ARNE GRIMME

Arne specialises in public and private mergers and acquisitions and private equity for listed companies, large multinationals and private equity firms. Arne advises on public to private transactions, leveraged buy-outs and complex cross-border transactions and corporate restructurings. He regularly works with leading law firms in other jurisdictions.

Business and financing aspects are a particular focus area in Arne's practice. Clients say that "he is a fantastic M&A lawyer. He is not only smart and experienced but enormously pragmatic. He doesn't fight for every point but looks at what we want."Marketcommentators consider Arne Grimme"the best deal maker of the Netherlands." (Chambers)

Arne also regularly advises many Dutch listed multinationals on corporate law and corporate governance, including Philips, AkzoNobel, BAM, H.E.S. Beheer, ASML, TKH, Unit4 and Smit.

His many accolades include being ranked first tier in M&A and private equity by Chambers. He won the Best M&A Lawyer Award in 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 (M&A Community).

He has been nominated for the Best M&A Lawyer Award each year since 2007. Legal 500 EMEA has consistently named him a leading individual from 2009 to date. And IFLR 1000 has recognised Arne as one of the leading practitioners in mergers and acquisitions every year since 2006.Arne was named "Lawyer of the Year" in the Best Lawyers 2014-2015 edition (Netherlands community) in Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Private Equity Law.

Arne's recent work includes advising

•AkzoNobelin its successful defenceagainst the unsolicited offers made by US competitor PPG and its dealings with activist Elliott Advisors

•Q-Park shareholders on the acquisition of Q-Park by KKR Infrastructure

•NXP Semiconductors on its USD 47 billion acquisition by Qualcomm

•Philips on the separation of Philips Lighting and the IPO of Philips Lighting on Euronext Amsterdam

•Joop van den Ende on thesale of Stage Entertainment toCVC Capital

•Philips on the USD 2.8 billion divestment of a majority stake in its LED components and Automotive lighting business

•NXP Semiconductors on the EUR 40 billion merger with Freescale Semiconductor