Where a joint venture agreement is governed by English law and any partner is overseas, yes, each overseas party will normally be asked to appoint a process agent. Joint ventures run on formal notices and, when they break down, on speed, and every partner wants a dependable route to serve the others.
The lifecycle of a JV needs valid service
Funding calls, reserved matter notices, deadlock procedures, default and compulsory transfer provisions: the machinery of a joint venture operates through notices whose validity can be everything. Where partners sit in different jurisdictions, the agreement names an agent for each overseas party so that machinery cannot be jammed by arguments about delivery, and so proceedings can be started domestically if the relationship fails.
Cross border JVs in practice
We act on appointments supporting UK joint ventures with partners across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, in sectors from real estate development to energy and infrastructure. Each partner's appointment is separate and confidential, and it is common for one professional agent to be named by more than one party, since the role is administrative: we receive, log, notify and forward, nothing more.
Terms and related documents
JV terms are often indefinite, which suits the annual rolling service at £125 per year, though development JVs with defined horizons frequently take fixed terms. Shareholders agreements, loan notes and guarantees sitting alongside the JV can share the appointment, with a second document adding £30 and three or more adding £60. See also our page on shareholder agreements.