Gearte Sijens

Company: Loyens & Loeff N.V.
Job Description: Senior attorney-at-law
Age: 34
Years of working experience in M&A: 9

Bio
Gearte holds an LL.M. in Dutch Law, specializing in Corporate and Private Law from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, where she studied from 2012 to 2014. She also completed coursework in European Intellectual Property Law and Competition Law at Stockholm University in 2013. Gearte earned an LL.B. in Dutch Law from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in 2012.

Gearte has nearly 10 years of experience at Loyens & Loeff, where she currently serves a role as a Senior Associate since March 2023. She previously worked as a Senior Associate in the New York office for over a year and as a Senior Associate in Amsterdam, focusing on Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). She began her career at Loyens & Loeff as an intern in 2014.

What are the specialties of this talent?
Gearte specializes in the M&A practice, with a focus on international transactions for private equity firms, corporations, and family businesses. Her expertise enables her to:

1. Collaborate efficiently and effectively with various parties involved in transactions, including lawyers and notaries.
2. Articulate and explain complex tax concerns in transactions in a clear, comprehensible manner. Despite her relative youth, Gearte has quickly built an impressive track record, accumulating extensive expertise and experience in a short time. Her skills are particularly evident in negotiations, where she demonstrates remarkable persuasiveness to achieve strong results for her clients.

Key strengths:

• Comprehensive understanding of international M&A transactions
• Ability to communicate complex tax issues clearly
• Exceptional negotiation skills
• Proven track record of achieving favourable outcomes for clients

Gearte’s capacity to deliver outstanding results in challenging contexts has earned her high praise from clients, who consistently express satisfaction with her effectiveness and the value she brings to their transactions. One example can be found later in this endorsement.

How does the talent distinguish itself from its peers?
Gearte works independently, takes responsibility, has a high work ethic, great organizational skills and is technically strong. She takes a considered and thoughtful approach and is focused on solutions. Gearte has a good feel for the dynamics and pace of the M&A practice. She is able to efficiently, clearly and sometimes creatively include complex legal issues in the transaction documentation and negotiate them, even when faced with tight deadlines. In doing so, Gearte does not hesitate to enter into discussions with experienced lawyers from other M&A firms, always focusing on what her client needs. These qualities make her a strong M&A lawyer.

Gearte plays an important role in Loyens & Loeff’s international M&A practice, collaborating with a diverse range of lawyers, tax advisors, and notaries at Loyens & Loeff, from junior to highly experienced professionals. Her expertise lies with high-demanding and high-profile deals, on which she never loses her cool.

Gearte was lead associate on an impressive range of (international and landmark) transactions over the last 12 months. The cumulative value of the deals she has done exceeds EUR 18 billion, highlighting her significant impact in the M&A landscape. Her involvement in these complex transactions spans various sectors and jurisdictions, showcasing her versatility and expertise.

Key transactions in Gearte’s recent portfolio include:

• The acquisition of OCI’s Clean Ammonia Project by Woodside (Gearte advised Woodside)
• The acquisition of a majority stake in Lumion by Seven2 (formerly Apax Partners) (Gearte advised Seven2)
• The acquisition of Quintes Holding by Brown & Brown (Gearte advised Brown & Brown)
• The sale of Intellimagic by the founding shareholders to IBM (Gearte advised the shareholders of Intellimagic)
• The sale of D.O.R.C. by French private equity firm Eurazeo to Carl Zeiss Meditec (Gearte advised Eurazeo)
• The acquisition of TenCate Grass by Leonard Green & Partners from Crestview Partners (Gearte advised Leonard Green & Partners)
• The sale of Lubbers Logistics Group by AAC Capital by AIT Worldwide Logistics (Gearte advised the sellers)
• The public-to-private offer by Nolet Holding to Lucas Bols (Gearte advised Lucas Bols)
• The sale of G-Star RAW by their founders to US-based private equity firm WHP Global (Gearte advised WHP Global)

This diverse range of transactions demonstrates Gearte’s ability to navigate complex deals across various industries, including energy, technology, healthcare, logistics, and consumer goods. Her role in these high-profile deals underscores her growing reputation as a skilled and trusted advisor in the M&A field.

As described by Antoinette van der Hauw, Partner Corporate/M&A at Loyens & Loeff: “Gearte’s exceptional M&A skills, combined with her ability to transform tense negotiations into collaborative problem-solving sessions, consistently deliver outstanding results for our clients. Her balanced approach of being both approachable and a formidable negotiator makes her a rising star in our practice and an exciting talent to watch in the field of M&A”.

What impact does the talent have within the organization?
Gearte’s presence within the organization has a significant positive impact. Her strong team player mentality, together with a committed and enthusiastic attitude, makes her a highly valued colleague. Gearte is consistently described by her peers as positive, dedicated, down-to-earth, and easy to collaborate with. Her approachable attitude fosters a collegial, inclusive and productive work environment, contributing to team spirit and overall workplace satisfaction.

One of Gearte’s qualities is her ability to maintain a positive outlook, even in challenging situations. This characteristic not only helps her navigate complex tasks but also uplifts those around her. Additionally, Gearte’s willingness to put humour into her work adds a refreshing element to the professional atmosphere. This light-hearted approach, balanced with her strong work ethic, creates a more engaging and enjoyable work environment for her colleagues.

Gearte’s communication skills further enhances her effectiveness as a team member. She excels at fostering open dialogue and creating an atmosphere where new ideas are welcomed. This combination of professionalism, positivity, and approachability makes Gearte not just a competent professional, but also a genuinely well-liked and respected member of the team.

As a senior associate, Gearte demonstrates a strong commitment to mentoring and educating junior colleagues. Her dedication to knowledge-sharing is evident in her patient and thorough approach. With an open attitude she creates an environment where team members feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. Gearte’s commitment goes beyond one-on-one mentoring. She actively participates in various internal knowledge-sharing initiatives, including:

• Teaching internal contracting classes (i.e. on shareholder agreements);
• (ii) Chairing internal know how groups on specific topics and
• (iii) Contributing to the organization of the Loyens & Loeff Private Equity Academy, a program designed to connect and educate emerging talent in the private equity industry.

Gearte’s contributions to the firm extend beyond the Amsterdam office. Her international experience, including a year in the New York office and a secondment to a top-tier firm in Dublin, has improved cross-office collaboration. These global experiences have provided her with a unique perspective on international markets and trends, which she uses to provide insightful advice to both clients and colleagues.

What impact does the talent have outside the organization?
Gearte easily wins the trust of clients both in the private equity space and amongst corporates.  She combines her experience and expertise with strong commercial skills.  She excels in building and maintaining relationships.

To what extent does the talent makes the difference to clients?
Gearte is great at building and managing the relationship with her clients, and is known for her hands-on approach, proactive attitude, and strong substantive skills, which have earned her the trust of numerous clients. Gearte is always on the ball and available for her clients. As a senior associate, she often serves as the primary contact in acquisition transactions, buyouts, and other private equity and corporate investments, always considering how each action fits within the deal dynamics and impacts the client’s interests. Gearte uses creative solutions to ensure transactions are concluded successfully and on the most favourable terms for her clients. Her dedication to achieving optimal outcomes has consistently resulted in high client satisfaction and repeat business. This impact is further evidenced by feedback from Seven2, who Gearte recently assisted on the acquisition of Lumion:

“With Gearte on your side you are sure to get somebody to fight for you. She tackles problem head on with a pragmatic approach, never losing her client’s interest out of sight. Together with her dedication and responsiveness she has become a trusted advisor rapidly”.

Why does the talent deserves this nomination?
Gearte deserves the nomination for Best Young Talent because of the reasons set out above and because she has achieved a strong position within our firm and the M&A market in a short period of time. Gearte has consistently delivered outstanding results for her clients. The nomination for Best Young Talent would be a recognition of this ongoing commitment and an incentive to grow further.