Mariken van Esch

Mariken joined the firm as an Associate in 2013. She holds both a master’s degree in law and in business studies. Mariken is passionate about M&A and specialises in complex multijurisdictional transactions in the Funds & Financial Investors and Financial Institutions sectors. In addition, she has extensive experience in the Technology sector.

Mariken is an active member on the Amsterdam Diversity & Inclusion Committee, represents the Amsterdam office on the Western European Client Committee and was a mentor on the firm’s Stepping Forward programme for Associates.

Who or what inspires you?

Many things: it can be unravelling a complex transaction with the team, a good conversation with a friend or negotiating with my three-year old daughter.

What is an interesting fact about you or a surprising skill you have?

I love field hockey and make every effort to play on Sundays during competition season.

Mariken specialises in corporate law with a focus on cross-border (public) M&A and private equity. She advises financial sponsors, corporates and financial institutions on their strategic transactions across a range of sectors and jurisdictions.

Mariken is particularly known for her experience with transactions in a regulated environment and her knowledge of corporate venture capital, tech-related transactions and fintech. More broadly, she advises on corporate governance, joint ventures and restructurings. She has experience of corporate litigation, providing her with additional perspective on optimal transactional structures.

Mariken also has particular knowledge of financial regulation, in part stemming from her secondment to the firm’s Financial Regulations Group for an extended period of time.

Work highlights

Mariken has advised on a wide range of cross-border corporate deals. These include advising:

Corporates:

• Delhaize Group, the Belgian-headquartered international food retailer, on its €28bn merger of equals with and into Ahold, the Dutch-headquartered equivalent
• CGG on the carve-out and sale of its regulated multi-physics business to Xcalibur
• Denso on its acquisition of a stake in the family-owned Certhon Group and related collaboration in automated farming

Financial Sponsors/Private Equity:

• a consortium comprising TDR Capital, PGGM, ATP, GIC, ADIA and a global investment bank on the €3.7bn acquisition of LeasePlan and on subsequent restructurings
• Cerberus Capital Management on the acquisition of a controlling interest in Staples, Inc.'s European operations and on the subsequent divestment of parts in the Benelux and Germany
• Visma, a Hg-led PE consortium portfolio company, on a number of its Dutch bolt-on acquisitions

Financial Institutions:

• ING and KBC on the set-up of their digital payment platform “Payconiq” and on the subsequent roll-out of the platform in various European countries
• Equens, one of the largest payment services suppliers in Europe, on its merger with Atos Worldline, a leading European payment solutions provider
• Assicurazioni Generali on the sale of its Dutch subsidiary to ASR Nederland

Mariken is a member of the Continental European Client Committee, the Amsterdam Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and a mentor in Linklaters’ Stepping Forward programme, which nurtures the professional and personal development of young female lawyers.

Mariken studied at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, from which she holds both a master’s degree in law and a master’s degree in business studies.

She speaks English and Dutch.