Legal Teams Orchestrate the Transatlantic Deal
The deal’s legal framework spans continents:
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AkzoNobel is advised by De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek NV and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Davis Polk’s team features partners H. Oliver Smith, Michael Gilson, and associate Katherine Anne Cody.
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Dutch firm Wakkie+Perrick BV counsels AkzoNobel’s supervisory board.
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Axalta is represented by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP and NautaDutilh NV. Cravath’s M&A leadership includes Mark I. Greene, Aaron M. Gruber, and Edward O. Minturn.
Additional Cravath specialists contributed expertise across executive compensation (Matthew J. Bobby), antitrust (Margaret T. Segall), tax (J. Leonard Teti II), intellectual property (Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea), corporate governance (Michael L. Arnold), and litigation (Michael P. Addis).
Complementary Brands and a Shared Ambition
AkzoNobel’s flagship brands—Dulux, Sikkens, Interpon—and Axalta’s industrial coatings, including its widely used automotive paints, will merge into a single, sweeping portfolio.
Greg Poux-Guillaume, AkzoNobel’s CEO and chair, said the merger will unite “highly complementary technologies, expertise and passionate people to unlock our full combined potential.”
Rakesh Sachdev, Axalta’s chair, added that the combined company’s strengthened financial profile and significant synergy opportunities will enhance long-term value.
