A&O Shearman Netherlands

Samen met Gerard van Solinge schreef ik een opiniestuk in Het Financieele Dagblad over het huidige Nederlandse stakeholdermodel. De Tweede Kamer had opgeroepen tot verankering daarvan. Dat is niet nodig, het model staat fier overeind, voor degene die het kennen. Zeker vanaf de Cancun-uitspraak van de Hoge Raad van 10 jaar geleden. Het bestuur is de kapitein, in co-ownership met RvC, die de strategie bepaalt, gericht op bestendig ondernemingssucces. Alle stakeholders zijn daarbij gebaat. Dit is een moderne en praktische missie, waarbij ESG wordt meegewogen. In de polder past dialoog met aandeelhouders en stakeholders. Een verplichte “vote on ESG”, zoals Eumedion bepleit, past niet. ESG is onderdeel van de strategie, en die hoort in de bestuurskamer. Het hele artikel lees je hier: https://lnkd.in/eWkMrbBC

We are pleased to announce that we have advised Mirage Retail Group on the sale of Intertoys to ToyChamp, a Belgian chain of toy stores owned by the family Nolmans.    Our dedicated team was led by Vincent Dogan and Charles Honée, with valuable support of Maroussia Quak, Rens Bondrager, Aroen Kuitenbrouwer, Kees Schillemans, Bernadette van der Blij, and Estelle de Krom.   Intertoys, which operates over 200 stores in the Netherlands, will continue to function under its current management team. The sale is subject to approval by the Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM). The acquisition by ToyChamp is expected to be finalised in the last quarter of this year.   We are proud to have been part of this transaction and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on both companies.

Christiaan de Brauw and Aziz Bouhbouh have advised our long-standing client, ProQR Therapeutics N.V., on a $75 million underwritten public offering and a concurrent private placement with existing shareholder Lilly.   ProQR is a biotechnology company focused on developing RNA therapies for severe rare and common diseases and we are proud to be part of the journey from the very beginning in 2012. The proceeds from the offering and private placement will be used to fund research and clinical development, supporting the advancement of current and future product candidates and expanding research and development programs.

Randstad, the world's leading talent company, has announced its intention to acquire Zorgwerk, a leading digital healthcare marketplace in the Netherlands. Our expert team, led by corporate partner Christiaan de Brauw along with Tim Rijkse, Kiki Doeve, Chaima Azouagh, Arnold Keizer, Priscilla Haricharan, Kees Schillemans and Marik Pannekoek, has advised long-standing client Randstad on this intended transaction, which is poised to strengthen Randstad's specialized offerings in the healthcare and care sector. The integration of Randstad and Zorgwerk will enable them to better serve the diverse needs of their healthcare clients, across all types of work arrangements. This collaboration addresses the critical challenges of talent scarcity in the healthcare and care industry, ensuring that the right talent is available where it is needed most.

We're thrilled to announce that our team, consisting of Tim Stevens, Iradj Nazaryar, Caspar Roijers and Aziz Bouhbouh, has advised NEPI Rockcastle, a leading owner and operator of shopping centres in Central and Eastern Europe, on its successful equity capital raise, raising gross proceeds of EUR 300 million. This marks a significant step towards the execution of NEPI Rockcastle’s development and acquisition of properties.   This transaction underscores our cross-border capabilities, seamlessly integrating our US, UK and Dutch equity capital markets offering. Special thanks to Michael Bloch, Jeff Hendrickson, Carolyn Slauson Ali, Adithyan Sreekumar and Adrian Taylor from our US and UK teams for their valuable contributions.   We are honoured to have contributed to this milestone for NEPI Rockcastle and would like to thank our client for their continued trust in our capabilities.

Mooi nieuws! A&O Shearman Netherlands staat in het tussentijdse rapport van MenA.nl op de eerste plaats op basis van dealwaarde.   In het derde kwartaal zagen we een toename in activiteit ten opzichte van H1 2024 bij onze Financial Services, Infra, Private Equity en bepaalde multinational corporate cliënten. Deze trend zet waarschijnlijk door in Q4. Zoals mijn collega Jasper de Jong reageerde in het artikel van MenA.nl: “Onze Q3 performance toont aan dat ons kantoor goed uitgerust is voor deze deals waar specifieke kennis en ervaring van de relevante sector en/of regelgeving de sleutel is.”   Lees het volledige artikel hier: https://lnkd.in/eC28S4VS

We were pleased to have our US funds, tax, and regulatory experts join us for the latest edition of the Amsterdam Funds Forum earlier this week. During this interactive session, we delved into key legal and tax considerations for non-US entities investing in US investment funds and raising capital with US investors. The session offered invaluable insights to help avoid potential pitfalls and seize great opportunities. Despite the often daunting nature of US tax and regulatory law, our colleagues provided a clear and practical roadmap for navigating these complexities. A big thank you to Elaine Hughes, Susan Gault-Brown, Barbara Stettner, Hilary Sunghee Seo, and Caroline Lapidus for sharing your expertise! This fantastic team has also presented at our Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Brussels, and Paris offices, bringing their invaluable insights to our clients across Europe. If you missed the event and are interested in receiving the slide deck or discussing this topic further, please feel free to reach out to me or your usual A&O Shearman contacts! #funds #privatefunds #assetmanagement #USmarket #legalinsights #AOShearman

Our team, consisting of Tim Stevens, Iradj Nazaryar, Kiki Doeve and Chaima Azouagh, has successfully advised NL financial investments (NLFI) on the sale of part of the Dutch State’s stake in ABN AMRO Bank N.V. through a trading plan. This landmark deal marks another significant step in NLFI's strategic sell-down of the Dutch State's stake in ABN AMRO. Key highlights of the transaction: 🔸 Strategic sell-down – The trading plan is designed to gradually reduce the Dutch State's stake in ABN AMRO to approximately 30%. 🔸 Historical context – The Dutch State nationalized ABN AMRO during the 2008 financial crisis. In 2015, a minority stake was sold through an initial public offering, marking the beginning of a phased reduction in the State's interest. 🔸 NLFI's role – Established in 2011, NLFI is a Dutch foundation tasked with managing the Dutch State's interests in ABN AMRO. It ensures commercial, non-political governance and maintains a transparent separation of interests. We are honoured to have contributed to this milestone for NLFI and would like to thank our client for their continued trust in our capabilities. #FinancialServices #CapitalMarkets #LegalAdvisory

What makes a law firm exceptional? It's the combination of its people and the network they create. At our recent A&O Shearman Netherlands alumni event, we celebrated the unique contributions of our alumni and the ongoing impact they have on our firm and the broader legal landscape. The event brought together a diverse group of professionals. I truly enjoyed seeing all the talented and fun people connected to A&O Shearman and its legal predecessors.   Thank you to everyone who attended. For our alumni who missed the invitation, please login to our alumni website https://lnkd.in/ectipNkF to ensure you are registered in our network database. Hopefully, we can meet you next year!

STX Group has successfully expanded its borrowing base credit facility to EUR 275 million, with our team providing comprehensive support. This financing marks a significant milestone in the environmental commodities market and demonstrates our expertise in financing the journey to net zero. STX, a leader in the environmental commodities space, will leverage this financing to further enhance their climate solution initiatives. Our dedicated team, comprising Niels De Ru, Aroen Kuitenbrouwer, Hector Craft, and Leon Zebeda, played a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this transaction. Niels De Ru, Partner, commented: “We are proud to have facilitated this significant financing for STX Group. This transaction underscores our expertise in the environmental commodities market and our commitment to supporting the global energy transition." Congratulations to STX Group on this remarkable achievement!