20-2-201. Foreign corporations subject to actions.
(a) Any corporation claiming existence under the laws of the United States or any other state or of any country foreign to the United States, or any business trust found doing business in this state, shall be subject to suit here to the same extent that corporations of this state are by the laws of this state liable to be sued, so far as relates to any transaction had, in whole or in part, within this state or any cause of action arising here, but not otherwise.
(b) A corporation or trust having any transaction with persons or having any transaction concerning any property situated in this state, through any agency whatever acting for it within the state, shall be held to be doing business here within the meaning of this section.
[Acts 1887, ch. 226, §§ 1, 2; Shan., §§ 4543, 4544; mod. Code 1932, §§ 8676, 8677; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 20-220.]