The Legal 500

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

Gorrissen Federspiel is involved in the rescue or winding up of failing Danish banks, and wins praise for ‘absolutely top service’. Practice head Michael Steen Jensen, who is described as ‘Denmark’s best banking lawyer’, advised on the DKK8.15bn rescue and transfer of the failing Max Bank to Finansiel Stabilitet under the terms of bank package IV. Clients include the Danish Central Bank and Finansiel Stabilitet. Morten Bethe assisted Nordea and SEB with the €117m purchase of Haarslev Industries. Tobias Linde advised A.P. Møller – Mærsk on its issue of NOK3bn floating rate notes under its €3bn EMTN programme.

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

Klaus Søgaard heads Gorrissen Federspiel’s ‘efficient, competent’ team, which is recommended for its ‘business acumen and strength-in-depth’. Rikke Schiøtt Petersen and Tobias Linde advised Handelsbanken Capital Markets and J.P. Morgan Securities on Jyske Bank’s DKK1.166bn share issue. Michael Steen Jensen, Morten Bethe and Anders Ørjan Jensen assisted Vestjysk Bank with the conversion of a €39m state contribution into share capital. Clients also recommend Tomas Haagen Jensen, Finn Møller and Niels Heering.

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

Gorrissen Federspiel’s litigation and arbitration group shows ‘high standards and integrity’, and represents clients such as FLSmidth, Vestas and Novo Nordisk. Practice head Henrik Lind and the ‘strong, experienced’ Christian Alsøe are representing Finansiel Stabilitet in a long-running DKK1bn claim against the management and auditors of the former Roskilde Bank. The highly respected Henriette Gernaa is representing Deloitte Denmark in two professional negligence cases before the Supreme Court cases.

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

Gorrissen Federspiel’s practice head Martin Dittmer has ‘valuable skill and insight’. He successfully represented KMD in a Danish Competition Authority case concerning alleged abuse of dominance, and acted for Post Danmark before the Danish Competition Appeals Tribunal. He is also representing FLSmidth in the industrial bags cartel proceedings. Michael Meyer is also recommended.

Within Employment, Gorrissen Federspiel is a third tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel gives ‘solid, precise advice’. Practice head Jacob Sand represented the Danish Dentist Association in a Supreme Court case concerning the rights of part-time employees, and Anne Skjold Qvortrup successfully represented SMC Pneumatik in Denmark’s first social media trial. Clients 
also appreciate Ditte Grundtvig Larsen’s 
‘business acumen and sharp thinking’. Nina Wedsted joined employment boutique Labora Legal.

Within Energy, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

Michael Meyer and his ‘efficient, commercial’ team at Gorrissen Federspiel advise on electricity, oil, gas and heating matters. The group is assisting the owners of NCS Fuel with the company’s divestiture to World Fuel Services, and advising the creditors of Scan Energy on the sale of solar cell systems in Germany and Spain.

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

Gorrissen Federspiel’s Ole Horsfeldt is commended for his ‘good commercial and technical understanding’, and advises clients across the Nordic region on complex technology transactions, outsourcing and system acquisitions projects, notably for A.P. Møller – Mærsk and Carlsberg. Other key clients include Arla Foods and Norges Investment Bank. 
Pia Mondrup Pedersen joined from CSC Danmark.

Within Insolvency, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel’s practice head Lars Grøngaard and Anne Birgitte Gammeljord acted on the restructuring of Nordjysk Lift. John Sommer Schmidt is the administrator of Green Wind Energy and Scan Energy.

Within Insurance, Gorrissen Federspiel is a third tier firm,

Henriette Gernaa heads the ‘professional, business-oriented’ team at Gorrissen Federspiel, which handles contentious and regulatory work involving product liability and recalls. Peter Appel and Jens Mathiasen advise marine insurers and reinsurers, P&I clubs, underwriters, insurance brokers and agents, and charterers: these clients include Gard, Skuld, West of England, Länsforsäkring, and Codan.

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

Clients appreciate Gorrissen Federspiel’s ‘quick response time and huge knowledge’. Janne Glæsel is defending Warner Bros and Shadowdark Limited in a major injunction case about the Tim Burton film, Dark Shadows. Practice head Lasse Søndergaard Christensen, who provides ‘useful commercial advice’, is representing British Sky Broadcasting Group and SKY IP International in two cases before the Danish Board of Appeals for Patents and Trademarks. Kenneth Kvistgaard-Aaholm is representing Nestlé’s subsidiary Hjem-IS in a copyright and trade secret injunction case against Viking-is, its former franchisee.

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. Kromann Reumert is significantly larger than its competitors. Following its merger with Philip Law Firm in January 2012, Bech-Bruun subsequently expanded again, this time in Aarhus where some lawyers from former breakaway group Holst, Advokater rejoined the firm.

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 successfully defended Warner Bros and Shadowdark in an injunction case involving the Tim Burton film Dark Shadows. Martin Dittmer advised the Danish Football League and Danish football clubs on media rights to broadcast football matches, and also acts for Boxer TV. Clients also appreciate Jesper Madsen and Dan Bjerg Geary for their ‘in-depth knowledge and experience of gaming’.

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

Gorrissen Federspiel’s ‘great-quality’ team handled various M&A transactions worth over DKK1bn recently. These included practice head Henrik Thouber assisting Paulig with its sale of Oscar to Nestlé Danmark, and Klaus Søgaard and Søren Stæhr advising A.P. Møller – Mærsk on the disposal of its worldwide LGN business. Morten Skjønnemand assisted Fossil with Danish aspects of its acquisition of Skagen Design, and Michael Steen Jensen and Anders Ørjan Jensen acted for Max Bank af 2011, a subsidiary of Finansiel Stabilitet. Michael Wejp-Olsen was promoted to the partnership.

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

At Gorrissen Federspiel, Copenhagen-based Hans Peter Jørgensen and Henrik Thouber advised Jeudan on its acquisition of a €50m property portfolio. Aarhus-based Peter Sjøgreen heads the practice and is recommended along with Merete Larsen, who gives ‘accurate, relevant, swift advice on real estate development’.

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

Gorrissen Federspiel’s ‘practical business-focused and efficient’ group provides ‘full and thorough expertise at short notice’. It represents banks, insurers, P&I clubs, shipowners – notably A.P. Møller – Mærsk, Norden and Scandlines – and shipowners’ organisation BIMCO. Its busy aviation practice successfully represented Norwegian Air Shuttle and Air Greenland. Jens Mathiasen advised Triton on the acquisition of the chemical division of Nordic Tankers and represented Danske Færger in a dispute over a newbuild, and Morten Lundqvist Jakobsen is advising on the TORM restructuring. Peter Appel heads the practice.

Within Tax, Gorrissen Federspiel is a second tier firm,

Gorrissen Federspiel focuses on corporate reorganisations, transactional support, financial services and disputes, and recently advised National Oilwell Varco on tax aspects of its acquisition of NKT Flexibles. Practice heads Jakob Skaadstrup Andersen and Lars Fogh, who give ‘helpful, practical advice’, are representing Fidelity and Schroeders in a High Court case on the Danish rules for taxation of investment funds.

Within Telecoms, Gorrissen Federspiel is a first tier firm,

Janne Glæsel and ‘outstanding, reliable specialist’ Martin Dittmer jointly head Gorrissen Federspiel’s practice, which is recommended for its ‘professionalism, knowledge and clarity of advice’. The team advised TeliaSonera on its joint venture with Telenor. Dittmer and Lasse Søndergaard Christensen represent Waoo!, Jakob Skaadstrup Andersen acts for Thrane & Thrane, and Boxer TV is a new client of the practice.