Contract transfer

Definizione

Contract transfer (contractsoverneming) moves a party's complete position in a contract, covering both rights and obligations, to a third party. Under Dutch law this requires a deed and the cooperation or consent of the remaining counterparty, distinguishing it from a mere assignment of receivables. It is common in mergers, divestments and outsourcing.

Esempio

When a business unit is sold, its service contracts are transferred to the buyer with the customers' written consent.

Perché rappresenta un rischio aziendale

A contract transfer that lacks the counterparty's consent is void under Dutch law, meaning obligations continue to bind the transferring party. In M&A and outsourcing contexts, large numbers of contracts must be reviewed and consented to on compressed timelines. Missed transfers leave assets stranded, services interrupted or the seller still legally exposed on contracts they believed they had offloaded.

Come gestirlo

• Maintain a complete contract register so every agreement requiring transfer can be identified quickly in a transaction or restructuring.
• Check each contract for an anti-assignment or change-of-control clause before assuming transfer is permissible.
• Obtain written consent from counterparties before completing the transfer, and record the consent in a form that is retrievable alongside the contract.
• Execute the transfer by deed where required under applicable law, and ensure all parties receive a fully executed copy.
• Update the contract register immediately after transfer so responsibility and ownership are correctly attributed to the new party.

Riferimenti normativi

• BW 6:159 Dutch Civil Code, contract transfer Diritto olandese

Salvo diversa indicazione, i riferimenti riguardano il diritto olandese (Burgerlijk Wetboek, il Codice Civile olandese); gli strumenti UE come il GDPR si applicano in tutta l'UE. Si tratta di informazioni generali, non di consulenza legale. Altre giurisdizioni trattano questi concetti in modo diverso. Verifichi il testo vigente e la propria situazione con un avvocato qualificato.