Morocco,South Africa,Australia,China,Hong Kong SAR China,Japan,Korea,New Zealand,Singapore,Thailand,Austria,Belgium,Czech Republic,Denmark,Finland,France,Germany,Hungary,Ireland,Italy,Luxembourg,Netherlands,Norway,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Slovak Republic,Spain,Sweden,United Kingdom,Argentina,Chile,Mexico,Peru,Bahrain,Oman,Qatar,UAE,Canada,Puerto Rico,United States
Supporting complex global operations in the chemicals industry
Chemicals companies face challenges from many different directions. Rising regulation, demand for greener products and global trade tensions throw up obstacles along the way. We provide practical guidance so you can get things done. Our lawyers help you future-proof your decisions and achieve your long-term objectives.
Cross-border sales are harder to maintain. New standards and evolving regulations mean companies with multinational sales are having to standardize products across markets, and trade tariffs and disputes are resulting in further complications. We advise you on effective procedures, and we draft watertight documentation that cuts your exposure to risk. We help you understand and comply with EU REACH, China MEP, US EPA, US FDA and other agencies that regulate the industry. We cover trade, sanctions and government affairs, and we advise on market access and the regulatory issues involved in goods and supply chains.
We guide you through M&A, business transformations and corporate reorganizations. We analyze the risks and anticipate opportunities. Knowing your sector, we identify potential issues in product liability, quality management, delivery performance and other areas. We advise on joint ventures, commercial agreements, trademark protection and defense, employment working conditions and contractual concerns in R&D.
“Whether you’re pursuing a growth strategy or reacting to external circumstances, we have the experience to advise you on any issue – contentious or transactional.”
Redesigning supply chains with circular practices can at the same time resolve demand for sustainable product offerings on the one hand, and increasing uncertainties in new feedstock sourcing on the other hand. We help you reinvent how you operate and respond to the opportunities and challenges.
We act for many of the industry’s biggest producers and distributors in chemicals, petrochemicals and specialty chemicals, including the pharma, nutrition, packaging and automotive industries. Our lawyers know the global chemicals industry firsthand. Many held senior positions before joining our firm, were seconded to the legal departments of chemicals clients or regularly contribute to industry events.
Whether you’re pursuing a growth strategy or reacting to external circumstances, we have the experience to advise you on any issue – contentious or transactional.
Advising LyondellBasell on various projects, including:
its affiliate Houston Refining, LP in a dispute surrounding a catalyst reactor upgrade at its Houston Refinery; and
representing its affiliate Equistar Chemicals in a dispute with a construction contractor involved in a major polyethylene plant project.
Advising LANXESS – active in the manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and modem plastics – on various projects, including:
the outsourcing of the complete IT infrastructure as well as the application management;
the anti-dumping investigation of LANXESS Deutschland, ICL Europa and PCC Rokita against imports of certain alkyl phosphate esters from China, and in the parallel anti-subsidy investigation. We assisted the clients in all the phases of the investigations, from the questionnaire responses, letters of deficiency, on-site verification visits by the European Commission and preparation of argumentative submissions until the Commission’s issuance of the provisional regulation and the final disclosure; and
as co-complainant alongside Radici in an anti-dumping complaint and investigation against imports of adipic acid from China, including representing both companies throughout the entire process from preparation of the complaint and engagement with DG Trade's Office of Complaints, to on-site verification visits by the European Commission.
Advising BASF on several transactions relating to offshore wind farms Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) and Hollandse Kust West (HKW) in the Dutch North Sea; the largest and first subsidy-free wind farm in the world. These are built in cooperation with Vattenfall and represent a total commitment of BASF of c. EUR1.6 billion. Our work related to this project included:
the acquisition of 49,5% stake in HKZ from Vattenfall;
the subsequent sale of 25.2% of HKZ to Allianz;
a partnership with Vattenfall to jointly participate in the tender process for HKW; and
the financing of the construction of HKZ, provided by a club of international lenders.
Advising BASF on various other projects across the globe, including
its proposed acquisition of AgBiTech, a provider of biological pest control solutions, anticipated to close in 2026. We advised on all Australian aspects of the transaction and coordinated cross border regulatory, employment, intellectual property and commercial due diligence and strategic advice from legal teams in the United States and Brazil;
the global legal carve-out of its mobile emissions catalysts and precious metal services businesses, which now operates as BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS), headquartered in the US;
as operator of the largest chemical plant in Belgium in the port of Antwerp, on its role as participant and developer of the first Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) project in Belgium, including negotiations with the operators of the CO₂ liquefaction terminal and the CO₂ pipeline network in the Port of Antwerp;
the establishment of its strategic cooperation with Norilsk Nickel for the production of battery materials for electric vehicles in Harjavalta, Finland. BASF aims to create sufficient supply to equip approximately 300,000 full electric vehicles per year with its battery materials. This is part of a multi-step investment plan with an overall volume of more than EUR400 million; and
the sale of its manufacturing site in Kankakee, Illinois and its associated producers of vegetable-oil-based raw material sterols and natural vitamin E, anionic surfactants and esters to an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners, a US-based private equity firm.
Providing end-to-end transactional support to US paint and coatings manufacturer, Benjamin Moore, on two parallel strategic UK acquisitions – with particular focus on corporate, commercial, intellectual property, real estate and employment advice:
the acquisition of a manufacturing facility and business near Newcastle, previously operated by Horizon Products, to enable expanded manufacturing capacity and increase supply chain stability within the region; and
the conditional agreement to acquire the Craig & Rose brand; a heritage paint brand established in Scotland in 1829 to add a distinctive, design-driven offering for key customer segments to Benjamin Moore's portfolio.
Advising INEOS on various projects, including:
the provision of its first asset based lending facilities, comprising of EUR100 million inventory and receivables lines made available by Barclays and Santander;
an agreement with Novo Nordisk to establish a long-term strategic partnership for the supply of critical solvents used in Novo Nordisk's production processes; and
as complainant in an anti-dumping complaint against imports of terephthalic acid from South Korea and Mexico, throughout the entire process of preparation of the complaint, the engagement with DG Trade's Office of Complaints, the official lodging, the reply to deficiency letters sent by the Commission, and full legal representation of the company during the anti-dumping investigation.
Representing SABIC in various global M&A projects, complex business restructurings, and strategic partnerships and joint ventures, including:
the intended pre-merger carve-out of its high-performance materials business to a joint venture with Clariant;
the carve out and sale of their functional forms / innovative plastics business; and
the establishment of a strategic partnership with Plastic Energy who have successfully commercialized a patented thermochemical technology to recycle plastics. Together, they have built a plant in Geleen, the Netherlands to refine and upgrade a valuable feedstock from low quality, mixed plastic waste.
Advising and representing the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) before German courts and higher courts with regard to the enforcement of fees and various issues relating to the enforcement of EU law in Germany.
Assisting ARLANXEO on privacy and data protection aspects in the context of internal investigations and whistleblowing procedures, including drafting internal policies and providing on-site training to the in-house team.
Assisting Huntsman (a US-headquartered multinational manufacturer and marketer of chemical products for consumers and industrial customers) in a review of the new hire consent forms the client would ask employees in China to sign for collecting personal data.
Advising multiple global petrochemicals companies on their ESG strategy, specifically in relation to their position towards relevant NGOs. We performed gap analysis of current climate change-related actions and policies, and conducted research regarding case law, applicable local and international laws and regulations, and soft law standards – and mapped this against the clients' strategies.
Assisting Tokyo Electron Europe in responding to a proposed restriction by the European Commission on a particular type of PFAS substance.
