Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Joint venture definition

What does Joint venture mean? In legal practice, a joint venture is a collaborative arrangement in which two or more parties pool assets, finance, IP or know‑how to carry on a specific project or an ongoing business, sharing control, risks, profits and losses (including equity and revenue where an entity is formed). It is a descriptive term rather than one defined by statute across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, though used in competition, tax and accounting contexts. Structures commonly include: (i) an incorporated joint venture (usually a private company limited by shares) with rights documented in a shareholders’ agreement and...

Cross-border joint ventures: initial legal considerations on due diligence, preliminary agreements, exclusivity/good faith, choice of jurisdiction, JV structures, local ownership and documentation

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate expert

Practice notes

With appreciation to other contributors from Squire Patton Boggs’ offices across its global network.

Cross-border JVs

There is no universal model for creating cross-border Joint ventures (JVs) (that is, where one or more JV parties are based outside the UK and intend to form a JV outside the UK). Ultimately, the agreement’s terms must capture the parties’ commercial bargain.

That said, the legal considerations outlined in this and the accompanying Practice Notes—Cross-border joint ventures—taxation and funding issues, Cross-border joint ventures—management and control, and Cross-border joint ventures—termination (together, the Cross-border Joint Venture Practice Notes)—may influence both the jurisdiction selected for the JV entity and the commercial deal itself. These factors should therefore be reviewed at the earliest opportunity to give the JV the best chance of success.

Even where a joint venture agreement (JVA) is governed by a familiar law, such as English law, establishing a cross-border JV can still produce unexpected and unfamiliar issues. Each topic is addressed only at a high level, and specific local legal advice should always be obtained when entering into, or dealing with, matters in an unfamiliar...

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Matthew Powell

Squire Patton Boggs

Matthew Powell is an experienced M&A lawyer with an extensive background in all forms of corporate advisory work, particularly focusing on the energy sector and cross-border work. His experience includes joint ventures, farm-in arrangements, public and private acquisitions and equity capital raisings. Matthew is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, and is recommended in the 2013 edition of Legal 500 for his work in oil and gas transactions.Specialises in Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Capital Markets, Corporate Governances, Emerging Markets, Energy...

Jayson Marks

Squire Patton Boggs

Jayson Marks is a Corporate partner, specialising in public and private M&A, equity investments and joint ventures, IPOs, secondary fundraisings and other equity capital markets transactions on AIM and the main market. Jayson has over 20 years of experience advising on a broad range of corporate transactions and across various jurisdictions and industries, including natural resources, financial services, commodities and shipping. ‘Jayson Marks is an excellent lawyer, both technically and commercially, and additionally has great knowledge of our sector. He understands our business, provides excellent, commercial advice, as well as being very responsive and easy to deal with.’ Legal 500 2025 ‘Jayson Marks is extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and commercial. He is easy to work with and knows which areas of a transaction involve risk and focus. Would always recommend him.’ Legal 500 2025...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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