The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

‘In a league of its own’, Gorrissen Federspiel is deeply involved in the rescue and winding up of failing Danish banks, and is representing Amagerbanken in its DKK20.15bn restructuring and filing for Bank Package III. The Danish Central Bank and Finansiel Stabilitet are key clients. On the finance side, Tobias Linde advised ISS Holding on its DKK25.5bn senior facilities agreement. Practice head Michael Steen Jensen is a ‘highly skilled negotiator’, and is respected for his ‘in-depth-knowledge of the banking industry’.

Within Capital markets, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel is ‘second to none’ for capital markets work. ‘Terrific technical and commercial lawyers’ Klaus Søgaard and Rikke Schiøtt Petersen advised on the DKK23bn IPO/reintroduction of TDC; and Danske Bank’s DKK20bn rights issue. Clients also recommend Tomas Haagen Jensen, Finn Møller, Niels Heering and Niels Bang, who wins plaudits for his ‘ability to provide on-the-spot advice’.

Within Dispute resolution, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel shows ‘high integrity, professionalism and speed’, and has an international focus, handling complex disputes and arbitrations for clients such as Vestas and Novo Nordisk. Practice head Henrik Lind and the ‘competent, experienced’ Christian Alsøe are representing the former Roskilde Bank in a DKK1bn claim against its former management and auditors. ‘Excellent court advocate’ Henriette Gernaa defended Deloitte Denmark in the Court of Appeal against the EHuset bankruptcy estate.

Within EU and competition, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

Jan-Erik Svensson’s ‘excellent, well-respected’ team at Gorrissen Federspiel has the ‘ability to deliver on time’. Recent mandates include representing FLSmidth in the industrial bags cartel proceedings; KMD in a Danish Competition Authority case concerning alleged abuse of dominance; and TeliaSonera Denmark in the Supreme Court against TDC. Martin Dittmer shows ‘accessibility, drive and enthusiasm’. Aarhus-based Henrik Holtse joined from Bech-Bruun.

Within Employment, Gorrissen Federspiel is a third tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel ‘understands international employment issues’, and Aarhus-based practice head Jacob Sand has a ‘strong practical and theoretical background’. The team provides transactional support and standalone advice, and Sand recently advised ISS on employment aspects of its aborted DKK13.3bn IPO. Nina Wedsted successfully represented Rae Systems in the Supreme Court.

Within Energy, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

At Gorrissen Federspiel, Jan-Erik Svensson and his ‘efficient, available, commercial’ team focus on electricity, oil, gas and heating, and assisted RWE Dea with the closure of the SIRI North Sea oil platform. Michael Meyer advised Nordea Bank Norge, Carnegie and Barclays Capital on the Statoil Fuel & Retail IPO, and Vattenfall on its sale of Hillerød power plant.

Within Information technology, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel’s outsourcing specialist Ole Horsfeldt leads a team that advises on cross-border outsourcing, including global telephony and network procurement projects for Lundbeck and A.P. Møller – Maersk; offshoring of application and maintenance work for Nets; pan-European infrastructure outsourcing for Carlsberg; and Nordic outsourcing transactions for Danske Bank and ISS. The team also negotiated Ukrainian mobile telecoms operator Kiyvstar’s mobile network infrastructure outsourcing.

Within Insolvency, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

At Gorrissen Federspiel, group head Lars Grøngaard and Anne Birgitte Gammeljord acted on high-profile bankruptcies including Globe Malerfirma and Stolelyngen Invest. John Sommer Schmidt is administrator for Green Wind Energy and Scan Energy.

Within Insurance, Gorrissen Federspiel is a third tier firm,

The ‘analytical’ Henriette Gernaa and her ‘highly capable’ team at Gorrissen Federspiel are strong in ‘disputes, writing and research’, and handle contentious and regulatory work involving product liability and recalls. Peter Appel and Jens Mathiasen provide ‘down-to-earth, realistic advice’ to marine insurers and reinsurers, P&I clubs, underwriters, insurance brokers and agents, and charterers.

Within Intellectual property, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel’s new clients include Aalborg Industries (now owned by Alfa Laval), Volvo and Rockwool. Janne Glæsel and group head Lasse Søndergaard Christensen are representing Budejovický Meštanský Pivovar in its ongoing battle with Anheuser-Busch over rights to the names Budweis and Budweiser. Glæsel appeared before The General Court in Luxembourg against OHIM in the so-called ‘Loudspeaker case’ concerning Bang & Olufsen’s organ pipe speaker system. Christian Kragelund leads the trade marks team.

Within Legal market overview,

The Big Four firms – Kromann Reumert, Bech-Bruun, Plesner, and Gorrissen Federspiel – dominate the Danish legal market and are all based in Copenhagen, although Kromann Reumert is significantly larger than its competitors. Bech-Bruun expanded again with a merger with mid-size, full-service Philip Law Firm, thus moving the firm on from an earlier reduction in numbers and the loss of several partners (most notably to Hannes Snellman Attorneys at Law Ltd). All the Big Four except Plesner have offices in Aarhus in Jutland, Denmark’s industrial heartland. Leading Aarhus firms, such as Delacour Dania Law Firm, also maintain offices in Copenhagen. Lett Law Firm has offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Kolding. DAHL Advokatfirma has offices in Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Herning, Randers and Viborg. Focus Advokater (LLP) is based in Odense, with branches in Copenhagen and Hamburg.

Within Media and entertainment, tier 4

Gorrissen Federspiel’s Lasse Søndergaard Christensen is representing the Danish Chamber of Commerce in a dispute concerning the MPEG4 broadcasting standard. Janne Glæsel is helping search and directory provider Eniro Denmark to prevent circulation of fake guides. Christian Alsøe is assisting the collective right holders’ society Gramex. Martin Dittmer represents DR, and is advising the Danish Football League on broadcasting rights to Danish club football.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel’s ‘high-calibre, responsive’ team portfolio of mandates has included nine M&A transactions worth over DKK1bn and four large-scale IPOs. Among these, the ‘fabulous’ Niels Heering and Michael Steen Jensen assisted Amagerbanken with its DKK18.54bn sale to Finansiel Stabilitet; and Camilla Collet advised Pfizer on its acquisition of Ferrosan’s consumer health division. Morten Skjønnemand assisted GMT Communications Partners III with the acquisition of Thomson Reuters Professional in Denmark and Sweden. Tomas Haagen Jensen heads the practice.

Within Real estate and construction, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel’s lawyers are ‘professional and easy to work with’. Aarhus-based practice head Peter Sjøgreen is advising FS Ejendomsselskab on property purchases to reduce losses arising from banks taken over by Finansiel Stabilitet. Copenhagen-based Hans Peter Jørgensen assisted Magillum Properties with the DKK1.8bn sale of real estate companies that owned the Magasin department store buildings in Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus. Merete Larsen, who is a recent hire from Lind Cadovius, represents clients including KPMG.

Within Shipping and transport, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel is ‘second to none for maritime law’, and it represents banks, insurers and P&I clubs, shipowners – notably Clipper, Norden and Scandlines – and shipowners’ organisation BIMCO. Its busy aviation practice acted for Aeroflot in designing a leasing structure for new aircraft, and assisted Air Greenland, A.P. Møller – Maersk, Aviation Holding, and Jet Time with purchases, sales, leasing and financing. The ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Peter Appel advised on the merger of Bornholmstrafikken with other ferry companies; Morten Lundqvist Jakobsen assisted TORM in a debt facility extension scheme; and Jens Mathiasen advised on the sale and refinancing of Herning Shipping.

Within Tax, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel focuses on corporate reorganisations, transactional support, financial services issues and disputes, and notably advised Pfizer on tax aspects of its acquisition of Ferrosan’s consumer healthcare business. This ‘available, responsive’ team is led by Jakob Skaadstrup Andersen and the ‘analytical’ Lars Fogh, who is recommended for his ‘in-depth knowledge of national and international tax rulings’; the pair advised Victor Hasseblad on restructuring its Danish operations.

Within Telecoms, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

Janne Glæsel and Martin Dittmer head Gorrissen Federspiel’s team, which wins plaudits for its ‘quick response times and quality work’, and advised TeliaSonera on establishing a joint venture with Telenor. Dittmer and Lasse Søndergaard Christensen represent Waoo!, and Jakob Skaadstrup Andersen acts for Thrane & Thrane and Avaya.