Joint Ventures

In today’s business environment, it may become necessary for companies to enter into co-operations with other market actors. One way in which a company can achieve this is by entering into strategic joint ventures with others.

There are many forms of joint ventures: The parties may share expertise, know-how and other assets on the basis of a simple contract. The parties may enter into an agreement to collaborate, or they may establish and pool resources into a jointly owned business. In the latter case, it is essential that there are supplementary agreements relating to the respective rights and duties of the parties such as management, financial contributions and profit sharing.

A joint venture arrangement may be project-based or open-ended. To ensure smooth operations, it will be key to tailor the structure and contractual agreements to the individual needs of the joint venture partners. In particular, the parties should provide for a legal framework to safeguard the individual investments during the joint venture and to protect the interests of each party in case the co-operation will be terminated.

We advise our clients in every phase of a joint venture, ranging from the preparation and implementation of a joint project to a possible termination of the co-operation.

Our legal services include in particular:

• preparing and structuring of joint ventures and other business co-operations
  
  
• drafting and negotiating of joint venture agreements
  
  
• advice and representation in the event of disputes and judicial proceedings between joint venture partners
  
  
• formation and management of joint venture companies
  
  
• exit strategies for the purpose of terminating an existing joint venture
  
  
• solving deadlock and impasse situations in jointly owned businesses
  
  

Our transaction management is adjusted to your requirements and we provide a flexible, adaptable service. Our transaction teams are tailored in terms of size, sector focus and geographic focus to ensure the most cost-effective solutions.  

Where necessary, our lawyers draw on support from specialist practice groups within the firm such as tax, employment, real estate, intellectual property, information technology, competition and anti-trust.

Our experience:

• Advising the German casual games market leader on its joint venture with a Dutch provider of online games
  
  
• Advising a German publishing house on its joint venture with a media company for venture capital financing of young media enterprises
  
  
• Advising a joint venture between a marketer of sport rights and a major product placement company
  
  
• Advising a medium-sized German producer of displays and office supplies on a joint venture for marketing and sales purposes in the U.S.
  
  
• Advising a real estate investor on its joint venture with a German project developer
  
  

Back to main Hamburg office page