In spite of the crisis relating to state debt in certain European countries, 2011 has so far been a year that has seen a resurgence in the field of mergers and acquisitions in Europe. The proposed merger of the NYSE and Deutsche Börse, Volkswagen’s bid for MAN SE, LVHM’s tender offer for jewel company Bulgari and Stanley Black & Decker’s acquisition of Niscayah are just a few of the more publicized deals that have dominated the headlines of the European financial press in 2011. In a world where most of the transactions are cross-border mergers and may touch various juridictions, it is increasingly imperative that legal professionals engaged in these transactions possess the information to quickly access the required legal information in the respective countries.
The attached memorandum, Preparing for Increased Takeover Activity in Europe – Overview of Key Legal Parameters, seeks to provide the M&A practitioner (and the M&A academic) with a basic overview, on a country-by-country basis, of the rules pertaining to takeovers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands and Russia. The specific questions addressed are set forth below:
