Events

For each Master Class we will inform you well in advance if the Master Class will be held online or, Covid-19 permitting, at our Amsterdam office. We will limit attendance to create interaction during these Master Classes, allowing everyone to share experiences and interact with fellow participants as well as speakers. The Master Classes will be in English. All sessions are held on Thursday and Friday mornings, from 9:00 to 10:30 online or, Covid-19 permitting, from 08:00 - 10:00 at our Amsterdam office.

On 9 September 2021, the amended EU Dual-Use Regulation will enter into force. It brings new export controls, expands the range of available authorisations and provides for more coordination between the EU Member States. So what does this mean for your business in terms of controls, compliance and due diligence? Can your company benefit from the new authorisations? And what does the amended regulation tell you more generally about the current status and future of EU export controls?

Navigating antitrust in M&A can be very challenging. Merger clearance goes to the heart of deal certainty, one of the key considerations for parties to an M&A transaction. Competition law aspects of a transaction therefore often pose challenging and important legal and commercial business questions, be it in considering to commit to a hell of high water clause, pre-closing business conduct, gun-jumping considerations or transaction timelines. Additional regulatory requirements in relation to M&A are becoming more important, including foreign direct investment regimes and the European Commission's upcoming Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which will need due consideration in a transaction context.

On Tuesday, 14 September 2021, we will be hosting our second webinar of the webinar series on legal sustainability trends. During this webinar we will cover competition law aspects of sustainability initiatives, including collaborations with competitors in this area. Panellists Martijn Snoep (Chairman, Autoriteit Consument & Markt), Morgan Frontczak (Senior Antitrust Counsel at Shell) and Anna Gerbrandy (Professor of Competition Law at Utrecht University) will discuss recent guidance and actions being taken by the Dutch Competition Authority and the European Commission. The session will cover practical ways in which companies can ensure that they enter into sustainability initiatives in a compliant manner. The session will be interactive and will be moderated by Helen Gornall (Partner, De Brauw).

Legal privilege is the cornerstone of the legal system, protecting communication between clients and in-house or external counsel. But as fundamental as it may be, in a world of ever increasing demands for transparency, it is under pressure. In today's climate, business partners, regulators, prosecutors and public interest groups alike are testing the boundaries of companies' reliance on legal privilege. The call by these entities to disclose documents often leads to privilege being increasingly challenged.

As society becomes increasingly transparent, public access to government information through Freedom of Information requests (Wob-verzoeken) plays an important role. With detailed requests on sensitive topics carried out daily, the impact on the private sector and the relationship between government and business is enormous. The dynamics are changing, with political debate on transparency (including the new Rutte-doctrine) and the new Wet open overheid due to enter into force in 2022. Companies need to understand the legal framework of the Dutch Freedom of Information Act in order to safeguard their interests and to prevent potential disclosure of information.

During this Master Class Martin van Olffen and Michael Schouten will be focusing on the changing corporate governance landscape. Over the past few years, they have seen a wave of new governance standards, with more in the pipeline. Companies are faced with the challenge of adapting to these standards and anticipating upcoming changes. In this Master Class, Martin and Michael aim to help clients understand what lies ahead, by looking at the global trends driving such changes: climate change & sustainability, rising inequality, nationalism & protectionism, and evolving views on the responsibility of multinationals. They will discuss how these trends translate into new governance standards, and lead to stakeholder activism through public campaigns, shareholder meetings, calls for regulatory enforcement and litigation

This summer marked five years since the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) came into force. Since then, many developments have both supplemented and challenged our understanding and interpretation of the MAR. Listed companies still often have to make difficult judgment calls (for example, in relation to the publication of inside information). In the meantime, there continues to be unabated market abuse. The risks to companies and individuals alike are not to be underestimated. Because of this, Roan Lamp, Angelique Groen - Boon and Josse Klijnsma believe it is a good time to provide an update of where things stand.

Patrick Ploeger and Ingeborg Braam will discuss recent developments in ABAC enforcement and policy in key jurisdictions including the US, Germany, France and the UK. They will cover regulatory changes such as increased protection of whistleblowers. Patrick and Ingeborg will also discuss ABAC trends in the Netherlands, including the emerging framework on self-reporting, cooperation and leniency and a draft bill on large corporate settlements. In addition, they will look at ongoing Dutch efforts to hold individuals liable for corporate wrongdoing, and at how this affects companies facing ABAC compliance issues.

Barbara Kloppert & Daniël van Gerven will be speaking at this Master Class.

Marnix Somsen & Angelique Groen-Boon will be speaking at this Master Class.

Maarten van der Weijden, Frank Pötgens, Paul Sleurink, Henk van Ravenhorst & Wiebe Dijkstra will be speaking at this Master Class.