August 2011

Joint ventures are widely used in New Zealand business.  The size of our country and constraints on access to capital mean that this type of collaboration is often essential for business expansion.  A joint venture arrangement will typically involve each joint venture partner bringing their respective expertise and resources together for a common business purpose, often exploited through a new company owned by the joint venture partners. A recent decision of the Court of Appeal has highlighted the dangers for joint venture partners in expanding a joint venture business without final documentation or a considered eye for the future.  The case...