Dirk-Jan Smit

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) today announced that Mijke Sinninghe Damsté, a highly experienced litigator, will join the firm’s dispute resolution team in Amsterdam as a partner, effective on 1 May  2023. Mijke joins the firm from a leading Dutch firm, where she was a litigation partner, focusing on class actions and collective settlements. She has vast experience in complex multi-jurisdictional litigation, transaction related and shareholders’ disputes and directors’ liability cases. “We are delighted to welcome Mijke to Freshfields,” said Amsterdam Managing Partner Dirk-Jan Smit. “With her impressive track record, her strong technical and commercial skills, she will be a great addition to the team. We look forward to working with Mijke.” Sarah Parkes, Global Head of Dispute Resolution, added: “Mijke’s expertise and experience will add further weight to the Amsterdam practice and our global disputes offering. Her arrival reflects the demand we are seeing from clients and further demonstrates the firm’s commitment to strategic growth in this area.”

Feb 1

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) today announces that counsel Daphne van der Houwen is joining its corporate practice this month and will be based in Amsterdam. Joining from Allen & Overy, Daphne is a qualified lawyer in the Netherlands and has over 13 years’ experience advising financial institutions, fintechs and government authorities on regulatory clearance processes, governance and business operations. As a financial services regulatory and fintech lawyer, Daphne’s appointment will strengthen the Amsterdam practice and its ability to meet increased client demand for strategic regulatory advice. Dirk-Jan Smit, managing partner of Freshfields in the Netherlands, commented: “We are delighted to be welcoming Daphne to our firm. Her expertise in multijurisdictional M&A transactions in the FIG sector, cross-border restructurings of regulated businesses and dealings with supervisory authorities will be of great value to our clients and will bolster our position as the leading global law firm in Europe and beyond.”

Jan 3

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has advised the US technology group 3M on the spin-off of its healthcare division. The business is now listed on the NYSE under the name Solventum. The transaction involved the legal separation and reorganisation of the healthcare business with a turnover of US$8.2bn in over 90 jurisdictions. A large international Freshfields team as well as numerous law firms from our Stronger Together network, helped by the Freshfields Hub and the Freshfields Lab who provided tailored legal tech solutions were at play to achieve this tremendous result on time. The core team included: Partners: Barbara Keil, Elizabeth Oberholzer (both Global Lead, Corporate Law, Munich), Thomas Granetzny (Employment Law), Theresa Ehlen (IP/M&A, both Düsseldorf), Michael Ramb (Regulatory, Berlin), Christian Sistermann (Tax, Munich), Peter Niggemann (Antitrust, Düsseldorf), Gerrit Beckhaus (Real Estate, Hamburg/Berlin), Takeshi Nakao (Tokyo), Dirk-Jan Smit (Amsterdam), Miriam Pérez-Schafer (Madrid), Luigi Verga (Milan), Dr Farid Sigari-Majd (Vienna), Fares Al-Hejljalan (Riyadh), Vincent Macq (Brussels), Stephen Hewes (London; all Corporate Law) Counsels: Christine Laciak (Antitrust/Foreign Investments, Washington), Philipp Lehmann, Stefan Bajohr (Düsseldorf, both IP/M&A), Dr Martin Rehberg (Tax, Munich) Principal Associates: Katharina Reinhardt (Dispute Resolution, Berlin), Elisabeth Wulf (Corporate Law), Nina Gissinger (Real Estate Law, both Hamburg), Julian Siller (Tax, Munich), Sarah Rohmann (Employment Law, Düsseldorf) Associates: Julius Röck, Jan Postweiler, Philipp Schneider, Stefan Aust, Julius Raddatz (all Munich), William Björklund (Berlin; all Corporate Law), Benjamin Blum (Dispute Resolution, Frankfurt), Ilko Trenn (Tax), Julia Kilp (Employment Law, both Munich) Freshfields Lab: Gerrit Beckhaus (Co-Head Lab, Hamburg/Berlin), Lucas Treichl (Co-Head Lab, Vienna/Berlin), Blagoy Penchev (Lead Legal Solutions Engineer, Berlin), Marvin Hartmann (Legal Solutions Engineer, Düsseldorf) Transaction Lawyers/Paralegals: Lisa-Marie Woschniak (Munich), Chelsia Tai (Frankfurt), Vielka Hernandez Ceballos, Maria Konstantinou, Vitalii Ushakov (both Frankfurt), Ekaterina Chepurnaya (Munich)

Apr 8

1 min

Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has advised US conglomerate Emerson on the acquisition of Flexim Flexible Industriemeßtechnik GmbH (‘Flexim’). The transaction is expected to close by the end of Emerson’s fiscal 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. Afterwards, Flexim’s Berlin headquarter is planned to become Emerson’s Ultrasonic Flow Measurement Center of Excellence. Flexim is the world's only supplier of clamp-on ultrasonic systems for non-intrusive flow measurement of liquids and gases with SIL certification. Flexim's clamp-on ultrasonic systems measure virtually anything that flows, liquids as well as gases. The sensors are simply clamped onto the outside of the pipe with no interruption of service or risk of leakage. The transaction will expand Emerson’s automation portfolio and measurement capabilities, complementing its existing flow measurement positions in Coriolis, differential pressure, magmeter and vortex flow measurement. Underpinned by favorable end market growth and technology leadership, the global ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeter market is expected to grow in the high single digits annually longer-term. Emerson reported revenue of $19.63 billion for the fiscal year ended 2022. The Freshfields team was led by Partner Barbara Keil (Corporate/M&A, München) and Counsel Marcus Wolter (Corporate/M&A, Milan). The team further comprised: Corporate/M&A: Associate Jan Postweiler (Munich), Partner Farid Sigari-Majd (Vienna), Guillemette Burgala (Paris), Dirk-Jan Smit (Amsterdam), Counsel Olaf Ehlers, Associates Athanasios Tasopoulos, Jules Troubat (all New York), Martin Zankl, Patrick Wageneder, Carolina Gerstacker (all Vienna), Anqi Yu (Beijing), Fabienne Tichelman, Hannah Erdman (both Amsterdam), Stephanie Austera (London), Legal Consultants Zhe Wang, Vivian Wang (both Beijing), Senior Transaction Lawyer Franz Dahl (Hamburg) and Transaction Lawyer Stéphanie Adriaens (Berlin) IP: Partner Nina Bayerl and Associate Diana Baum (both Munich) Employment Law: Partner Thomas Granetzky (Düsseldorf), Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger (Vienna), David Mendel (London), Sarah Ghulambussain (Silicon Valley), Principal Associates Benedikt Sprinzl (Vienna), Sarah Rohmann (Düsseldorf), Associates Vera Münsch (Munich), Fan Li (Beijing), Veere Everard, Babette Koning (both Amsterdam), Gino Murugesan (London), Kristen Stidham (Silicon Valley) Regulatory: Partner Juliane Hilf (Düsseldorf), Counsel Sascha Arnold (Hamburg), Associate Felicitas Weber (Berlin) Finance: Counsel Nina Heym, Associate Benedikt Schwarz (both Frankfurt) Tax: Counsel Martin Rehberg, Associate Julian Siller (both Munich) Real Estate: Partner Gerrit Beckhaus (Hamburg), Pervez Akhtar (Dubai), Counsel Jeremiah Nelson (Silicon Valley), Associates Florian Nicolas Schröder (Hamburg), Michael Holzmannhofer (Vienna), Johan Nijmeijer (Amsterdam), Legal Consultant Tariq Saeed (Dubai) Commercial: Partner Lutz Riede, Associate Iris Amschl (both Vienna)

Aug 24

2 min

The global law firm Freshfields has advised Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA in its investment in the Dutch listed NeuroTech company ONWARD Medical N.V.. The investment is being done in the context of a Cornerstone Investment Agreement with Ottobock in connection with a capital increase announced by Onward. The international Freshfields team advised on capital market and corporate law issues relating to the investment. Partner Christoph H. Seibt and Associate Jean Mohamed (both Corporate/M&A, Hamburg); Partner Dirk-Jan Smit, Counsel Zach Truscott, Associate Lasse de Vooght (all Corporate/M&A, Amsterdam); Senior Associate Katie Bentel (Corporate/M&A, London); Senior Associate Max Immerzeel (Antitrust, Amsterdam); Special Counsel Christine Laciak (Antitrust, Washington).

Oct 24

1 min