Joint ventures: what to consider in a transfer?

A party in a joint venture (JV) may wish, for various reasons, to dispose of their interest in the JV. Typically, when setting up an agreement the parties involved will want to ensure that there are restrictions around the circumstances in which a party may dispose of its interest. This is to ensure that the other parties retain a degree of control over who is involved in the JV, and to protect the future viability of the JV. Key areas to think about when putting these controls in place include:

• Permitted transfers. It is often the case that the JV documentation will contain a general prohibition on transfers other than in specific permitted circumstances. This is to allow a degree of flexibility for the parties by allowing them to, for example, transfer within the group.

• Pre-emption rights. Where transfers are permitted, should the transferring party first be required to offer its interest to the remaining parties?

Drag-along and tag-along sales

When considering a transfer you need to take into account the structure of the JV. Depending on the number of parties to a joint venture and the size of their respective interests, it may not be appropriate for all parties to benefit from both drag-along and tag-along rights. Consideration will also need to be given to the nature of the JV and the extent to which it relies on the assets or skills of one or more of the parties being involved.

The above is a summary of transfer considerations. For details on other key considerations when entering into a joint venture please refer to our guide 'Joint ventures: what are the key considerations when entering into a Joint Venture'.