Michael Schouten

Practice Areas

Michael specialises in public and private M&A, acting for listed companies and private multinationals divesting businesses, and assisting in acquiring new business domestically and abroad. He also advises private equity clients on both sellside and buyside processes, including minority investments.

Career

Michael has been involved in several public offers in recent years and regularly advises clients on takeover regulation and the role and responsibilities of boards. He is a trusted adviser on corporate governance, securities law, and disclosure matters.

Michael has particular expertise in the regulated energy and financial sectors. He advises several state owned enterprises and the Dutch state, and is active at the intersection of the public and private sector.

Michael’s recent work includes advising:

Prodrive Technologies on the minority investment by HAL Investments

Bridgepoint on its minority investment in ACT, valuing ACT at over EUR 1 billion;

AkzoNobel on its competing EUR 1.4 billion public offer for Tikkurilla;

Boels on its EUR 614 million public offer for Cramo;

Silverfleet Capital on the acquisition of Coredux, and the subsequent sale to Arcline;

ABN AMRO on the spin-out of its private equity business (Capital A), the secondary sale of related portfolio interests, and the divestment of its shipping investment business, Maas Capital;

ASML on the USD 3 billion acquisition of Hermes Microvision through a public offer, and on its investment in Carl Zeiss SMT;

Hapag Lloyd on the acquisition of NileDutch;

Unilever on its EUR 450 million public offer for its preference shares;

ING on the review of its corporate governance and conversion of depository receipts into shares;

Rabobank on the divestment of its investment management business, and the sale of CAIW to EQT;

Schiphol Airport on the JV to operate the airside retail business, and on its consortium bid for Rio Airport;

VP Capital on its mandatory public offer for Batenburg Beheer;

Avedon Capital Partners on the acquisition of various portfolio companies.

Publications

Michael's work has been published in journals such as the Stanford Journal of Business, Law & Finance and the Columbia Business Law Review. He regularly lectures graduate students on corporate governance, equity derivatives and M&A.