Specialist legal advice for joint ventures

Joint ventures are being increasingly used as a way for businesses to: expand internationally; achieve funding and synergies; elevate product R&D; access resources and expertise; team up with well-known brands, events and celebrities; and many other uses. Their flexibility, and the wide range of structures available, mean that joint ventures can be designed to meet the needs of both parties while optimising on return.

However, teaming up with another business or indeed any third party can come with inherent risks and challenges. There are many considerations that need to be worked through, particularly when the laws of multiple jurisdictions need to be considered.

Our international and full-service team of lawyers will make sure you establish a venture that will be a success beyond the signing of the legal documentation. We have a pragmatic and commercial approach and, above our legal expertise, we can help support and guide you through the stages of negotiations and process to achieve a successful outcome. We'll ensure both that your business/investment is protected, and that all parties benefit from the arrangement.

We've found Osborne Clarke to be excellent throughout this process. The team has really helped ensure that our interests were protected whilst working through everything very collaboratively.

Chris Lee, Chief Financial Officer at Jellyfish

How we can help you

From conception through to management and beyond, our specialist team can support you with every aspect of a joint venture, including:

  • assisting with both 'incorporated' and 'non-incorporated' (i.e. contractual) joint ventures;
  • advising in the negotiation of your rights and obligations towards the other parties and (in relation to 'incorporated' joint ventures) towards the joint venture itself; 
  • drafting any ancillary agreements necessary to set up and operate the joint venture; and
  • senior strategic support and guidance. 

As always it was a pleasure to work with the technically excellent and highly-commercial team at Osborne Clarke.

Frank Webster, Head of Corporate Development, Founders Factory

Our joint ventures lawyers

Our international team helps businesses across a range of sectors address the legal and practical issues with establishing and operating joint ventures across borders.

Our clients range from large, publicly-listed companies, to smaller privately-owned companies. Whatever your size or structure, or reason to set up a joint venture, we will help you to deliver the growth you are looking to achieve.

As a full-service, international law firm, we can support and advise on all of the issues that need to be considered when you’re establishing a joint venture, including regulation; technology and intellectual property, commercial and contractual arrangements; tax structuring; competition; finance; governance; and employment issues.

Experience

AEG Presents

Advised global live events company, AEG Presents, on its new joint venture with the Eden Project to run the celebrated Eden Sessions series of concerts.

Founders Factory

Advised global venture builder and early stage investor, Founders Factory, on multiple join ventures internationally, including with Rio Tinto, the Government of Western Australia, Reckitt Benckiser, M&S, Aviva, Deutsche Telekom, Nesta, Mediobanca and Fastweb.

Jellyfish

Advised the Jellyfish Group and its shareholders on its innovative investment from French group Fimalac, seeing data-driven specialist Tradelab (part of Fimalac Group), a leading programmatic buyer in Europe and a web analytics and optimisation expert, integrated into Jellyfish.

Internet Matters

Advised the Internet Matters venture on its incorporation and shareholders’ agreement with partners British Sky Broadcasting Limited, British Telecommunication plc, Talk Talk Telecom Limited and Virgin Media Limited, together with multiple rounds of renegotiation and extension of those arrangements.

EE

Advised the UK’s largest mobile network operator on a joint venture with Telefonica and Vodafone to create a mobile wallet platform, as well as on a joint venture with Barclaycard to deliver the UK’s first contactless mobile payment product.

SNCF

Advised Ermewa, the freight asset management subsidiary of SNCF, the French national rail operator, on its sale of 50% of the shares of its wholly-owned locomotive operator Akiem to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, allowing Akiem to improve its fleet and expand further.

NoHo Film and ITV

Advised on the formation of a joint venture TV production backed by ITV Studios, one of the UK’s largest television production companies.

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