Alexander Kaarls
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Alexander is a senior Corporate/M&A lawyer with 31 years of experience acting as lead counsel in complex cross-border and domestic mergers, acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions, including, in particular, public company deals and transactions involving regulated businesses. He also regularly advises clients on corporate governance, joint venture, securities regulatory compliance and general cross-border matters. Legal 500 has recoginised Alexander as a Leading Individual in the field of Corporate and M&A.
He is deeply involved in, and leads, Houthoff teams that work with either the government or large (heavy industry or energy) corporations that are active in the Dutch market, making the projects possible that will reduce CO2 emissions at a faster, more ambitious pace than would be realized in line with the commitments laid down in the Paris Agreement. This includes the entry into of tailor-made arrangements between government and industry, as well as collaboration on funding on the basis of available aid schemes and permitting for the largest transformational projects that will be completed in the Netherlands, each time while addressing possible societal and environmental concerns.
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"A client says that 'Alexander brings a US perspective when advising US-based companies in Dutch transactions'."Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2024 Edition) -
"A client stated that 'Alexander is a good technical lawyer who has deep knowledge and experience'."Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2024 Edition)
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Leading IndividualLegal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A (2024 Edition)
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"A client mentions: ‘Alexander Kaarls is an excellent and well-skilled M&A partner, who has a solid grasp on US company needs. He leads a sensible and pragmatic team who has given us excellent support on all our deals. Josephine de Bok has also provided excellent support too’."Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A (2024 Edition)
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"A client mentions: 'Alexander Kaarls is an excellent and pragmatic commercial/corporate lawyer who understands the needs of US companies'."Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2023 Edition)
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Foreign expert in USAChambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2023 Edition)
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"A client stated that ‘Alexander Kaarls is an incredibly talented lawyer, with a good measure of legal and commercial perspective for all our deals. He understands the needs of PE-backed companies from both a sponsor and company perspective'."Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A (2023 Edition)
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"A client mentioned that ‘Alexander Kaarls is an incredibly talented lawyer. He is measured, pragmatic and knowledgeable of the issues that affect our company'."Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A (2023 Edition)
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“Alexander Kaarls has a unique expertise in complex cross border transactions. He has seen many and always knows the best way to navigate these very challenging legal and cultural environments. And he is a remarkably pleasant lawyer to work with.”Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A (2022 Edition)
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“A client highlights that Alexander Kaarls has ‘great M&A experience, much of it international or cross-border, including involving the US’.”Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2022 Edition)
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“He is described as ‘very knowledgeable and commercially savvy’.”Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2022 Edition)
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Foreign Expert in USAChambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2022 Edition)
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“Alexander Kaarls excels in cross-border investment reviews and large-scale international transactions.”Who's Who Legal 2021 M&A, Corporate Governance and Foreign Investment Review
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Foreign Expert in USAChambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Netherlands (2021 Edition)
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“The ‘excellent’ Alexander Kaarls is lauded by a client for being ‘incredibly smart and analytical,’ and for handling ‘highly complex matters.’”Chambers Global & Europe, Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability (2020 Edition)
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“Alexander Kaarls has great business acumen to advise on commercial issues in the deal and a great demeanor and approach to challenging issues. His approach is firm but fair.”Legal 500, Private Equity (2020 Edition)
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RecommendedLegal 500, Commercial, Corporate & M&A (2017 Edition)
He has authored and co-authored articles published in, among others, International Financial Law Review, International Comparative Legal Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions, International Law Practicum, European Lawyer, Advocatenblad (the Netherlands Bar periodical), Maandblad voor Ondernemingsrecht (a leading Dutch periodical on corporate law and corporate governance) and Maandblad voor Vermogensrecht (a leading Dutch periodical on contract law). In addition, he is a co-author of Commentaar Ondernemingsrecht, the legal publication integrally commenting on Dutch company law.
Alexander, as Managing Partner, is a member of Houthoff's Executive Committee. He has been a member of the Netherlands Bar since 1993 and the California Bar since 2002. He joined Houthoff in 2004 after spending ten years practising with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in London, Brussels and Palo Alto (California).
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
- Law (Leiden University)
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Advised an ad hoc group of secured lenders to Tupperware Brands Corporation who successfully completed the acquisition of certain key assets of the Tupperware Group, including global rights to the Tupperware brand name and related intellectual property as well as operations in core geographic markets. Operations in these global core markets will continue uninterrupted and customers will be able to purchase products from independent Tupperware sales consultants, Tupperware ecommerce sites and retail partners.
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Advised Castik Capital S.à r.l. ("Castik"). Funds managed by Castik have entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in WATR Group, a market leader in groundwater management and (ground-)water purification from funds advised by Borromin Capital.
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Advised Seek Limited on the sale of Brasil Online Holdings Coöperatief U.A. and Online Career Center Mexico, S.A.P.I. de C.V. to Red Arbor Holding, S.L. for a cash consideration of USD 85 million.
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Advised Castik Capital S.a.r.l. on the acquisition of paraDIGMA Group.
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Advised Castik Capital on its acquisition of the Andra Tech Group, a leading group of companies specialising in the manufacturing of high-precision, complex components for €500-1000 million.
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Advised ECI Software Solutions, a global provider of cloud based business management software and services, on the acquisition of Treetop Group, a software company specialized in business software solutions for the residential construction and craft industry in the Netherlands.
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Advised, together with Van Bael & Bellis, Sopra Steria Group SA (Euronext Paris), a European Tech leader recognised for its consulting, digital services and software development, on its recommended public offer for all ordinary shares in the capital of Ordina N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam), a Benelux-based consulting and IT services provider.
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Advised Future Business Partnership, an impact investor focusing on sustainably-minded brands, on its investment in Naïf Care.
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Advised in collaboration with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK), TBAuctions Netherlands B.V. on its acquisition of Epic Auctions.
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Advised Atlas on its sale of Aludium, a leading aluminum rolled products business with operations across three locations in Europe.
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Advised European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V., a Euronext Amsterdam-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), on entering into a business combination with Croma-Pharma GmbH.
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Advised Lumileds, a global leader in innovative lighting solutions, in its comprehensive financial restructuring. Lumileds emerged from a Chapter 11, resulting in a leadership transition and a funded debt reduction of approximately USD 1.4 billion.
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Advised Apax Partners on the sale of a majority stake in Boasso Global to KKR.
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Advised Atlas Holdings LLC and her group entities ACR II Global Holdings Coöperatief U.A. and ACR II Glass Holding B.V. with the acquisition of Carlex Glass America LLC and its subsidiary, Carlex Glass Luxembourg SA from Central Glass Co. Ltd.
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Advised TBAuctions, a Dutch online auction platform on its acquisition of Klaravik, a Swedish online auction platform.
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Advised GP Bullhound Acquisition I SE (SPAC) on its IPO raising EUR 200 million.
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Advised NVIDIA, one of the largest chip manufacturers in the world, in the acquisition of Bright Computing.
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Advised European private equity firm CastikCapital on the acquisition of TBAuctions, a leading European online auction platform.
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Advised Ease2pay N.V. on the intended acquisition of Involtum Holding B.V. and capital raise.
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Advised CSC on the conditional agreement of a recommended public offer for all shares of Intertrust for EUR 20 (cum dividend) in cash per share.
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Advised European Healthcare Acquisition & Growth Company B.V. (EHC), the first operators-led healthcare-focused acquisition and growth company in Europe, on successfully completing its EUR 200 million private placement and listing on Euronext Amsterdam.
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Advising Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, on its acquisition of Talend, a leader in data integration and data integrity and Nasdaq listed, by means of a cash tender offer at approximately USD 2.4 billion.
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Advised Black Diamond Capital Management, LLC in connection with the acquisition, jointly with InvestIndustrial, of the Phenolic Specialty Resins division and European forest products resins division from Hexion Inc.
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Advised Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II, a NYSE-listed special purpose acquisition company, on the merger agreement with Wallbox and Wallbox's listing as a Dutch N.V. on NYSE through the merger.
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Represented Konecranes in the Dutch portion of the USD 1.126 billion acquisition of Material Handling & Port Solutions business of Terex Corporation.
Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals.
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Advised Castik Capital S.à r.l., a Luxembourg-based private equity firm, on its acquisition of a majority stake in Customs Support Group (CSG).
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Houthoff, together with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, advised Atlas Holdings LLC on the acquisition of the Permasteelisa Group from LIXIL Group Corporations (Japan).
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Advised Doughty Hanson on the sale of Zobele Group to Knowlton Development Corporation. Zobele Group is a world leader in the business segments of Air Care and Pest Control and a global player in Health & Personal Care and Fabric & Laundry Care.
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Advised OLA Electric on the acquisition of electric scooter company Etergo B.V.
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Advised Redefine Properties Limited (listed on Johannesburg Stock Exchange) and European Logistics Investment B.V. (ELI) on the sale of 46.5% of the shares in ELI to Madison International Realty and 2% of the shares in ELI to Griffin Real Estate. Houthoff worked in close collaboration with Rymarz Zdort on this matter.
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Advised Stryker Corporation on its USD 5.4 billion acquisition of Wright Medical Group N.V.
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Advised Vitol on the sale to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of a 10% interest in VTTI BV, the owner and operator of storage terminals in 14 countries, including amongst others the Netherlands and Belgium, with 60 million barrels of capacity. Vitol and the IFM Global Infrastructure Fund will both own a 45% interest in VTTI.
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Served as legal advisor to ECI Software Solutions, a leader in cloud-based business management solutions. ECI has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Netherlands-based Trivest Beheer B.V., a provider of smart vertical software solutions to the SME manufacturing sector. With this acquisition, Trivest’s nearly 3,000 customers and more than 300 employees will join ECI’s manufacturing division.
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Advised Hexaware Technologies Ltd on the acquisition of Mobiquity Inc. Mobiquity provides digital consulting services for the world’s leading brands, such as Amazon Web Services, Rabobank, Philips, Wawa, Backbase and Otsuka. Houthoff worked jointly with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP on this transaction.
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Advised Hearst with the purchase of The History Channel Iberia from its A+E Networks joint-venture partner Disney. The History Channel Iberia operates Historia, Blaze and Crimen+Investigación, which are distributed in Spain, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique.
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Advised Vivo Energy on a transaction with Engen which adds operations in eight new countries and 230 Engen-branded service stations to Vivo Energy's network.
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Advised Vitol on its agreement with IFM Investors to acquire Buckeye Partners' 50% equity interest in VTTI, the leading global independent provider of energy storage. After completion, VTTI will be owned 50% by IFM Investors and 50% by Vitol.
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Houthoff advised Nobia on the acquisition of Bribus Holding B.V., a Dutch kitchen supplier with annual sales of approximately EUR 65 million. Bribus was founded 90 years ago and is acquired from Bernhard ten Brinke, who remains in the company.
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Houthoff represented the sellers of Kompas International, a provider of trust and corporate services, in their divestment of Kompas International to Praxis IFM, one of the largest independent and owner-managed financial services groups headquartered in the Channel Islands.
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Advised Intel Corporation on its tender offer to acquire Mobileye N.V., which has its headquarters and main operations in Israel. Mobileye N.V. is incorporated under Dutch law and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (MBLY.N). The tender offer was announced on 13 March 2017 and valued Mobileye at USD 15.3 billion.
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Houthoff, jointly with Skadden, advised Netherlands-incorporated TMF Group and its shareholders DH Private Equity Partners and management on the (ultimately aborted) IPO of TMF Group on the London Stock Exchange (premium listing segment) and subsequently on the sale of TMF Group to CVC Capital Partners for EUR 1.75 billion.
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Advised Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. (NYSE: FSL) on its USD 40 billion merger with NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI).
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Advised Apollo Global Management, the leading private equity house, on the acquisition of the debt of the Netherlands based, internationally leading TV production firm Endemol, as well as on the subsequent debt-for-equity transaction, and on the combination of Endemol with 21st Century Fox’s TV production assets, and subsequent transactional matters.
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Assisted Elliott in inquiry proceedings at the Enterprise Chamber against the paints and chemical group AkzoNobel. Elliott was one of AkzoNobel’s largest shareholders, with an interest in AkzoNobel of more than 5%.
Publications
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19-December-2023
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17-July-2023
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29-April-2021
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06-January-2021
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24-December-2020
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15-July-2020
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20-March-2020
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20-March-2020
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26-July-2019
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26-July-2019
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21-May-2019
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11-March-2019
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07-August-2018
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26-May-2017
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07-March-2017
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24-February-2017
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05-October-2016
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05-October-2016
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21-September-2015
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20-August-2015
