Norton Rose Fulbright advises Arla Foods on merger with DMK Group creating the largest dairy cooperative in Europe

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright advises Danish dairy cooperative Arla Foods amba (Arla) on its merger with German dairy cooperative Deutsches Milchkontor eG and Dutch dairy cooperative DOC Kaas U.A. (collectively DMK Group). The advice comprises in particular German and Dutch law as well as merger control and other regulatory aspects of the transaction.

The merger between Arla and DMK Group will create the largest dairy cooperative in Europe with more than 12,000 farmers and a consolidated annual revenue of EUR 19 billion. The merged entity will carry the name Arla Foods amba and will be headquartered in Viby J, Denmark. The merger has been approved by the boards of representatives of Arla and DMK Group. It is still subject to regulatory review, which is expected to conclude in Q1 2026.

Arla is an international dairy company owned by more than 7,600 farmers from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Arla is one of the leading players in the international dairy arena with well-known brands like Arla®, Lurpak®, Puck® and Castello®. Arla is focused on providing good dairy nourishment from sustainable farming and operations and is also the world's largest manufacturer of organic dairy products.

Employing around 6,800 employees at more than 20 locations in Germany, the Netherlands and other international hubs, Germany's largest dairy cooperative DMK Group processes milk into foodstuffs of the highest quality. The product portfolio ranges from cheese, dairy products and ingredients to baby food, ice cream, whey products and vegan products. Brands such as MILRAM, Oldenburger, Uniekaas, Alete and Humana have earned the trust of consumers at home and abroad, making the company an established player in its home markets and selected target markets around the globe. As one of the largest suppliers to the German food retail industry with a total revenue of 5.1 billion euros, the DMK Group is one of Europe’s leading dairy companies.

The multi-jurisdictional Norton Rose Fulbright team is led by German partner Dr Heiko Bertelmann (Corporate/M&A, Hamburg). The core corporate team comprises Jon Perry (Partner, Corporate/M&A, London), Marcel Gießler (Associate, Corporate/M&A, Hamburg), Heimon Smits (Partner) and Marit van den Elshout (Associate) (both Corporate/M&A, Amsterdam).

The Norton Rose Fulbright regulatory team is led by Ian Giles (Head of Antitrust, Competition and Regulatory EMEA, London), Dr Tim Schaper (Partner, Hamburg), Jamie Cooke (Partner, London) and Violetta Bourt (Counsel, Brussels).

Dr Heiko Bertelmann commented:

“We are excited to support our long-standing client Arla on this landmark merger, which will set the stage for a new era of the European diary industry. This underpins our firm’s capabilities to advise on complex, cross-border and large cap M&A transactions and sector focus on the food industry.”