International business professionals use the term "modes of entry" to describe the different methods and approaches available to enter markets and conduct business in other countries. One mode of entry is the joint venture where two or more organizations join together in a cooperative effort to further their business goals. The joint venture is one of the most common and effective means of conducting business internationally.

The joint venture documents and agreements are critical to the success of the venture. The joint venture agreement forms the basis of the understanding between and among the parties. It is relied upon to ensure that all parties understand their roles, rights, responsibilities, and remedies in the conduct of the venture. Organizations enter into joint ventures in good faith but closely scrutinize the joint venture documents if anything goes awry.

The importance of the documents — and the purpose of this course — is to cover, step by step, the critical elements to consider and include in your joint venture agreements. The course is narrowly focused. Time is spent on what should be included in your agreements and why they should be included. Equity participation, for example, may or may not be as important as operational control. Technical participation in the venture may or may not be as important as the intellectual property rights that may result from the venture.

A key to developing your joint venture agreements is to determine your goals and objectives in advance and ensure that your interests are reflected in the agreement. In addition to identifying your key and critical elements and components, this course examines the advantages and disadvantages of each element as it relates to your overall purposes.

The program will be presented by a Course Director with extensive experience in international business and international contracting. The details are outlined in the Course Curriculum.

We look forward to your participation.