Mergers & Acquisitions

De Brauw is advising Aquiline Capital Partners on the sale of its stake in Quintes, one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the Netherlands, together with the other shareholders being Gijsbert van de Nieuwegiessen (founder) and key management, to Brown & Brown, Inc.

De Brauw advises Astorg in connection with the announcement of the successful closing of the Normec Continuation Fund, capitalized by lead investors CVC Secondary Partners, Pantheon, Lexington Partners, and Eurazeo, alongside a diverse group of additional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, asset managers, and family offices.

De Brauw advised Parcom on its acquisition of RECO, a company specializing in rental equipment for the construction, infrastructure, and industrial sectors.

The Dutch government has unveiled a new law designed to bolster and regulate the defence and security industry in the Netherlands. The proposed Defence and Security-Related Industry Resilience Act (Defence Resilience Act) is directed at companies active in these industries and contains a number of provisions aimed at improving Dutch armed forces operations. Structured around three major pillars, the act introduces a new sector-specific foreign direct investment (FDI) screening mechanism, lays out a framework for certifying Dutch companies to compete for foreign defence contracts, and draws up measures to enhance the Dutch defence industry's production, innovation and international competitiveness in general. Companies active in defence and security-related sectors can expect changes in M&A processes, new opportunities for international contracts, and a stronger regulatory framework that aligns with EU, US and Canadian standards. This could lead to increased economic activity coupled with more regulatory hurdles and government supervision.

A bill amending the statutory shareholder dispute resolution proceedings (geschillenregeling), which we reported on in our earlier update, has been adopted by parliament and will enter into force on 1 January 2025. The proceedings provide mechanisms for resolving disputes among shareholders in Dutch companies, in particular through a forced exit. The amendments aim to enhance the effectiveness of these proceedings.

One year after it was first presented to parliament, the long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) received royal assent on 24 May 2024, marking a shift in digital, competition and consumer protection regulation in the UK. The DMCCA grants the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expanded powers to regulate the digital sector, scrutinise a broad range of mergers and acquisitions across digital and other markets, enforce consumer protection law, and strengthen competition oversight.