The Legal 500

At Kromann Reumert, Jens Munk Plum and his ‘highly competent’ team have a superb record in successfully overturning decisions by the Danish Competition Authority. Morten Kofmann represents SAS Cargo in the European Commission’s ongoing investigation; Erik Bertelsen and Thomas Klausen successfully defended Arla in a Swedish investigation of alleged abuse of dominance. The group represented Danish Energy in its complaint to the Commission concerning the Swedish TSO Stattkraft. Other high-profile clients include DONG Energy and Post Danmark.

Bech-Bruun advises on state aid, anti-competitive practices, merger control and public procurement. Group head Simon Evers Kalsmose-Hjelmborg successfully represented Viasat UK Broadcasting in a case regarding TV 2’s abuse of dominance on the TV advertising market. Peter Stig Jakobsen won DKK75m in damages for Forbruger-Kontakt in a High Court case against Post Danmark regarding abuse of dominant position. Henrik Holtse was promoted to partner.

Practice head Jan-Erik Svensson at Gorrissen Federspiel is ‘simply the best’, successfully representing transport trade organisation Dansk Transport og Logistik in a seminal case before the Danish Competition Appeals Tribunal. The ‘organised, knowledgeable’ Martin Dittmer represented DFDS in its acquisition of Norfolkline from A P Moller-Maersk. Other high-profile clients include Post Danmark and Nykredit. Michael Klöcker joined the team from TDC.

Plesner’s ‘accessible, best-in-class’ competition team includes Bo Vesterdorf, former president of the Court of First Instance. Group head Christian Lauridsen is representing DONG Energy in several ongoing cases concerning alleged excessive pricing on the electricity spot market. Gitte Holtsø, who ‘always provides valuable, to-the-point advice’, is assisting a Danish company with a trans-Atlantic competition law investigation within the air freight forwarding sector. The team handled numerous merger filings, notably advising A P Moller-Maersk on the sale of Norfolk Holdings to DFDS and the acquisition of a minority shareholding in DFDS.

Accura Advokatpartnerselskab’s team, led by Jesper Fabricius who is advising STRABAG in its PPP bid to build the Kliplev-Sønderborg Motorway, recruited Christina Heiberg-Grevy and Kim Jensen from Rønne & Lundgren, and is commended for its ‘good commercial understanding’. Highlights included representing ambulance and fire fighting company Falck Danmark against two municipalities, and advising KL on public procurement regulation.

Bruun & Hjejle’s ‘professional, skilled and efficient’ team has a strong track record in merger control and contentious matters, including state aid. Group head Olaf Koktvedgaard is representing TV 2|DANMARK in a case pending before the European Commission, and in an appeal before the General Court in Luxembourg brought by Viasat Broadcasting UK. Koktvedgaard, Per Magid and Erik Kjær-Hansen successfully represented the Danish Competition Council in Post Danmark’s Supreme Court appeal on selective pricing. Clients praise Robin Philip’s ‘ability to understand complex business structure and activities’.

Andreas Christensen and his team at Horten advise on public procurement, competition and regulatory matters, free movement of goods and EU funds. The ‘dedicated, responsive’ Susie Stærk Ekstrand handles contentious and regulatory matters regarding food, food supplements, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics.

Lett Law Firm recruited Karen Dyekjær from Plesner. Public procurement head René Offersen is representing construction company MT Højgaard in the Supreme Court. Torkil Høg and his competition team are representing Abbott in a complaint against Danish hospitals.

Lind Cadovius is acting for the leading Danish cinemas in a high-profile state aid case, representing Post Danmark in a leading case on alleged abuse of dominance and Terminal A concerning the establishment of passenger terminal facilities in Copenhagen Airport. Other clients include JP Politikens Hus, DONG Energy and DSV Transport. The team was strengthened by Frederik André Bork from the Danish Competition Authority.

Led by Anders Torbøl, who has ‘excellent political judgement’, and Thomas Ryhl, MAQS Law Firm has particular expertise in competition matters and state aid, representing international conglomerates including Philips, Aker Kvaerner, VELUX, Hempel and Danone, as well as pharmaceutical giants Merial, Ferring and Genentech. Recent highlights include acting as Agent for the European Commission against the Kingdom of Denmark regarding the €100m claim for reimbursement of agricultural funds, defending port owner Scandlines before the Danish High Court and Supreme Court, over the use of the ferry ports of Rødby and Puttgarden and contesting PostDanmark’s pricing on behalf of major customers.

Nielsen Nørager’s Henrik Peytz has expert knowledge of EU and competition law, administrative law, state aid and public procurement and experience in handling Article 82 EC cases before the Danish Competition Authority. In January 2010, he obtained a significant Supreme Court decision concerning EU referral decisions.

Peter Dann Jørgensen, who ‘focuses on the right issues’, and Majse Jarlov at Bender von Haller Dragsted advise Copenhagen Municipality on EU tenders. The firm assisted Copenhagen Airports with litigation and procurement and KOMBIT with complex IT tenders.

At Delacour Dania, Rune Hamborg provides ‘fast, to-the-point advice’ on Danish and EC competition law, antitrust and state aid, with particular expertise in regulatory matters involving air transport and pharmaceuticals. Clients include Copenhagen Airports and pharmaceutical distributor Celesio Denmark/Tjellesen Max Jenne.

Eversheds Advokataktieselskab handles international antitrust filing assessments for international clients SPX and Symantec, export control advice and commercial contracts work with a regulatory aspect. Following the departure of Mogens Aarestrup Vind, the firm recruited consultants Henrik Mansfeldt Witt and Kim Hansen.

Kirsten Frijs at Mazanti-Andersen, Korsø Jensen & Partnere handles litigation and anti-monopoly cases.

Philip Law Firm handles cross-border EU and competition issues for Danish and international clients, focusing on mergers and anti-competitive agreements.

Viltoft advises on competition issues in the construction sector.