Joint Venture Solicitors

Looking to embark on a joint venture but unsure where to start? At  Wellers, our experienced solicitors are here to guide you through the legal complexities and help you achieve your business goals.

Why Choose Us for Your Joint Venture

  • Extensive Experience: We have a proven track record of advising clients on joint ventures of all types across various industries.
  • Commercial Acumen: Our experience means we zero in on the key issues to ensure  you achieve your commercial objectives and are protected.
  • Comprehensive Services: We offer a full range of legal services for joint ventures, including:
    • Drafting and reviewing joint venture agreements
    • Structuring the joint venture (SPV, LLP, Collaboration Agreement)
    • Addressing intellectual property ownership and licensing
    • Negotiating dispute resolution mechanisms
    • Advising on tax implications
    • Regulatory compliance
    • Exit strategies

Key benefits of a Joint Venture

The most common reasons clients look at joint ventures is :

  • Shared and/or mutually beneficial expertise and resources
  • Access to new markets and opportunities
  • Risk mitigation
  • Enhanced innovation and competitiveness

Key Legal issues to consider in a Joint Venture Agreement

Every JV transaction is different but core issues to negotiate and include in a JV agreement will almost always include :

  • Legal Form – choose the most appropriate structure for your venture (Special Purpose Vehicle, Limited Liability Partnership, Collaboration Agreement). Each has distinct legal and tax implications.
  • Ownership – determine the ownership split between partners and consider issuing different classes of shares with varying voting rights and privileges.
  • Control and Powers – clearly define how decisions will be made, who appoints directors, and how voting rights are allocated.
  • Capital Contributions – establish how much each partner contributes financially and the timing of those contributions.
  • Profit Sharing – define the mechanism for sharing profits and losses, considering equity stakes or other factors.
  • Exit Strategy – develop a clear plan for how partners can exit the venture, including buy-out options, valuation methods, and dispute resolution procedures.
  • IP Ownership – clearly set out who owns existing IP brought to the venture and how new IP created collaboratively will be owned, licensed, or exploited.
  • Protecting IP– ensure adequate protection for all IP developed or used by the venture through patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
  • Tax Implications – understand the tax implications for the joint venture and each partner, seeking professional advice to optimize tax efficiency.
  • Dispute Resolution –establish clear procedures for resolving potential disputes between partners, considering mediation, arbitration, or litigation.
  • Non-Compete Agreements –consider implementing non-compete clauses to protect the joint venture’s interests.
  • Employee Matters – address potential employment issues if the joint venture employs staff.

Please do get in contact to discuss your joint venture, our experience, and why we are a good choice to advise and assist you.