Verhandling

Traditionally shareholders in the Netherlands have less power than in the UK. It is often said that shareholders in the Netherlands also have less say than in the US. This is not tree from a legal point of view. On paper US shareholders have fewer specific rights, such as calling meetings or taking resolutions that the company must issue shares or suspend or dismiss directors. However, through shareholder activism and class actions in securities cases the rights of shareholders in the US have become stronger in the last 20 years. US shareholders, indeed, regard the boards as their representatives.1 The importance of shareholder influence in the Netherlands is increasing, now there are many active US and UK shareholders of Dutch companies.