Sylvia Dikmans

Sylvia Dikmans

Tax Lawyer | Partner

Practice Areas

Sectors

Languages

Dutch
English

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Sylvia specialises in corporate tax and dividend tax, in particular in relation to private equity, fund structuring and mergers and acquisitions. She is regularly involved in international structuring and real estate transactions. Sylvia is a member of the general board of the Dutch Association of Tax Advisers ("NOB"), the International Fiscal Association ("IFA") and the International Bar Association ("IBA"). Sylvia is a member of Houthoffs Diversity & Inclusiveness Committee. 

  • “Sylvia Dikmans is praised for being an ‘extremely experienced, dynamic and proactive partner.’”
    Chambers Europe, Tax (2021 Edition)
  • Leading Individual
    Legal 500, Tax (2021 Edition)
  • Recommended
    Legal 500, Investment Funds (2021 Edition)
  • “Sylvia Dikmans is ‘incredibly good, with a very strong knowledge of tax matters, coupled with a rare understanding of business aspects of the deals.’”
    Chambers Europe, Tax (2020 Edition)
  • “Clients appreciate that she ‘could always find a solution for tax issues which was also practical.’”
    Chambers Europe, Tax (2020 Edition)
  • “She is technically excellent and she gives us very clear and straightforward advice, even in extremely complicated matters. She is very responsive and available. They are top-notch in terms of technical competence but much more client-focused than their competitors.”
    Legal 500, Tax (2020 Edition)
  • Leading Individual
    Legal 500, Tax (2020 Edition)
  • “Sylvia Dikmans is an excellent professional in corporate tax (with a focus on M&A and real estate). She is highly skilled in technical matters and she also has a pragmatic approach. She is a unique problem solver. Furthermore, she is available 24/7 if needed.”
    Legal 500, Tax (2020 Edition)
  • Recommended
    Legal 500, Investment Funds (2020 Edition)
  • “Clients note that she is ‘very pragmatic and straight to the point, with a great attitude to problem solving, and business acumen.’”
    Chambers Europe, Tax (2019 Edition)
  • “Sylvia Dikmans is praised for her ‘unique business acumen.’”
    Legal 500, Tax (2019 Edition)
  • “Sylvia Dikmans is described by clients as a ‘professional and pleasant person to work with.’”
    Chambers Europe, Tax (2018 Edition)
  • Recommended
    Legal 500, Tax (2018 Edition)
Sylvia regularly speaks on these subjects and lectures on the University of Hamburg's LL.M. programme in International Taxation. She also commentates for the NDFR on a number of tax treaties entered into by the Netherlands.


QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

  • Tax Economics (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
  • Advised WeTransfer (The Creative Productivity Company), provider of an ecosystem of creative productivity tools, with its intended initial public offering and admission to listing and trading of its ordinary shares on Euronext Amsterdam.
  • Assisted H2 Equity Partners in the sale of its portfolio company Dutch Seafood Company, trading as ''Foppen'', to the listed company Hilton Food Group. 
  • Advised and represented Argos Wityu on the acquisition of Schenk Tanktransport.
  • Advised Orkla with the purchase of 75% of shares in New York Pizza. New York Pizza is one of the leading pizza chains in the Netherlands.
  • Advised Exact on the acquisition of Gripp, provider of SaaS business software for professional service companies.
  • Advised, together with Goodwin Procter LLP, Qell Acquisition Corp., a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company (Nasdaq: QELL) in connection with the intention to list Lilium as a Dutch N.V. on Nasdaq through a business combination with Qell.
  • Advised Kistos Plc. on its proposed de-SPACing acquisition of the entire share capital of Tulip Oil Netherlands B.V. from Tulip Oil Holding B.V.
  • Advised Timex Group and its shareholders on the acquisition of a majority interest by The Baupost Group. The existing shareholders of Timex Group retain a substantial interest in the business. Timex Group manufactures and distributes watches under brands as Guess, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Furla and Ted Baker.
  • Houthoff assisted Vermeg, Vermeg's founder and its management team in Charterhouse's acquisition of an interest in Vermeg from Crédit Mutuel Arkéa.
  • Advised Keizerskroon Beheer B.V. with regard to the sale of a majority stake in Easy Sanitary Solutions B.V. (ESS) to Hansgrohe SE.
  • Advisering Keizerskroon Beheer B.V. bij de verkoop van een meerderheidsbelang in Easy Sanitary Solutions B.V. (ESS) aan Hansgrohe SE.
  • Advised the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group Foundation (NRG) on the sale of its 100% interest in ECN Wind Energy Facilities B.V. and its 50% indirect interest in ECN Windturbine Testpark Wieringermeer C.V. to CIC EWEF B.V., the newly established Dutch subsidiary of Connected Infrastructure Capital GmbH (CIC).
  • Houthoff assisted IK Investment Partners in the acquisition of a majority stake in You Sure Investments B.V.
  • Houthoff, together with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, advised Atlas Holdings LLC on the acquisition of the Permasteelisa Group from LIXIL Group Corporations (Japan).
  • Advised the on the Toronto Stock Exchange listed WSP Global Inc., one of the world's leading professional services firms providing engineering and design services to clients in the Transportation & Infrastructure, Property & Buildings, Environment, Power&Energy, Resources and Industry sector as well as offering strategic advisory services, on the acquisition of multidisciplinary consultancy- and engineering firm Lievense

     

  • Houthoff has advised Torqx Capital Partners on its acquisition of the majority of the shares in Sonic International (Hong Kong) Limited. Sonic International (Hong Kong) Limited and its subsidiaries are active in the business of development, marketing, sale and distribution of professional hand tools and storage solutions systems.
  • Houthoff advised Albert Westerman Groep B.V. and the management of State of Art on the sale of a majority stake in State of Art to Quadrum Capital. State of Art, with a rich history dating back to 1936, is headquartered in Lichtenvoorde. The company has 40 retail stores and more than 600 official dealers. The transaction was completed on 23 September 2019.

     


  • Houthoff advised a.s.r., a large Dutch insurance company, on the acquisition of VvAA Levensverzekeringen, the life insurance business of VvAA Groep. The life insurance portfolio comprises approximately 18,000 policies. The annual premium income is EUR 28m, and the technical provisions amount to EUR 430m. In addition to a multi-year life insurance partnership, VvAA and a.s.r. also intend to further expand the services to VvAA members.
  • Houthoff assisted Exact Group B.V. with the acquisition of the construction software company Bouw7 B.V.

  • Houthoff assisted Heimstaden AB with the indirect acquisition and financing of 9,544 residential units in the Netherlands at a purchase price of EUR 1.4 billion. Through this acquisition, Heimstaden has become the third largest private residential property owner in the Netherlands. This is the largest real estate transaction ever in the Netherlands in terms of the number of housing units.

  • Houthoff – together with Sidley Austin LLP – represented Wex Inc., a leading financial technology service provider, in connection with its planned acquisition of EG Group Limited’s GO Fuel Card business. The Go Fuel Card business is headquartered in Breda, Netherlands with approximately 200,000 proprietary cards in circulation across the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

  • Advised Telia Company, together with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, in connection with the divestment of its holding in Kcell and the dissolution of its Fintur partnership with Turkcell. Telia Company and Fintur Holdings B.V., which is jointly owned by Telia Company and Turkcell, have agreed to sell their 75% stake in the leading Kazakhstani telecommunications operator Kcell JSC to the telecom operator Kazakhtelecom JSC for USD 446 million. Telia Company has also signed an agreement to acquire Turkcell's 41.45% stake in Fintur, which will make it Fintur's sole shareholder.
  • Houthoff advised the shareholders (Waterland Private Equity and management) on the sale of the Infradata group to IK Investment Partners
  • 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. 
  • Advised Goodyear on its EUR 250 million eight year high yield senior unsecured notes issuance. Goodyear is a market leader in the manufacture, distribution and sale of tires for global distribution markets and engages in automotive, vehicle parts, rubber and polymer-related businesses.
  • Houthoff represented Mr Perridon and current management of Trust, a consumer electronics manufacturer, on the sale to Egeria. Trust's current board of directors will maintain its active role within the company.

  • Houthoff advised Poiesz Supermarkten B.V., a chain of supermarkets in the Northern Netherlands, on the acquisition of Zorggroep Friesland B.V., sole shareholder of  Van Smaak B.V.. Van Smaak B.V. delivers meals to healthcare institutions and individual customers and has the whole relating process (including the purchase of the raw materials, processing and logistics) in house.

  • Advised CBRE Global Investment Partners, part of one of the world’s premier, full-service commercial real estate services and investment companies, on setting up a Dutch fund targeting European co-investment and joint venture strategies, having raised a total of USD 840 million of equity sourced from six investors.