De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a leading international law firm, trusted by clients for over 150 years due to its deep engagement with their businesses and a clear understanding of their ambitions. While rooted in Dutch society, the firm offers global coverage through its network of top-tier law firms, ensuring seamless, tailored legal solutions. De Brauw’s independence enables it to choose the best partners while remaining a trusted, strategic advisor to clients worldwide.
The firm emphasizes long-term investment in both its client relationships and its people. De Brauw’s legal training institutes, De Brauwerij and The Brewery, cultivate diverse talent, preparing the next generation of top-tier lawyers through rigorous training and personal development. Senior leadership traditionally rises from within, maintaining the firm’s high standards and collaborative culture.
The Netherlands is set to revolutionize corporate governance with the Digital General Meeting Act, allowing companies and associations to conduct fully virtual shareholder meetings starting January 2027. What changes must organizations make to their articles of association, and how will the transitional provisions for hybrid meetings affect current practices?
The Digital General Meeting Act, enabling Dutch companies and associations to hold general meetings that are accessible only by electronic means, will enter into force on 1 January 2027. We explained the key provisions of this new law in a previous article.
Transitional period for hybrid meetings
The new law aligns the requirements for holding a hybrid general meeting with those for a digital general meeting: hybrid meeting participants must be able to directly take part in the meeting via two-way audio-visual means of communication, whereas existing legislation does not require this. However, there is a one-year transitional provision that was specifically written for a hybrid meeting format. Until 1 January 2028, legal entities may continue to hold hybrid general meetings in accordance with current legal requirements and their current articles of association.
Next steps
Companies wishing to make use of the new digital general meeting facility will need to amend their articles of association accordingly.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
