Last Updated April 12, 2024
What is a Joint Venture Agreement?
A Joint Venture Agreement (sometimes called a co-venture agreement or JV agreement) is a contract between two or more business entities that undertake an enterprise together.
Joining a joint venture can allow professionals from different industries to connect and collaborate to reach a common goal. If your company lacks the resources to expand, this type of enterprise can be a fast and effective way to build your business and access new markets.
With this contract, each member establishes their duties and obligations during the business relationship. The members also detail their contributions to the venture, such as finances, services, or other resources. The agreement describes the purpose of the venture, business management and operations, and terms for dissolution.
What are the types of joint ventures?
You can customise LawDepot's Joint Venture Agreement template for one of two different types of business relationships: a contractual joint venture or a general partnership.
In a contractual joint venture, each member maintains separate accounting records and receives an equal distribution of profits and losses. This type of joint venture may also limit the liability of each member in the event of a dispute. Use this template for most business activities, including those involving research or product development.
In a general partnership joint venture, each member shares the profits and losses of their business. With this type of agreement, the members have unlimited liability regarding the partnership or actions taken by members on behalf of the partnership. This form of partnership usually works well for joint ventures in real estate.
What is the difference between a contractual joint venture and a partnership?
The main difference between these two types of business agreements is the distribution of profits, losses, and liabilities.
Contractual agreements usually limit the scope of their relationship to a single project or a specific duration of time. This type of joint venture often involves competitors (or at least separate businesses in their own right) working together on a short-term, mutual goal.
For example, two construction companies may work together in a joint venture to research and develop a new product: a lighter weight, more resilient building material. They pool their resources together to complete the project, then part ways to market and sell it individually.
In this case, by creating a contractual joint venture agreement, one company does not share the profits of the other. Similarly, each company limits its liability for disputes or damages that may occur as a result of the other company's actions. For example, if Company A leaves out important information in their advertisements, causing inappropriate use of the product and consumer injuries, Company B would not likely be held responsible.
In contrast, each member of a general partnership joint venture commits to the long-term profitability of the business.
For instance, someone who's an expert in the daily operations and management of real estate projects may partner with an individual or organisation that can finance down payments on multiple properties. They work together to buy, restore, and sell old houses.
The parties in this agreement share both the profits from this project, as well as the liabilities. If one party cannot pay off a debt, debt collectors may hold the other party responsible for payments.
How do you write a Joint Venture Agreement?
Although each contract varies depending on the needs and purposes of the parties involved, the information you'll need to write a Joint Venture Agreement includes:
- The primary location of the business operations
- A unique business name for the venture
- Details of the project's scope (e.g., purpose and timelines)
- Member details such as personal information, capital contributions, and obligations
LawDepot's Joint Venture Agreement template also allows you to make decisions regarding:
- Meeting schedules and the weighting of each member's vote
- Business management responsibilities
- Terms for the agreement's dissolution
- Restrictive covenants (e.g., non-competition and non-disclosure)
- Preferred methods of dispute resolution
Including these terms in your Joint Venture Agreement reduces the possibility for conflict by clearly outlining members' rights, responsibilities, and expectations.
How do you structure and manage a joint venture?
Capital contributions (which can include cash, resources, or services) are an important aspect of a joint venture because they typically impact both the structure of your venture and its management provisions.
When drafting an agreement, members of a joint venture must decide the total value of their capital contributions and the weighting of their vote at meetings. Votes can be equal for each member or proportional to their capital contribution. These decisions create a framework for how the business will proceed between the members, including the initial funding, allocation of resources, and decision-making processes.
Once you establish capital contributions and voting guidelines, you must also decide who is responsible for managing the venture. LawDepot's Joint Venture Agreement template provides three options for business management:
- Management committee
- Board of directors
- Individual manager(s)
With a management committee, each member hires a representative to sit on the committee and make authoritative decisions related to the venture on the member's behalf. The benefits of setting up a management committee include the efficient delegation of projects and the facilitation of trust between members, management, and staff.
With a board of directors, all of the JV members collectively appoint directors to sit on the board. Unlike representatives in a management committee, the directors' primary duty is to the venture, not to any individual member.
If your venture doesn't need an entire committee or board, you can appoint one or more managers instead.
How do you address dispute resolution in a Joint Venture Agreement?
Because joint ventures often have a limited life span, it's important to clearly address terms for dissolution and dispute resolution in your Joint Venture Agreement.
LawDepot's Joint Venture Agreement provides two options for dissolving the venture: through either a majority or unanimous vote by the members. If a joint venture wants to ensure the management decision benefits all members, they should seek a unanimous vote. Often, the members agree in advance on a date for the agreement to end (i.e., a fixed-term joint venture).
The members might wish to provide guidelines for competition and confidentiality. Clauses such as a duty of loyalty and confidentiality help protect the business interests of the parties involved, particularly when the partnership involves jointly owned intellectual property.
However, it's important to note that the enforceability of these terms may vary depending on your situation. That being said, including terms for dispute resolution can help members resolve conflicts outside of court.
When deciding whether to resolve conflicts through mediation or arbitration, you should consider who you want to make a final decision: the members of the joint venture, or a neutral third party.
In mediation, JV members hire a mediator to facilitate negotiations but decide the outcome themselves. With arbitration, an arbitrator reviews the situation from both sides and makes a final decision that members must follow.
While the members of a joint venture will likely have each other's best interests in mind, including terms for dispute resolution provides peace of mind in case negotiations turn sour.