The Legal 500

Advokatfirman Cederquist’s Johan Lundberg advised private equity firm EQT on financing the acquisition of Anticimex Group from Ratos. Practice head Svante Hultqvist acted for the lenders in a €1.8m deal, and Mattias Larsson helped Swedish confectioner Cloetta to obtain a SEK4.2m credit facility.

Mannheimer Swartling advises major national and international banks and corporates. Recent highlights for the 45-lawyer team include representing DNB Bank on a SEK665m financing of three wind farms (led by Thomas Pettersson), and handling multi-currency revolving facilities totalling €2bn for Scania (Jan Dernestam). ‘Top-notch’ practice head André Andersson ‘sees the big picture before anyone else’, and Daniel Karlsson ‘knows what is important and what is not’.

Clients receive ‘mint service’ from Advokatfirman Vinge, which regularly acts as Swedish counsel to leading UK and US law firms. Practice head Mikael Ståhl is ‘solution-minded but with integrity’. In 2012, he and Maria-Pia Hope advised Bain Capital on financing a complex club deal acquisition. Other clients of the team included Goldman Sachs and Nordea Bank. Henrik Ossborn and Magnus Hedsund are both ‘excellent’.

Gernandt & Danielsson Advokatbyrå’s eight-partner, ten-associate team advises lenders, borrowers and hedge funds on complex matters. Among its deal highlights, asset finance and leasing specialist Marcus Johansson advised Kuwait Finance House on a SEK250m shari’ah law property financing. Also recommended are Niclas Rockborn, who acts for various funds, and Candra Torebring, who was promoted to partner. Active clients include Lancelot Asset Management, Swedbank and East Capital.

Hannes Snellman Advokatbyrå AB’s ten-lawyer practice had a busy 2012 advising Swedish, pan-Nordic and international clients on asset financing and refinancing, leveraged buyouts, private equity funding and acquisition finance. Finance head Fredrik Madani advised Triton on refinancing matters. Other clients include EQT, Hoist and Altor. Joe Cohen left for an in-house position.

Linklaters LLP’s two-partner team specialises in advanced cross-border work, and maintains close links with the firm’s London office. Practice head Per Nyberg advised Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board on funding its acquisition of a majority stake in clothing line Helly Hansen. Associates Linn Siljelöf and Olof Wetterling represented arrangers establishing a SEK1.4bn multi-currency credit facility. Head of private equity Krister Hansen left for an in-house role.

Roschier acts for lenders and borrowers, including Nordea Bank, Danske Bank, Altor Fund, 3i and Axcel. The ‘dedicated’ Johan Häger ‘finds solutions, not problems’, and recently advised Svenska Handelsbanken on a SEK4.2bn credit facility. Peers and clients recommend ‘thorough’ practice head Fredrik Rydin. Finance and regulatory counsel Dan Hanqvist joined from Advokatfirman Vinge.

Setterwalls’ Jonas Frii advised Arise Windpower on joint venture finance for a €340m wind power project, which combined private funds with export credit agency support. Kristina Einarsson advised Bain Capital on acquisition loans totalling €450m, while Jesper Kuschel assisted SveaReal with a €400m refinancing. Åke Fors heads the ‘improving’ 25-lawyer practice, which capital markets specialist Peter Sederowsky re-joined in 2012.

White & Case Advokat AB is ‘very close behind the top tier’. Standout work for high-end clients included the ‘very commercial’ Carl Hugo Parment acting for Nordic Capital on a SEK4.2bn IPO and financing of Leaf Group, involving a reverse listing on the NASDAQ OMX. Parment and practice head Magnus Wennerhorn also advised SSAB on credit facilities totalling SEK7.8bn.

The ‘attentive and pragmatic’ Mikael Kövamees heads DLA Nordic’s ‘thorough yet fast’ practice. The 14-lawyer team handles mainstream leveraged and acquisition financings, as well as innovative structured financings. Clients include Armada Mezzanine Capital, Barclays, RBS, and Nordea Finans Sverige. Leveraged finance specialist Björn Sjöberg is also recommended.

Wistrand hired the ‘extremely skilled’ Håkan Lindgren and Nils Sköld from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. The ‘competent and pragmatic’ Monica Petersson heads the practice, whose clients include Swedbank, HSH Nordbank and Catella Real Estate.

At Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra, team head Cecilia Bjelle and Leif Gustafsson handle cross-border matters in conjunction with the firm’s international offices. Recent work includes various acquisition and loan refinancings.

Bird & Bird’s Hans Svensson acts for Citibank Sweden on transactional and regulatory matters. The ‘proactive’ Jim Runsten advised Northland on a $50m bridging loan with Standard Bank and a $40m cost overrun facility.

Advokatfirman Delphi’s growing practice added Erika Rosenberg from an in-house role, whose prior experience includes working at the Swedish Coop and at Advokatfirman Cederquist Per Lagerkvist and Clas Romander advised HSBC Canada and Gypsum Technologies on loans.

At Hamilton Advokatbyrå, department head Fredrik Gillgren advised Priveq Investment Fund on a SEK5bn leveraged acquisition deal and real estate group Allokton on financial restructuring. Regulatory practice head Peter Kullgren is ‘a top performer’.

Hammarskiöld & Co AB saw the departure of practice head Philip Heilbrunn in 2012, which followed the move of former group head Per Gustaf Ekbom. Erik Fahlgren advised Barclays Bank on a €7.7bn facilities agreement. Senior associate Eva Sundling is ‘attentive and competent’. Practice co-headMattias Anjou joined from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.

Advokatfirman Lindahl KB’s focus is real estate, acquisition and project financing, and regulatory advice. Jesper Johansson advised the arrangers of a €250m revolving agreement for the Jädraås wind farm, and is recommended for his ‘commercial understanding of project financing’.

Sten Gejrot’s three-partner team at MAQS Law Firm advised Aberdeen Property Fund Management on the structuring of a SEK970m residential fund and Colfax Corporation on $2.1bn acquisition financing.

Magnusson Advokatbyrå hired Katja Cato from Advokatfirman Vinge and former Swedish FSA adviser Peter Billinger. Björn Wendleby advised Svenska Hanselsbanken on regulation. New clients include Bank of China.

Advokatfirman Törngren Magnell KB’s ten-strong team is led by the ‘commercial, professional’ Tobhias Brandell. Martin Rosell acted on a SEK3.1bn wind farm project financing for Platina Partners, while Sara Axelsson advised Priveq Investment on acquisition finance.

The arrival of former Deutsche Bank in-house lawyer Tord Svensson from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton was a boost for Eversheds Advokatbyrå AB, which joins the ranking this year. Clients include CBRE Global Investors, HSBC and the National Swedish Export Credit Agency.

Gärde Wesslau Advokatbyrå advised on a range of secured and syndicated loans, project and shipping finance matters, and restructurings. Staffan Olsson handles acquisition finance.

Per Winnberg and Anders Lundberg advise on transactional, corporate and regulatory issues at Hellström Law.

Thomas Moll and Martin Jönsson handle corporate finance work at Moll Wendén Advokatbyrå.