Partnerships & Joint Ventures
Projects looking for an international partner.
Here a local partner is not a formality. In most sectors the rules make one close to unavoidable, which is exactly why choosing one deserves diligence.
Foreign operators partner in Venezuela for structural reasons. Labour law requires an overwhelmingly Venezuelan workforce, the daily regulatory work needs local capability, and the permits and relationships a business runs on take months to build cold. Recent reform allows arbitration seated outside Venezuela, which has changed what a well-drafted partnership can actually protect.
We help you understand what a proposed partner really brings, and which protections your agreement needs, before their lawyers and yours are in the same room.
What a first conversation covers
- 01Which company forms fit a foreign and local venture, and which terms, like the state's empresas mixtas, mean something else entirely
- 02What the workforce and payroll rules require, and how they shape the deal from the start
- 03The protections worth having, an arbitration seat abroad, exit rights, and governance written as if you were the minority
- 04How a partner is screened, ownership, political exposure and legacy ties included
- 05What investment treaties protect and for whom, depending on where your investment legally comes from
An arbitration award is not the same thing as collected money, and treaty protection depends on how your investment is structured. Structure first, sign second, and let your own counsel choose the seat.
Partnerships & Joint Ventures
Do I really need a local partner?
In most operating businesses, in practice, yes. The workforce rules alone mean your company will be overwhelmingly Venezuelan, and daily compliance needs people who live in that system. The real question is not whether, but who, and on what terms.
How do I protect myself in a joint venture here?
With the structure, not with trust. Recent reform allows arbitration seated outside Venezuela, and a well-drafted agreement uses it, along with exit rights and governance written as if you were the smaller partner even when you are not.
How do you check a potential partner?
Ownership, political exposure and history, including the informal kind that does not appear in registries. It is the same discipline as checking a property title, applied to a person and their companies. Uncomfortable to ask for, and much cheaper than skipping it.
Not sure where to start?
Una primera conversación práctica sobre sus planes, sus preguntas y sus próximos pasos.
Most people who talk to us are not ready to buy anything or move. That is the normal starting point, not a problem. We are here to help!
30 minutes, on Google Meet