The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Morten Krogsgaard and the ‘steadfast, dependable’ Steen Halmind and their team at Bech-Bruun combine ‘responsiveness and strong technical ability with a commercial approach’. Its clients include DnB NOR Bank, RBS, and Goldman Sachs International. Steen Jensen advised Faroese Eik Banki, which was taken over by Finansiel Stabilitet; and Sparekassen Lolland on its DKK730m acquisition of Eik Bank Danmark 2010. Jacob Østervang advised on wind farm and solar power project financings. Aviation finance specialist Thomas Thordal Sevelsted was promoted to partner. The recent merger with Philip Law Firm strengthened the group by adding Erik Malberg and Henning Hansen, although Jørgen Reimer Jensen joined Nordia Advokatfirma and Tue Ravnholt Frandsen joined Plesner.

Within Capital markets, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner recruited Henrik Rossing Lønberg from Bruun & Hjejle. The universally respected Jacob Bier and Micha Fritzen acted as Danish legal counsel to Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as coordinators in the aborted ISS IPO. Laursen and Fritzen advised Zealand Pharma on its IPO and NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen listing. Thomas Holst Laursen and Christian Kjølbye are ‘creative and hardworking’. Jørgen Permin is ‘an acknowledged banking and capital markets expert’, and Birgitte Schøtt Knudsen advises on derivatives, securitisations and structured capital markets products.

Within Dispute resolution, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner’s 28-lawyer group produces ‘short response times and excellent performance’. Practice head Torben Bondrop, who has won 11 consecutive Supreme Court cases, is representing Finansiel Stabilitet against EBH Bank and certified arbitrator Mikael Rosenmejer is representing a Danish hedge fund in a multi-party class action. Frants Dalgaard-Knudsen and qualified mediator Peter Fogh handle construction disputes. Peter Wengler-Jørgensen is chairman of the Danish Arbitration Association.

Within EU and competition, Plesner is a second tier firm,

Plesner’s ‘professional, competent, precise’ competition group includes the ‘highly knowlegeable’ practice head Christian Lauridsen and Bo Vesterdorf, a former president of the Court of First Instance. Gitte Holtsø is also recommended. Lauridsen is representing DONG Energy in long-running cases concerning alleged excessive pricing. Other recent instructions include advising Danfoss in the refrigeration compressor cartel investigations. The team was strengthened by recruiting Mogens Aarestrup Vind from Eversheds LLP and economist Rie Paving Mortensen from DONG Energy.

Within Employment, Plesner is a second tier firm,

Plesner’s ‘first-rate team never overstaffs a case’, and advises on M&A, restructuring and insolvency, outsourcing and incentive programmes. The ‘effective, charming’ Tina Reissmann heads the practice, and recently advised NDS Denmark on closing its Danish operations. Henriette Stakemann advised Nordic Tankers on executive compensation. Poul Flemming Hansen is a judge in the Danish Labour Court.

Within Energy, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner has ‘highly specialised expertise’ and represents clients including Kuwait Petroleum, Chevron, Siemens Wind Power, and certain municipalities and public utilities. Poul Flemming Hansen, Niels Christian Ellegaard and Henriette Stakemann advised Waoo! on acquiring Dansk Bredbånd, Jørgen Permin is advising DONG Energy on wind farm projects, and Christian Kjølbye, Søren Stenderup Jensen and Ellen Skodborggaard advise Shell Danmark. Stenderup Jensen and Finn Lernø are advising Nord Stream on the establishment of gas pipelines from Russia to Germany.

Within Environment, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner’s practice head Søren Stenderup Jensen acts in carbon capture and storage litigation, advises on chemicals and life sciences regulations, and provides transactional support. Recent mandates include advising Nord Stream on its undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Jensen and Ellen Skodborggaard advise longstanding client Shell Danmark. Marlene Hannibal focuses on planning, utilities and energy-related matters for municipalities as well as corporates such as Novartis Healthcare and Kuwait Petroleum. Peter Holm Larsen handles contentious environmental and planning cases.

Within Information technology, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Niels Christian Ellegaard’s team at Plesner advises IT services providers Oracle, Accenture and Atos Origin, and corporate users including DSV, NCC, Q8 and LEGO. High-profile mandates included assisting Siemens with its worldwide outsourcing deal with Novozymes, and advising MT Højgaard on IT outsourcing to IBM. The group was recently instructed by Telenor to advise on its landmark network sharing agreement with Telia. Per Håkon Schmidt and Michael Hopp advise on e-commerce.

Within Insolvency, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner’s 22-lawyer team is led by Michael Zeigler and Pernille Bigaard, who are permanent trustees at the Maritime and Commercial Court. The group successfully restructured Oskar Jensen Group and Biva Furniture, and large-scale insolvency instructions include Sterling Airlines, Landic, Atlas Shipping and Griffin Group. Certified arbitrator Peter Bang assisted Italy-based Maflow Group with the reconstruction/sale of its international subsidiaries.

Within Insurance, Plesner is a second tier firm,

Plesner’s 12-lawyer team advises on product, commercial and professional liability. ‘Well known insurance law expert’ and certified arbitrator Torben Bondrop heads the practice, and is ‘a good listener with strong technical capabilities’. He and Mikael Rosenmejer are defending Scandinavian Tobacco Company in the High Court against claims for alleged smoking-related illnesses. Rosenmejer successfully represented PenSam in the Supreme Court. Other key clients include Codan (RSA), SEB, and ACE Europe.

Within Intellectual property, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner’s ‘excellent’ six-partner group is recommended by global companies for patent, copyright and trade mark litigation. Life sciences is an important sector, with group head Peter-Ulrik Plesner representing Eli Lilly, Novartis, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Plesner represented RASN (a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines) against Power Stow in two cases before the Maritime and Commercial Court. Per Håkon Schmidt assists Danske Bank with Community and Danish trade mark prosecutions. Schmidt and Michael Hopp are representing the Nordic Mechanical Rights Society in a test case instigated by DR and TV2. Sture Rygaard’s ‘business acumen and commercial outlook never cease to impress’. The team handles trade mark infringement and parallel import cases.

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, Plesner is a second tier firm,

Plesner’s ‘first-class’ team represents film distributors, cinemas and film production companies, as well as computer, music, press and sports industry clients. Michael Vilhelm Nielsen, who has ‘broad legal and industry experience’, successfully represented Warner/Chappell Music Denmark in a breach of contract dispute. Together with Per Håkon Schmidt and Michael Hopp, Nielsen is representing Nordisk Copyright Bureau in a pilot case before the ECJ instituted by DR and TV2. Gitte Holtsø assisted Canal Digital and its parent company, Telenor, in two competition matters relating to sports rights. Hopp advises computer games developer IO Interactive.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner’s ‘top-quality’ team focuses on upper-end transactions. Finn Lernø ‘knows how to take a deal across the finish line’, and is recommended along with Jacob Bier, the ‘pleasant, experienced’ Christian Kjølbye and Thomas Holst Laursen, who wins praise for his ‘unrivalled commercial understanding’. The latter pair advised DuPont on its voluntary public offer for Danisco; Bier and Micha Fritzen represented ATP, PFA Pension, Swedish Folksam and CPDyvig on the acquisition of FIH Erhvervsbank. Tue Ravnholt Frandsen joined from Bech-Bruun and Henrik Rossing Lønberg from Bruun & Hjejle.

Within Real estate and construction, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner is recommended for ‘excellent knowledge and fair pricing’. Lease law specialist Leif Djurhuus won a rent dispute for Rosengårdcenteret in Odense; he also acts for Copenhagen Airport. Jakob Schou Midtgaard advised Debenhams on five lease agreements for Magasin stores. Peer Meisner’s clients include Pensam, Lægernes Pensionskasse and Nordea. The ‘business-minded, goal-oriented’ Anders Friis advised SEB Pensionsforsikring on the DKK10m sale of Forsikringens Hus. Clients also recommend Peter Wengler-Jørgensen for construction contracts.

Within Shipping and transport, tier 4

Plesner’s Jørgen Permin advises Nordic Tankers on vessel deals, pool arrangements and joint ventures, while Micha Fritzen handles capital market matters for transport sector clients. Permin also advises DONG Energy on all shipping matters. Practice head Peter Fogh advised regarding a cargo dispute in the Middle East.

Within Tax, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner’s 16-lawyer group is led by Hans Severin Hansen, who is described by some clients as ‘the best Danish tax litigator’; Hansen is permanent adviser to the Ministry of Taxation and the only lawyer on the government Tax Commission. Hansen, Svend Erik Holm and Tom Kári Kristjánsson advise on direct and indirect taxation, including VAT and customs and excise. The team successfully represented ISS before the Danish Tax Tribunal. Standalone tax clients include A.P. Møller – Maersk, Novo Nordisk, Danske Bank, GE Capital and Group 4 Securicor.

Within Telecoms, Plesner is a first tier firm,

Plesner is advising Telenor on its agreement with Telia on network sharing involving outsourcing to a jointly owned entity. Practice head Niels Christian Ellegaard successfully represented Cybercity against TDC, winning compensation for discriminatory business practice, and the group advised Waoo! on its acquisition of Dansk Bredbånd. Other clients include Brightpoint Europe, Relacom, Telefonica, AT&T and Sprint. Michael Vilhem Nielsen represents satellite communications provider Eutelsat. Telecoms specialist Camilla Bonde joined from Kyed & Jybæk.