Overview
Björn is Head of Corporate in Linklaters’ Amsterdam office and specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private capital, corporate governance and securities law. He has particular expertise in public M&A.
He advises financial sponsors, listed and private companies, boards and management teams on transactions, governance, directors’ duties and disclosure matters. His experience spans a broad range of sectors, including financial institutions, technology, infrastructure, media and industrials.
Experience
Björn’s experience includes*:
- Firmenich on its €42bn combination with Royal DSM N.V., through a public exchange offer and contribution of Firmenich shares, creating dsm-firmenich AG, listed on Euronext Amsterdam
- Torqx Capital on its €168m public offer for Beter Bed Holding N.V.
- De Gruyter on its public takeover of Royal Brill N.V.
- Banijay on several transactions, including its €7bn business combination with Pegasus Entrepreneurs and listing on Euronext Amsterdam
- Peugeot S.A. on its €44bn cross-border merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., creating Stellantis N.V.
- EssilorLuxottica on its €7bn public takeover of GrandVision N.V.
- KAS Bank N.V. on the €187m recommended public offer for its shares by CACEIS
- Apollo on several transactions, including its acquisition of Beequip and SolidBriq
- PSG Equity on several investments, including the acquisitions of Visualfabriq and Recruitee
- TCV on its €90m investment in Mollie and its investment in Hotmart
- Mambu on its €235m Series E financing led by EQT Growth, valuing the company at €4.9bn
- Investindustrial on the de-SPAC transaction and US$3.1bn NYSE listing of Zegna, an Italian luxury fashion company
- Athora on its acquisition of VIVAT, one of the largest insurance groups in the Netherlands, and the onward sale of VIVAT’s non-life business to NN Group
- Heineken on several transactions, including its strategic partnership with Sligro Food Group for beer and cider logistics and the acquisition of craft brewery Oedipus
- APG on several transactions, including the €433m acquisition of Host Hotels & Resorts’ interest in a pan-European hotel joint venture
- NN Group on several transactions, including the successive carve-outs of its private equity manager Parcom in Germany, France and the Netherlands and the sale of its Bulgarian pension and life insurance business
- Joh. A. Benckiser on its €7.5bn public takeover of D.E Master Blenders 1753 N.V.
*including experience at a previous law firm.
Recognition
Björn is recognised for his Corporate/M&A and Private Equity practice by legal directories, including Chambers and Legal 500. Clients say:
- “Clearly one of the best lawyers in the Netherlands. He is the benchmark, both in the quality of his work and his pure dedication in getting the deal done.” – Chambers & Partners, 2026
- “He does not just give the options, he gives his opinion on how he thinks we should proceed.” – Chambers & Partners, 2026
- “One of the best M&A lawyers in the Netherlands, combining know-how with strong social skills.” – Chambers & Partners, 2025
- “A superb adviser across M&A and private equity.” – Chambers & Partners, 2025
- “His wise advice and strong understanding of the negotiating dynamics are invaluable.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024
Education, Qualifications and Languages
Björn studied law at the University of Groningen.
Services