — delivering full launch in 14 months.
14Months to market
5Simultaneous markets
$180MRevenue unlocked (Yr 2)
Cross-Border M&A · Industrials
European Industrial Acquisition for US Private Equity
GTF was retained by a US mid-market PE firm to identify, evaluate, and structure the acquisition of a German precision manufacturing group. We led target screening, financial modeling, deal structuring, and coordinated legal, tax, and regulatory workstreams across three jurisdictions.
$340MTransaction value
8.4xEBITDA multiple
11Months to close
Corporate Architecture · Family Office
Holding Structure Redesign for $1.8B Family Office
A multi-generation family office managing $1.8B across 12 countries engaged GTF to redesign their international holding structure. We consolidated 34 entities into an optimized 9-entity structure, reducing effective tax rate by 8.2 percentage points and annual compliance cost by 42%.
8.2%ETR reduction
34→9Entity consolidation
42%Compliance cost saved
Founding Team
Senior Advisors.
Practitioners First.
Every partner at GTF spent years inside the industries we now advise — investment banks, law firms, operating companies, and government agencies. We know what works because we have done it.
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Robert Chen
Managing Partner & CEO
Robert has 22 years of experience in international corporate strategy and cross-border transactions. He previously served as Vice President at Goldman Sachs International, leading the firm’s APAC corporate advisory practice. He holds an MBA from Wharton and a BA in Economics from Yale.
Previously: Goldman Sachs International · Booz Allen Hamilton
MH
Margaret Holbrook
Partner, Corporate Architecture
Margaret is a former partner at Baker McKenzie, where she specialized in international corporate structuring, cross-border M&A documentation, and regulatory advisory across 28 jurisdictions over 18 years. She is a member of the New York State Bar and a certified INSEAD executive coach.
Previously: Baker McKenzie · White & Case LLP
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David Kim
Partner, M&A Advisory
David has led over $4.5B in completed cross-border transactions across industrials, technology, and consumer goods. He was formerly Director of M&A Advisory at Lazard, with a focus on inbound and outbound deals across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He holds a JD/MBA from Columbia University.
Previously: Lazard · Citigroup Investment Banking
Deep Collaboration Partners
An Ecosystem
of Excellence.
Our clients benefit not just from GTF’s expertise, but from our relationships with the world’s leading legal, financial, tax, and technology firms. When your engagement requires specialist depth, we bring the right partner into the room.
Deloitte Legal
Legal Counsel
JP Morgan Private Bank
Financial Services
Baker McKenzie
International Law
KPMG International
Tax & Audit Advisory
Control Risks
Political Risk & Intelligence
Marsh McLennan
Risk & Insurance