The Legal 500

At Bech-Bruun, Steen Halmind, Morten Krogsgaard and Tue Ravnholt Frandsen advise on debt restructurings, distressed debt, and debt buy-back transactions, acquisition finance and regulatory matters. The team assisted Goldman Sachs International with an ISS €127.5m senior notes issue. Other clients include RBS, Svenska Handelsbanken and BNP Paribas. Steen Jensen represented two listed banks in negotiations with Finansiel Stabilitet. Jørgen Reimer Jensen specialises in aircraft and rail financing.

Gorrissen Federspiel is ‘among the best, if not the best in Denmark’, representing Finansiel Stabilitet and the Danish National Bank on the sale and transfer of a DKK6.5bn loan portfolio from the former Fionia Bank to Nordea Bank Danmark. ‘Seriously outstanding’ group head Michael Steen Jensen acted for joint arrangers Merrill Lynch International and Nykredit Bank on DanFin Funding’s $10bn secured note programme. Tobias Linde advised ISS Holding on its €127.5m issue. The team advised Danish banks obtaining hybrid core capital loans from the state and on EMTN Programmes.

At Kromann Reumert, Kim Rasmussen, Ian Tokley and Jens Steen Jensen advise the Ministry of Economics and Business on capital injections into Danish financial institutions. Kim Rasmussen and Jakob Bernhoft advised Finansiel Stabilitet on state guarantees for loans to Danish financial institutions. Christian Hennings and Thomas Kaas assisted Nordea, Danske Bank and Danmarks Skibskredit, on Danish and international shipbuilding programmes. Jens Blomgren-Hansen advised on the Australian Collgar Wind Farm project. Jakob Bernhoft and Peter Ketelsen acted for EQT Infrastructure Fund on the purchase of hazardous waste treatment company Kommune Kemi.

Plesner’s ‘highly respected’ 20-lawyer team advises on regulatory matters and acquisition, project and asset financing and includes the ‘outstanding’ Søren Thyssen Valerius. Thomas Maaberg Hansen and Birgitte Schøtt Knudsen continue to act on the Danish aspects of the Lehman Brothers insolvency. Jørgen Permin, commended for his ‘business acumen, attention to detail and excellent negotiation skills’ advised China Development Bank on a $1bn facility to A P Moller-Maersk and acted for DONG Energy on its 50% ownership stake in the London Array Project for the construction of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Accura Advokatpartnerselskab’s ‘smart, pragmatic’ group is led by Kim Toftgaard and Thomas Skjellerup, who recently joined the team from Rønne & Lundgren. Clients commend the team’s ‘quick turn around, good service and value for money’. It advises Danish and international clients on acquisition finance, property finance, derivatives and securitisation. Highlights included advising Nordea Bank Danmark on Pandora’s refinancing prior to its IPO.

Bruun & Hjejle is ‘commercial, to the point and appropriate’. The ‘skilled and meticulous’ practice head Henrik Dahl acted for the Danish Guarantee Fund for Depositors and Investors on the bankruptcy of Capinordic Bank. Along with Karsten Kristoffersen, ‘one of the best lawyers of his generation’, Dahl advised Skælskør Bank on the conversion of DKK100m hybrid tier-one capital held by the Danish State. Other work included advising BRFkredit, Alm. Brand Bank and others on notes issues amounting to more than DKK16bn under the State Bank Rescue Package II.

Horten’s ‘hard-working, skillful’ team advised SEB on Ratos’ acquisition of Telia Stofa from TeliaSonera; and was lead counsel to Dalhoff Larsen & Horneman in the second refinancing of the group’s bank debt. Practice head Claus Bennetsen is acting for the Icelandic State Treasury on project financing for a high-speed telecom cable between Denmark and Iceland. Mikkel Fritsch moved to Hannes Snellman Attorneys at Law Ltd.

Lett Law Firm’s practice, headed by Finn Overgaard, recruited Søren Brinkmann from Eversheds Advokataktieselskab, and lost Michael Carsted Rosenberg to Johan Schlüter Law Firm. Overgaard and Ulrik Bangsbo Hansen represented Invitel Holdings in its acquisition by Mid Europa Partners. Brinkmann’s clients include Bank DnB NORD. Other key clients include Danske Bank, Nykredit, Realkredit Danmark, Fidelity Investments and Schroder.

At Nielsen Nørager, Morten Eldrup-Jørgensen, who provides niche private equity fund expertise, and Thomas Weisbjerg advised senior lenders – including Danske Bank, Nordea Bank, Nykredit and FIH – on EQT’s DKK2bn acquisition of KMD. Jakob Mosegaard Larsen is recommended.

Eversheds Advokataktieselskab lost partners Søren Brinkmann and Sam Jalaei to Lett Law Firm. Managing partner Troels Askerud has also left the firm. Nikolaj Juhl Hansen advises on acquisition finance, renewable energy and project finance, notably assisting a Chinese client with a bridging loan facility.

At Lind Cadovius, Hans Madsen provides specialist securitisation and SPV products to clients, including Nordea. Jens Krogh Petersen and Søren Jørgensen focus on transaction-related financing advice to international banks including RBS, Mizuho Bank, UniCredit and Commerzbank. Jess Thiersen and Lars Skanvig undertake general banking work.

The ‘capable, knowledgeable and professional’ Philip Graff and his team at MAQS Law Firm provide ‘a high-quality service’ to clients including Nordea, DnB, Nykredit and Eurohypo on restructuring, suspension of payments and borrower bankruptcies. The group advised Calyon and Ulster Bank on loans to multinational corporations.

Moalem Weitemeyer Bendtsen recruited Christoffer Galbo from Kromann Reumert. ‘Excellent all-round commercial adviser’ Claus Molbech Bendtsen and his team represented Brørup Sparekasse in its DKK1bn takeover by Saxo Bank and Intrum Justitia in its DKK3bn takeover of Citi Bank’s credit card portfolio in Denmark.

Philip Law Firm advises Danish and international banks and financial institutions regarding distressed debt and reconstructions. Henning Hansen assisted Danske Bank with the restructuring of Toki Group. Erik Malberg represents Sparbank in insolvency matters. Realdania is a longstanding client.

Rønne & Lundgren lost Thomas Skjellerup and his team to Accura Advokatpartnerselskab. Steen Holm-Larsen and Michael Amstrup joined following the firm’s merger with Amstrup, Jung & Partnere.