Stichting

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A stichting (lit. 'foundation') is a Dutch legal entity with limited liability, not aiming to make profit, with no members or share capital, that exists for a specific purpose that is serving a public, social or an idealistic interest.^[1] A stichting is allowed to make profit but the legal condition is that this profit must be spend on achieving the foundation's goals. This form of entity makes it possible to separate functions of ownership and control.

Its use has been pioneered successfully in recent years as a 'poison pill' style defence tactic in hostile takeover situations by Scott V Simpson, one of Europe's leading mergers and acquisitions lawyers.^[2] This however was not the use Dutch lawmakers had in mind when drawing the law.