The legal - as well as political and business - environment is encouraging more multinationals to set up their head offices in the country. 'We are often involved in international mergers in which the headquarters comes to the Netherlands and I expect more to follow,' said Hein  Hooghoudt who led the NautaDutilh team on behalf of the Publicis group. His opposite number representing Omnicom, Paul Cronheim of De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek told Expatica.com : '…when there is a merger of two equal international firms there is often talk of locating the main holding in the Netherlands.' 

More flexible

In the Netherlands, companies have the choice of a single-tier or two-tier board which means they can be flexible on the amount of supervision of executive decisions that takes place. Tax considerations played a major part in the Publicis Omnicom decision regarding the Netherlands - and other companies would  be likely to find the state attractive for the same reasons.