Joint Venture

In law, a joint venture, commonly abbreviated JV, is a contractual strategic partnership between two or more entities to pursue a business opportunity. The term joint venture implies a specifically defined opportunity, but the scope of a joint venture agreement can be very broad. The partners in a joint venture each contribute resources, in exchange for an equity stake a share in any resulting profits. Sony Ericsson is a noteworthy example of a joint venture. This London-based joint venture leverages the consumer electronics know-how of Japan's Sony and the telecommunications expertise of Sweden's Ericsson to make mobile phones. Another well-known joint venture is Cingular Wireless, which was formed in 2001 by SBC and BellSouth. As these examples illustrate, one or more of many possible different rationales, such as business synergy, geographic complementarity, or cost sharing, can motivate a joint venture.