Introduction and welcome: 9.30 - James Wilkinson

Icebreaker session: 9.35

Session 1: 9.50 - 11.00  

What is a joint venture and why are joint ventures necessary? - James Wilkinson

  • The benefits of joint venture partnerships and common imperatives 
  • Why and when you want a joint venture partner, e.g.:  to provide: 

- risk capital 
- the necessary land and/or rights 
- better funding arrangements 
- the requisite expertise 

  • Introduction of the case study on the Coffee Cup Building 

Joint venture structures – partnerships; limited liability partnerships; limited liability companies; complex tax aspects - Matthew Evans & Tom Baxter

  • Possible structures: 

- partnerships 
- limited liability partnerships 
- limited liability companies 
- contractual joint ventures 

  • Tax aspects of the joint venture structures 
  • Wider market conditions  

Break: 11.00 - 11.30

Session 2: 11.30 - 13.00  

Preliminaries – including heads of terms; confidentiality agreements; due diligence - James Wilkinson & Matthew Bowen

  • Heads of terms 
  • Effect of subject to contract 
  • Confidentiality agreements 
  • Due diligence 
  • Negotiation 

Documentation Part I – including development, property management and asset management agreements - David Stokes  & Charlotte MacArthur

  • Development agreement 
  • Property management agreement 
  • Asset management agreements 

Break: 13.00 - 13.30

Session 3: 13.30 - 15.00  

Documentation Part II – including shareholders’ and partnership agreements; Articles of Association; business plans - Matthew Bowen & Matthew Evans

  • Shareholders’ agreement / partnership agreement 
  • Articles of Association 
  • Business plan 
  • Key issues to address in documentation: 

- Rights and obligations including allocation of risk and responsibilities 
- Target investors and how to align objectives, business plans and financial management for a win-win outcome 
- Recruiting expertise and putting together a suitable management structure for this joint venture and not just any joint venture 
- Approaches to accessing funding or funding on better terms 
- Working out the risk vs reward split 
- Decision making and profit distributions, leadership, management and governance 

Break: 15.00 - 15.30 

Session 4: 15.30 - 16.30 

Common pitfalls – including what happens if more funding is required; introducing new JV partners to the arrangement; share transfers - James Wilkinson

  • What happens if more funding is required? 
  • Introduction of a third joint venture partner to the case study to provide more funding 
  • New partner promotes 
  • How do share transfers work in the context of joint ventures, permitted transfers, pre-emption rights, first offer rights, first refusal rights, change of control, drag and tag 

Exit/deadlock – including the risks of going and the risk of not going; remedies and resolutions in deadlock; sale of assets; distribution of assets - James Wilkinson & Matthew Bowen 

  • The risks of going and the risks of not going 
  • Deadlock, remedies and resolutions 
  • Put and call options 
  • Dealing with partnership disputes 
  • Sale of assets/distribution of assets 
  • Dealing with conflict and working out routes of exit: 

- Termination for cause 
- Termination for convenience 

Briefing/Questions: 16.30 - 17.00 - James Wilkinson