National security screening for investments – new Dutch regime up and running Various geopolitical drivers have contributed to the proliferation of investment screening regimes that are based on national security concerns. Existing screening regimes have been expanded to include additional target activities. The EU has also been nudging member states to establish similar investment screening … Continued
Crystal Ball Gazing 2020 2020 introduces a new decade, one which already promises to be an exciting one for the legal sector and society in general. In this special newsletter, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek gazes into the crystal ball and highlights some of the more important trends and developments which could very well affect or … Continued
On December 20, 2019 the highest court of the Netherlands upheld an earlier decision by a lower court that insufficient action to address climate change posed a “risk of irreversible changes to the worldwide ecosystems and liveability of our planet” and a “serious risk that the current generation of citizens will be confronted with loss … Continued
Legal entities in the Netherlands must register UBO from March 2020 The much anticipated UBO register is expected to become operational in March 2020. The UBO register will be kept by the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce and will be separate from the Dutch Trade Register. All legal entities registered in the Netherlands, including foundations, must … Continued
Dutch cooling-off period in face of shareholder activism or hostile take-over On December 7, 2018, the Dutch government published draft legislation aimed at promoting a careful decision-making process in case of shareholder activism or a hostile takeover. If enacted in its current form, the proposal would introduce a statutory cooling-off period of up to 250 … Continued
Shareholders’ Rights Directive implementation bill now before Parliament On 16 October 2018, the bill for the implementation in Dutch law of the revised Shareholders’ Rights Directive (EU 2017/828) was submitted to the lower house of the Dutch parliament (Tweede Kamer). In this newsletter, we will describe the changes in the bill compared to the earlier … Continued
Executive Summary: The guide has been updated to reflect legal and regulatory changes made to the national takeover regimes since it was last published in April 2013. The Takeover Directive has been implemented in all of the countries which are covered. Its aim is to provide equivalent protection throughout the EU for minority shareholders of companies listed on an … Continued
The Enterprise Chamber has ruled that a company’s response to an unsolicited takeover proposal falls within the board’s authority to determine the company’s strategy. The board does not have to consult with shareholders first, but remains accountable to shareholders for the company’s actions. The ruling sets out important viewpoints for board conduct and other aspects … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: The new Dutch Corporate Governance Code, issued December 8, 2016, provides an interesting analog to The New Paradigm, A Roadmap for an Implicit Corporate Governance Partnership Between Corporations and Investors to Achieve Sustainable Long-Term Investment and Growth, issued September 2, 2016, by the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. The new … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: The Act on simpler and more flexible laws of private limited liability companies (“BVs“) will come into force on 1 October 2012. The changes introduced by this Act will offer greater freedom in structuring BVs. This article summarises the key changes and possibilities introduced by the new law. It also addresses a few … Continued
