The holding company created for Deutsche Börse's planned merger with the London Stock Exchange Group comes in the form of a Dutch legal vehicle typically used to thwart rival takeovers.

The entity, called Stichting HLDCO123, was created on March 7, according to a regulatory filing. Lisa Condron, the LSE Group's company secretary, and Marcus Lehmann, Deutsche Börse's head of corporate strategy, are its only two named directors, according to a Dutch filing.