Joinder Agreement: Key Terms and Examples
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What is a Joinder Agreement?
A joinder agreement is a legal contract used to add a new party to an original contract. Joinder agreements make the terms and conditions of the contract binding for the new party as if they were a party to the original contract. A joinder agreement therefore, adds new signatories to the contract in a quick and easy way.
The terms joinder and joinder agreement can mean two different things. Joinder agreements do not require all existing parties to sign along with the new party. Joinders are signed by the new party to become party to a contract.
A joinder agreement is signed by the new party as well as the legal representatives under the original contract. Only new members or parties need to sign the joinder agreement. All signatories need not sign the joinder agreement.
How Joinder Agreements Work
Joinder agreements are used in cases where it is likely that the original contract will have new parties in the future. The new parties don’t need to be determined while making a joinder agreement. For instance, if a business has three partners in a shareholder agreement with each other but they are looking for additional partners to join that contract or issue stocks to, they can use a joinder agreement. A sample joinder agreement clause in a contract can look like this:
“The parties to this Joinder Agreement agree that any new person or entity must execute a joinder form as outlined in Exhibit “X” to become a party to the shareholder agreement entered into by X and Y on DATE and be deemed a signatory to the Agreement”
A joinder agreement will allow them to issue stocks to new shareholders. The new party or new parties will become party to the original contract through the joinder agreement. So, when existing parties find new parties to join their agreement, they can ask the new party to sign a joinder agreement. Once the joinder agreement has been signed by the new party they will be legally party to the primary contract between all parties.
Joinder of claims is also often used to bring claims against the same party together by multiple parties in litigation. There are two main types of joinder of parties in such claims:
- Permissive Joinder: Permissive joinder allows multiple plaintiffs to if all their claims arise from the same transaction and if there is a common question of law relating to all claims.
- Compulsory Joinder: A compulsory joinder makes it mandatory for some parties to be joined. The Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 19 includes several reasons to determine a compulsory joinder such as if the party has an interest in the dispute that they will be unable to protect if they are not joined.
Here is an article on joinder agreements with more examples .
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Key Terms in a Joinder Agreement
A joinder agreement has some mandatory clauses. These include the following:
- Date of signature: Date on which the joinder agreement was executed.
- Name and title of the new party: The basic information of the new party entering a contract needs to be listed in the joinder agreement.
- Agreement type: Is the joinder agreement a corporation shareholder agreement or a trust agreement? There are different types of joinder agreements used for different types of contracts. Joinder agreements will contain information about the type of agreement being made.
- Section that confirms the new person or member is a new signer of the deal: Joinder agreements will also contain a section naming new parties as they enter a contract. This will also keep track of old and new parties while all parties will be subject to the same terms and conditions laid out in the original contract.
- New member’s signature: The new party must sign and consent to the terms and conditions of the joinder agreement.
- Joinder party NDA: While not mandatory, a joinder party NDA is generally used in joinder agreements to protect the exchange of information. A joinder agreement NDA is a non-disclosure agreement ensuring that the confidentiality of the information exchanged in the process of having a third party joined into the original contract is maintained.
Here is an article on terms used in a joinder agreement.
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Examples of When Joinder Agreements Are Used
Joinder agreements are generally used in the following types of contracts:
- Trust agreements: A joinder agreement in case of a trust can ensure that new parties can be added to the trust at any point.
- Partnership agreements: Joinder agreement can be used when a new party joins a partnership. The new party can enter the existing partnership agreement through the joinder. A large partnership can often use this when some partners are leaving and new are joining the partnership agreement.
- Subcontractor agreements: A primary contractor will have a contract with a client that can allow subcontracting some or part of the contract. The client may use a joinder to ensure the subcontractor is party to the original contract and the terms laid out in the original contract upon signing.
- Commercial agreements: Joinders in commercial agreements allow new parties to engagement in commercial transactions or contracts.
- Founders agreements: Joinder agreements can be used to ensure more shareholders can join a partnership through the founders’ agreement . This generally happens in small companies.
- LLC operating agreements: A joinder agreement can be used when a party becomes a new member of an LLC. This would make the new party member to an existing LLC operating agreement .
- Corporation shareholder agreements: A corporation shareholder agreement is used when a person issues stocks or equity in a corporation. As a corporation grows and issues shares to new shareholder, it can use joinder agreements to ensure all stockholders abide by the terms and conditions.
- Mergers and acquisitions: In case of a merger or acquisition of a company, joinder agreements can ensure that shareholders will be subject to terms and conditions of the merger agreement.
Still unsure about the purpose of joinder agreements? Here is an article for you .
Getting Help With a Stock Purchase Agreement
Do you have any questions about joinder agreements and want to speak to an expert? Post a project today on ContractsCounsel and receive bids from business lawyers who specialize in contracts.
ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.
Meet some of our Joinder Agreement Lawyers
Max M.
Business attorney with a focus on the health care sector, bringing Biglaw experience in multi-million dollar mergers and acquisitions, financings, and general corporate counsel work to the small firm space. I now help startups and growing companies access the same level of sophistication and strategic guidance typically reserved for large institutions.
"Max was great! He put together a subcontract for us for our subconsultants. Really easy to work with."
Angela Y.
NJ and NY corporate contract lawyer and founder of a firm specializing in helping entrepreneurs. With a background in law firms, technology, and world class corporate departments, I've handled contracts and negotiations for everything from commercial leases and one-off sales agreements, to multi-million dollar asset sales. I love taking a customer-focused and business-minded approach to helping my clients achieve their goals. Other information: learning to surf, lover of travel, and one-time marathoner (NYC 2018) yulawlegal.com
"Angela is simply phenomenal. Nothing else to say; if she bids on your project, hire her!"
Alton H.
I am a U.S.-licensed attorney with more than a decade of experience in complex litigation and intellectual property matters. I have practiced at leading Am Law firms including Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Arent Fox, and Sughrue Mion, and I currently operate my own law practice. I have extensive experience handling high-stakes patent litigation, drafting pleadings and briefs, managing large-scale discovery, preparing and defending depositions, and appearing before federal courts and administrative bodies such as the PTAB and ITC. I hold a J.D., cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School and advanced technical degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, which allow me to efficiently handle technically complex matters. I am admitted in multiple jurisdictions, including New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, and I regularly provide high-quality remote legal support to clients nationwide.
"Alton worked with me to create several documents for my independent (indie) video game studio. This included clauses about IP assignment, waiving rights, compensation, warranties, and so on. He worked diligently to turn 12 pages of my informal notes and intentions into a comprehensive package that diligently and accurately covers all the bases. It was a great experience overall, taking about two weeks of on-and-off discussion and revisions to understand the requirements of the documents; had I been quicker to respond, it likely would have been closer to a week. If you're working on a creative project where IP assignment and compensation need to be worked out, I recommend Alton for the job!"
Aury L.
I am an experienced U.S. attorney focused on contract drafting, review, and transactional legal support for businesses and individuals. My practice emphasizes clear, practical, and risk-focused legal guidance across commercial agreements, corporate matters, and regulatory compliance. I work efficiently in remote, document-based engagements and prioritize responsiveness, precision, and business-oriented solutions. Clients value my ability to translate complex legal issues into actionable advice and well-structured agreements that support their objectives while minimizing risk.
John P.
specializes in corporate governance, data privacy, intellectual property, and employment law. A former VP of Legal & Compliance and interim CFO, he has led legal operations across fundraising, acquisitions, and data privacy initiatives.
January 22, 2026
Kevin G.
For more than three decades, Kevin M. Gross has served as a trusted legal advisor to senior management and executive teams providing guidance on global compliance issues (anti-corruption, trade regulation, AML/KYC, privacy, and conflicts of interest), strategic concerns, due diligence, and risk mitigation strategies. In 2020, he founded C&R Consulting Group LLC to provide practical, cost-effective compliance and risk services to small and medium sized businesses. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, Kevin worked at Penumbra, Inc., a global healthcare company that manufactures and sells medical devices to healthcare providers, hospitals and clinics in more than 100 countries. At Penumbra, Kevin was the primary legal advisor to the company’s international sales and marketing executives. In addition, as Penumbra’s principal compliance lawyer, he conducted risk assessments and provided guidance and solutions to Penumbra’s internal compliance team. He oversaw due diligence on Penumbra’s international distributors, regulatory and sales agents, and other commercial partners. Prior to joining Penumbra, Kevin spent 15 years inside Chevron’s legal, compliance and upstream law departments, where he advised senior management on the company’s compliance and risk programs. Kevin overhauled Chevron’s hotline and investigations programs, strengthened internal controls and compliance procedures, and developed best practices and training for compliance personnel and investigators. Kevin also managed and conducted dozens of sensitive, high-profile investigations across six continents (internal and external), including FCPA, cybersecurity threats, and high-value theft and procurement frauds. Kevin directed outside counsel responses to SEC and DOJ inquiries, which were terminated without further action. He developed and conducted FCPA and compliance training for leadership teams and others across the enterprise. Prior to his tenure at Chevron, Kevin spent a decade as a senior enforcement attorney at the US Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement. At the SEC, he investigated and prosecuted cases involving securities fraud, insider trading, accounting fraud, options backdating, Ponzi schemes, and FCPA violations. Kevin filed and litigated SEC administrative and federal court actions against companies and individuals accused of violating federal securities laws. Early in his career, Kevin was a commercial litigator at Faegre Drinker LLP, an AmLaw 100 firm where he oversaw the investigation and resolution of insurance coverage disputes and other commercial litigation matters. In this role, Kevin took and defended hundreds of depositions, argued dozens of motions, and brought several cases to jury trials in US district courts. Kevin has received numerous accolades from clients and industry leaders, and is a frequent speaker at ACC, ACI, BECA, Consero and other conferences.
Neil R.
Neil Rust is a transactional attorney with almost four decades of experience ranging across a broad range of fields, including M&A, finance, structured finance, VC and general corporate. Before moving to Oregon, Mr. Rust was a partner at the Los Angeles office of an international law for 26 years and the Century City office of a national law firm for 5 years. During his big firm tenure, Neil Rust gathered experience across multiple industries and enjoys counselling clients as much as drafting and negotiating.
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