BELGIUM
Netherlands
Brussels Belgium
Germany
Law and Practice Contributed by: Michel Bonne, Hannelore Matthys and Virginie Lescot Van Bael & Bellis
Luxembourg
France
Contents 1. Trends p.148
7. Disclosure p.159 7.1 Making a Bid Public p.159
1.1 M&A Market p.148 1.2 Key Trends p.148 1.3 Key Industries p.148 2. Overview of Regulatory Field p.149 2.1 Acquiring a Company p.149 2.2 Primary Regulators p.149 2.3 Restrictions on Foreign Investments p.150 2.4 Antitrust Regulations p.150 2.5 Labour Law Regulations p.150 2.6 National Security Review p.151 3. Recent Legal Developments p.152 3.1 Significant Court Decisions or Legal Developments p.152 3.2 Significant Changes to Takeover Law p.153 4. Stakebuilding p.153 4.1 Principal Stakebuilding Strategies p.153 4.2 Material Shareholding Disclosure Threshold p.153
7.2 Type of Disclosure Required p.160 7.3 Producing Financial Statements p.160 7.4 Transaction Documents p.160 8. Duties of Directors p.161 8.1 Principal Directors’ Duties p.161 8.2 Special or Ad Hoc Committees p.161 8.3 Business Judgement Rule p.161 8.4 Independent Outside Advice p.162 8.5 Conflicts of Interest p.162 9. Defensive Measures p.162 9.1 Hostile Tender Offers p.162 9.2 Directors’ Use of Defensive Measures p.162 9.3 Common Defensive Measures p.163 9.4 Directors’ Duties p.163 9.5 Directors’ Ability to “Just Say No” p.163 10. Litigation p.164 10.1 Frequency of Litigation p.164 10.2 Stage of Deal p.164 10.3 “Broken-Deal” Disputes p.164 11. Activism p.164 11.1 Shareholder Activism p.164 11.2 Aims of Activists p.164 11.3 Interference With Completion p.164
4.3 Hurdles to Stakebuilding p.153 4.4 Dealings in Derivatives p.154 4.5 Filing/Reporting Obligations p.154 4.6 Transparency p.154 5. Negotiation Phase p.154 5.1 Requirement to Disclose a Deal p.154
5.2 Market Practice on Timing p.155 5.3 Scope of Due Diligence p.155 5.4 Standstills or Exclusivity p.155 5.5 Definitive Agreements p.155 6. Structuring p.156 6.1 Length of Process for Acquisition/Sale p.156 6.2 Mandatory Offer Threshold p.156 6.3 Consideration p.157 6.4 Common Conditions for a Takeover Offer p.157 6.5 Minimum Acceptance Conditions p.157 6.6 Requirement to Obtain Financing p.158 6.7 Types of Deal Security Measures p.158 6.8 Additional Governance Rights p.158 6.9 Voting by Proxy p.158
6.10 Squeeze-Out Mechanisms p.159 6.11 Irrevocable Commitments p.159
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