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Daphne Bens

Partner
Joint Managing Director, Europe
Very good adviser who understands the international legal issues and the business issues and has a can-do attitude.
Chambers
Amsterdam
About

Daphne Bens, head of the Dutch Corporate group, has over 20 years' experience in advising (multi)national corporations as well as listed companies in complex cross-border M&A transactions. Daphne's practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures and general corporate law.

Daphne has a specific focus on the Technology sector and the Hospitality and Leisure sector and is member of the AKD Partners core teams in these sectors. She has also been a member of the jury of the Philips Innovation Awards in recent years.

In 2002, Daphne was seconded at AKD Partners Hong Kong and Singapore.

Areas of FocusTechnologyCorporateMergers and AcquisitionsPrivate EquityRestructuring
Professional QualificationsAdvocaat admitted with the Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten

EXPERIENCE

  • Advised Crossroads, a private equity fund manager, in the sales process of eight franchised Benelux hotels to Easy Plc for approximately EUR145 million
  • Advised Collagen Matrix, Inc., a global leader in regenerative medicine and a Linden Capital Partners portfolio company, in the acquisition of Polyganics, B.V. a medical technology company that develops and manufactures bioresorbable medical devices
  • Advised Majorel, a global provider of next-generation end-to-end customer experience (CX) solutions for digital-native and vertical leading brands and listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, in the acquisition of IST Networks, a full-service CX Technology Services provider
  • Advised Box Inc., a cloud content management services company, in its acquisition of SignRequest, a cloud-based electronic signature company
  • Advised Fortissimo Capital, a leading private equity fund in Israel, in its acquisition of a majority stake of Sanquin Plasma Products B.V., a plasma-derived medicine producer
  • Advised IMF Bentham Limited (listed on the Australian Securities Exchange) in the acquisition of Omni Bridgeway Holding. We have also assisted with the capital raise in order to finance this acquisition
  • Assisted Algeco Group in its acquisition of several Dutch BUKO entities, including BUKO Huisvesting and BUKO Bouw & Winkels
  • Advised Dechra Pharmaceuticals in the EUR340 million acquisition of AST Farma and Le Vet
  • Advised Accruent BC Holdings in its acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares in the capital of BlueCielo Group B.V. from Gilde
  • Advised G Square Capital in its acquisition of Duo Med Group from ABN Amro Participates
  • Advised NH Hotels on the EUR155 million sale of NH Barbizon Palace to DEKA, including on the lease agreement for leaseback of the hotel
Languages
  • Dutch
  • English

Awards

  • Recommended by Chambers and The Legal 500, (2022)
    • Chambers Feedback: Daphne Bens is "very smart, highly involved and thinks ahead." Clients also emphasize her attention to their needs, with a source noting: "She is very experienced and knowledgeable. She is able to quickly understand what is important to us and how to relate that to negotiations." She is "insightful in her analysis and pragmatic in approach." Bens regularly advises both Dutch and international clients on cross-border M&A transactions.
    The Legal 500 Feedback: Daphne heads the corporate group and advises on complex cross-border M&A transactions and has a focus on the technology sector. The team is "outstanding, commercially minded, showed initiative, and could explain complex Dutch law issues to us clearly. The AKD Partners team achieved all of this."
Education
  • Post-Graduate Degree, M&A, Reed Business Information, 2004
  • LL.M., Pallas European Business Law, Post Graduate Academy of Radboud University, 1998

  • Certificate, Corporate and Civil Law, University Utrecht, 1997

    Certificate, Company Law, University of East London, 1996

Media Mentions

Memberships And Affiliations

  • American Chambers of Commerce in the Netherlands (AmCham)

My latest insights

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14 November 2024 .2 minute read

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Connect

Phone

+31 (0)20 5419 834
(Work)
+31 (0)6 5200 5904
(Mobile)