Legal due diligence
Clarifying legal risks and obligations before an acquisition.
LAWENCE B.V. / FINANCIAL & LEGAL ADVISORY
Legal clarity.
For every next step.
Lawence provides financial and legal advice to businesses in the Netherlands and abroad. From M&A and due diligence to contracts and governance: clear agreements aligned with each business and its plans.
Explore our servicesBusinesses & transactionsThe Netherlands · International
Insight. Assessment. Agreements.
THE ROLE OF LAWENCE
A dedicated advisory partner.
Across entities and borders.
Every business has its own activities, agreements and responsibilities. Lawence brings legal coherence to each entity and to the arrangements between different parties.
Each engagement is tailored to the business, the parties involved and the applicable law.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Multiple businesses.
One financial and legal point of contact.
Lawence supports these entities with financial and legal matters. A clearly defined engagement for each entity forms the basis of every assignment.
Property ConnectFinnecNexSightDocSightREOS
Our services are also available to other businesses and investors.
EXPERTISE
From day-to-day legal work
to complex transactions.
Our main services at a glance.
M&A — mergers & acquisitions
Support with buying, selling and combining businesses and equity interests.
Contracts & cooperation
Clear commercial agreements and financing arrangements aligned with your interests.
Cross-border matters
Coordination of international matters, with local legal advisers and civil-law notaries where needed.
DUE DILIGENCE
Know what you are buying.
Understand what you are committing to.
Legal document review for real estate, portfolios and fund or business acquisitions. The questions and scope are agreed in advance to fit the transaction.
Assessing the legal foundations
Ownership and rights, leases and other agreements, corporate structure, authority, financing terms and security. For each assignment, we identify the relevant topics and required local expertise.
From data room to evidence
Organising documents, examining links and inconsistencies, and requesting missing information. Findings refer to the available documents; uncertainties remain visible.
An overview for informed decisions
An overview of key risks, a findings register with source references and a list of outstanding questions. With priorities and proposed actions for the next phase.
Turning findings into agreements
Turning findings into transaction conditions, warranties, indemnities and actions before completion.
M&A / MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
From the first agreement
to transaction completion.
The transaction structure, interests and agreements between parties form the starting point of our support.
Defining structure and conditions
Confidentiality agreements, letters of intent, the proposed transaction structure and legal due diligence. Insight into the rights, obligations and decision-making relevant to the transaction.
Documenting and implementing agreements
Purchase agreements, shareholder arrangements, warranties and indemnities. Support with signing, completion conditions and closing.
FINANCIAL & LEGAL ADVISORY
Understand the numbers.
Align the agreements.
Financial decisions and legal agreements influence one another. Lawence brings both together for business matters, real estate and M&A transactions.
Insight into feasibility and financing
Analysis of business cases, cash flows, financing needs and transaction scenarios. We make assumptions and uncertainties visible so that options and financial implications can be assessed.
Turning choices into agreements
Advice on contracts, corporate structures, governance and transaction terms. With attention to rights, obligations, liability and implementation of the chosen solution.
OUR APPROACH
A clear process.
A practical result.
A coherent dossier that helps you move forward, rather than a collection of disconnected findings.
- 01
Defining the question
The objective, parties involved and decision points determine the scope of the engagement.
- 02
Connecting the documents
Organising documents, checking connections and identifying missing information.
- 03
Turning risks into choices
Linking issues to next steps, conditions and concrete agreements.
- 04
Supporting implementation
Tracking action points and coordinating with the parties and advisers completing the transaction.
IN PRACTICE
Complex dossiers.
Concrete work.
Examples of the type of work on which Lawence's services are built. Anonymised, respecting the confidentiality of every dossier.
PROPERTY PORTFOLIO / GERMANYFrom data room to decision file
A substantial property portfolio requires connections between property information, leases and transaction documents. The work includes organising files, identifying inconsistencies and recording outstanding questions.
Deliverables: dossier register, document checklist and overview of issues.
FUND ACQUISITION / TRANSACTION PREPARATIONThe structure behind the acquisition
For a proposed fund acquisition, the interest being acquired, control and financing conditions must be clear. Document review and targeted questions clarify the legal structure and conditions for the next step.
Deliverables: data room structure, due diligence questions and overview of transaction conditions.
BELGIUM / CROSS-BORDER REAL ESTATECoherence across borders
A real estate project involving Belgium requires an overview of parties, documents and local issues. Lawence focuses on dossier coordination and preparing questions for the local experts involved.
Deliverables: document overview, questionnaire and coordination of next steps.
News & insights
Developments relevant to your next decision.
Updates on transactions, financing and legal developments.
Corporate law ·
EU Inc.: Council agrees position on a new cross-border company regime
On 23 October 2026, the Council adopted its negotiating position on EU Inc., an optional 28th corporate-law regime for startups and scaleups. The proposal includes online registration within two days, a maximum registration cost of €100, a digital share register and an employee stock-option framework, together with safeguards against abuse. It is not yet law: negotiations can begin once the European Parliament adopts its position. Lawence perspective: founders and investors should compare the final EU Inc. rules with national company, tax, employment and governance requirements before selecting the regime.
Source: Council of the European UnionFinancing ·
EU reaches provisional agreement on securitisation reform
On 21 October 2026, the Council and European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement to simplify the EU securitisation framework. The package recalibrates bank capital requirements, introduces a new ‘resilient’ securitisation category, strengthens the STS framework and reduces administrative burdens. It is not yet in force: the legal texts must be finalised and formally endorsed by both co-legislators. Lawence perspective: lenders, originators and project sponsors should assess how the final eligibility, disclosure, capital and supervision rules may affect funding structures and transaction documentation.
Source: Council of the European UnionM&A ·
Commission raises preliminary objections over KKR merger information
On 19 October 2026, the European Commission sent KKR a Statement of Objections setting out its preliminary view that KKR provided incorrect or misleading information during the 2024 review of its acquisition of NetCo. A Statement of Objections is a procedural step and does not prejudge the final outcome; KKR may examine the file and respond. Lawence perspective: merger-control submissions should use a controlled evidence trail, verified representations and change monitoring for commercially material agreements throughout the review.
Source: European CommissionGovernance ·
Sanofi commitments become legally binding under EU antitrust rules
On 14 October 2026, the European Commission made Sanofi’s commitments legally binding in response to preliminary concerns about possible disparagement of a competing flu vaccine in Germany and France. The commitments require corrective communication and restrictions on future negative messaging, with implementation monitored by a trustee. This is a binding enforcement decision, not new legislation. Lawence perspective: regulated commercial communications and scientific claims require evidence-based legal review, approval records and ongoing compliance monitoring.
Source: European CommissionM&A ·
EU foreign-investment screening becomes a larger M&A factor
The Commission’s sixth FDI-screening report records 667 Member State notifications in 2025, 40% more than in 2024; 12% required an in-depth security assessment. All Member States now have screening frameworks. The new EU Foreign Investment Screening Regulation was adopted on 17 June 2026 but will apply only from 17 January 2028; the current regime remains relevant until then. Lawence perspective: investment-screening scope, filing timelines and conditions should be mapped early in cross-border due diligence and closing planning.
Source: European Commission – Directorate-General for Trade and Economic SecurityM&A ·
Kimberly-Clark–Kenvue acquisition cleared subject to divestments
On 13 October 2026, the European Commission conditionally approved Kimberly-Clark’s acquisition of Kenvue. To address concerns in tampon markets in Czechia, Estonia and Slovakia, Kimberly-Clark committed to divest specified feminine-hygiene brands and related assets across the EEA; an independent trustee will monitor implementation. The clearance decision has been adopted, but completion remains subject to full compliance with the commitments. Lawence perspective: remedy perimeter, IP, personnel, purchaser approval and monitoring obligations should be reflected precisely in transaction documents and closing conditions.
Source: European CommissionFinancing ·
EU capital markets: Council agrees negotiating position
On 9 October 2026, the Council agreed the key elements of its negotiating position on the Market Integration and Supervision Package, including expanded ESMA supervision and measures to reduce cross-border barriers. The package is not yet final law: the Council must formally adopt its position and negotiations with the European Parliament must follow. Lawence perspective: cross-border financing and fund structures should track the final scope, transition rules and optional depositary passport.
Source: Council of the European UnionM&A ·
EU merger control: €40 million fine for misleading information
On 8 October 2026, the European Commission fined Kingspan €40 million for providing incorrect and misleading information during a merger investigation. This is an adopted enforcement decision, not a legislative proposal. Lawence perspective: merger-control submissions require source-controlled, internally verified deal information; inaccurate responses can create a separate sanctions risk.
Source: European CommissionGovernance ·
Netherlands implements CRD6 governance rules for key function holders
DNB confirms that the CRD6 fitness-and-propriety framework for key function holders was implemented in the Dutch Financial Supervision Act and related decree and entered into force on 22 September 2026. Banks and approved financial holding companies must assess relevant key function holders; external DNB or ECB assessment is limited to specified roles at large institutions. Lawence perspective: governance and regulatory due-diligence files should contain current, documented assessments and clear responsibility allocation.
Source: De Nederlandsche BankFinancing ·
ECB rate increase: reviewing financing assumptions
The ECB increased its key rates by 0.25 percentage points from 16 September 2026. Lawence perspective: revisit financing assumptions when preparing an acquisition or refinancing.
Source: European Central BankM&A ·
EU insolvency reform: cross-border acquisitions
The Council approved EU insolvency reforms covering pre-pack sales and creditor protections. National implementation follows. Lawence perspective: consider this development when planning distressed acquisitions.
Source: Council of the European UnionLAWENCE B.V.
A transaction starts
with a clear conversation.
A financial or legal question, M&A transaction or due diligence assignment? An initial conversation clarifies the legal question, the business involved and the next steps.
Operating from Hoofddorp, Brussels and Dublin.
Hoofddorp
Lawence B.V.Antareslaan 65
2132 JE Hoofddorp
The Netherlands
Brussels (Zaventem)
Lawence B.V.Lozenberg 21
1932 Zaventem
Belgium