Daphne Benshas has over 20 years' experience advising (multi)national corporations and listed companies on complex cross-border M&A transactions. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and general corporate law, with a particular emphasis on strategic and high-value transactions.
She has deep sector expertise in Technology and Food & Agri and is a member of DLA Piper’s global core teams in these sectors. Daphne regularly advises boards and senior management teams on complex transactional and strategic matters.
Daphne is widely recognised as a leading M&A practitioner in the Netherlands. She has been ranked for more than a decade in both the Chambers Europe and Chambers Global Guides, and is recognised by Legal 500 as a leading partner for her work on market-leading deals. In 2024, she was nominated for Best M&A Lawyer (Mid-Market) at the Dutch M&A Awards.
Clients value her ability to combine technical excellence with clear, commercial advice. As noted by Chambers: “Daphne is able to take complex issues and boil them down to principles that non-lawyers can understand clearly.” She is also praised for her strong client focus and ability to quickly identify key priorities in negotiations.
In addition to her client work, Daphne is International Co-Managing Director for Europe and a member of the DLA Piper Global Executive Committee. She previously led the Corporate/M&A practice in the Netherlands (2014–2024). Earlier in her career, she was seconded to the firm’s Singapore and Hong Kong offices, further strengthening her international perspective.
Daphne is also active in the broader business and academic community. She is a guest lecturer at Nyenrode Business University and has served in recent years as a jury member for the Philips Innovation Awards.
