Mayer Brown provides legal advice at every stage of the joint venture and strategic alliance life cycle, from formation, to navigating issues that arise as the business grows, to exit. Mayer Brown is a global law firm with the interdisciplinary capabilities our clients need to help them establish and grow successful joint ventures and strategic alliances. We understand that any joint venture or strategic alliance requires a sound legal and regulatory framework that accommodates long-term goals and allows the parties to adapt to the unexpected. We have helped our clients create a wide variety of durable and effective joint venture and alliance structures both within a jurisdiction and across borders.
We also have extensive experience advising clients on the many issues that can arise over the life of these relationships and in their resolution. Our joint venture and strategic alliance work spans many different industries including chemicals, consumer products, energy, financial services, food and agricultural, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate and construction, and technology.
In contributing to our clients’ success, our support for joint ventures and strategic alliances includes:
Planning and Strategy
- Defining parties’ roles and contributions
- Structuring to meet the parties’ operational, tax and accounting goals
- Conducting antitrust and other legal and regulatory review
- Reviewing cross-border issues
- IP assessment and planning
- Evaluating third-party rights and restrictions
Formation and Negotiation
- Developing and negotiating term sheets to establish agreement on key business terms such as contributions, ownership and control
- Advising on detailed legal issues, such as mechanics of dispute resolution
- Negotiating contracts that secure commitments, provide options, and align incentives
- Preparing legal documentation as needed to form entities and establish ownership rights
Business Building
- Renegotiating terms as roles and interests change
- Establishing employee benefits and agreements
- Helping to protect, license and exploit developed IP
- Negotiating customer, supplier, real estate and other contracts
- Advising on local and international regulations
- Cybersecurity and data privacy advice
Governance and Disputes
- Advice on ongoing governance
- Helping to define and resolve disputes informally
- Advising and assisting in mediating disputes
- Litigating for parties if necessary
- Evaluating IP rights inside and outside venture
- Resolving employment disputes and commercial disputes
Exits and Monetizations
- Going public
- Adding new partners
- Buying out a partner’s interest
- Selling all or part of a JV or its assets to new investors
- Winding down and distribution of assets
- Bankruptcy and restructuring
