They just want a foothold here

Fav tactic of international firms is to plug and play a readymade law practice locally

Not many JLVs or FLAs really work out . Eversheds HarryE or RHT Taylor Wessing come to mind

It really only works out if the local practice is willing to get absorbed / integrated, but this means the partners cede independence over the financials. If the partners insist on staying largely independent, the international side will eventually not see any value in the relationship

Some of the more long running JLVs like Hogan Lovells and Lee and Lee are so loose that they might as well just do a pure referral relationship