What do you call two companies that are owned by the same company?
Christopher Ramos
Updated on March 28, 2026
A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two subsidiaries that belong to the same parent company are called sister companies.
What is a sister entity?
Sister companies are subsidiaries that are related to one another by virtue of the fact that they share a common parent entity. Each sister company operates independently from the others, and in most cases, they produce unrelated product lines.
Is a sister company an affiliate?
Companies are affiliated when one company is a minority shareholder of another. For example, executive officers, directors, large stockholders, subsidiaries, parent entities, and sister companies are affiliates of other companies.
Are parent companies liable for subsidiaries?
Basic Legal Rule: Limited Liability In most cases, the parent company is not liable for the subsidiaries’ actions. This basic level of liability protection is what has led to so many companies establishing a parent-subsidiary relationship.
What does Affiliates mean legally?
The legal definition of “affiliate” applies to business and retail relationships. Affiliates are organizations, individual persons, or business concerns that are controlled by a third party or each other. Affiliates often have the following: Shared management or ownership.
Can a subsidiary sue on behalf of a parent company?
Key Takeaway: A parent company does not have standing to bring a copyright infringement suit on behalf of its subsidiary. A parent company cannot sue on behalf of its subsidiary, the court said.
How are sister companies related to one another?
Sister Company Sister companies are subsidiaries that are related to one another by virtue of the fact that they share a common parent entity. Each sister company operates independently from the others, and in most cases, they produce unrelated product lines. In rarer cases, sister companies are direct rivals who operate in the same space.
What happens when a sister company joins forces?
This helps each sister reach distinct markets, thus boosting their individual chances for success. There are exceptions to this rule, however, when sister companies join forces. This may entail consolidating marketing desks or offering one other special pricing on their respective inventories.
How are subsidiaries obtained from the parent company?
Subsidiaries may be obtained through acquisition by the parent company. In other cases, a company creates one or more subsidiaries to segment its business more efficiently. A subsidiary functions as a separate legal entity rather than a division of the parent company.
What’s the difference between a subsidiary and a daughter company?
A subsidiary functions as a separate legal entity rather than a division of the parent company. It is sometimes referred to as a daughter company. It is possible for a subsidiary company to control its own set of subsidiary companies.