Bio

Willem Bijveld is a partner in our Corporate M&A department. Willem advises corporate clients and financial sponsors on a wide range of corporate law transactions with a focus on domestic and cross-border private and public M&A. He has particular experience in bilateral and controlled auction sale processes, strategic private M&A transactions, public-to-private transactions (both recommended and hostile takeovers), and shareholder activism matters. His practice also includes advising clients on fiduciary duties of boards, equity investments, stock market disclosures rules, and anti-takeover defences. He has additional experience of working in the UK following a secondment to Slaughter and May in London. Willem recently advised a.s.r. on its EUR 4.9 billion acquisition of Aegon Netherlands and on its EUR 510 million strategic divestment of digital bank Knab to BAWAG Group. Further, he advised German logistics company Rhenus Group on its strategic acquisition of a 49.99% shareholding in Rietlanden Terminals, which operates two terminals located at the Port of Amsterdam, from JERA Global Markets. Willem has been recognised as the Netherlands' Rising Star in the Corporate M&A/Private Equity category by IFLR Rising Stars Expert Guide 2022. He is a co-author of The Shareholder Rights and Activism Review and Shareholder Activism & Engagement Guide, and lectures on anti-takeover defenses at the postgraduate specialisation course of the Radboud University (Grotius).