Do I need to register in order to get a commission on a grant or purchase order?
<p>I may be bringing some money in to a startup (up to tens of millions in the form of government grants and/or contracts) and ideally would like a simple contract that says I get X% of what I bring in. But when I mentioned that to the client I was told &quot;We need to figure something out, since you’re not a registered broker&quot;. Apparently I need to register something to have a contract like that. Is that true and if so what do I need to &quot;register&quot; as in order to have such a contract?</p>

<p>You probably need to have a Series 7 broker's license from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and possibly also a parallel occupational license from a state securities regulator if your job is construed as obtaining investment capital. This requires you to pass a quite technical and difficult licensure exam, normally prepared for in a month's long preparation course that covers the relevant laws and regulations and the basic financial concepts.</p>
<p>If the job really is just about helping to secure government contracts, this wouldn't normally be regulated by the SEC, but you would probably have to register as a lobbyist with each of the relevant EU governments, because obtaining a government contract is basically a form of lobbying. If you did the same thing in the U.S. for an E.U. company, you would probably have to register as a &quot;foreign agent.&quot; Most E.U. countries would have somewhat parallel registration requirements.</p>

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