The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

Wistrand’s Ulf Forsman and practice head Monica Petersson advised EIB on the SEK3.55bn financing provided to Volvo. Tommy Grönberg has ‘excellent securitisation knowledge’.

Within Capital markets, tier 4

Wistrand’s ‘competent, knowledgeable’ Monica Petersson advised Swedbank, Telefonaktiebolaget and Landshypotek on various bonds and notes issues. Niklas Larsson and Erik Hygrell advise on equity capital markets.

Within Construction, tier 4

Wistrand handles disputes for contractors, customers, consultants, and municipalities and other public bodies. It advises NCC on major construction projects.

Within Corporate and commercial, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

Wistrand’s ‘technically skilled and experienced lawyers provide concise advice’. Stockholm-based Magnus Forssman, Gothenburg-based Per Dalemo and Mattias Boqvist, and Malmö-based Kristian Lundius represent clients including Copenhagen Malmö Port, Toshiba Medical, and Mint of Finland.

Within Dispute resolution, Wistrand is a second tier firm,

Wistrand’s ‘top-class’ litigation group is led by Mårten Hulterström in Gothenburg and Andreas Rönnheden in Stockholm. Harry Bergman and Rönnheden are defending the former directors of the failed HQ Bank against a €300m compensation claim. Lars-Olof Svensson and Rönnheden successfully defended Öhrlings PricewaterhouseCoopers in the long-running €140m Prosolvia bankruptcy dispute. Gothenburg-based Jörgen Larsson is acting for the Swedish Energy Inspectorate in the first case relating to the state’s compulsory purchase of mismanaged electrical grids. Jesper Grünbaum joined Setterwalls.

Within EU and competition, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

Wistrand has particular expertise in healthcare procurement matters, in addition to which Olof Alffram represented construction company Peab in cartel cases and Preem and other oil companies seeking damages for alleged abuse of dominance. Media clients include Canal+, Retriever and Mediearkivet.

Within Employment, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

At Wistrand, Mats Hilmersson focuses on the electronics, telecoms and software sectors, and advises clients such as Sun Chemical and Etac Sweden. Gunnar Blomberg in Stockholm and Gothenburg team leader Hans Potila Strömsnes provide support.

Within Energy, Wistrand is a second tier firm,

Wistrand’s accessible and knowledgeable team acts for clients such as Triventus, Partille Energi and Volvo. Rudolf Laurin represented Göteborg Energi in contract negotiations for the SEK1bn GoBiGas project.

Within Environment, Wistrand is a second tier firm,

Wistrand’s team is appreciated for its ‘accessibility and industry knowledge’. Gothenburg-based Rudolf Laurin heads the team, which successfully represented Volvo Cars in a Supreme Court permit application; advised Avfall Sverige (Swedish Waste Management); and assisted Renova with permits for a waste treatment facility. Malmö-based Veronika Wasserman assists with environmental permits.

Within IT and telecoms, tier 4

Wistrand mainly focuses on projects and contracts, although Peter Helle and Magnus Moström are notably representing ePhone in Sweden’s first court case concerning disclosure of user information. Stockholm-based Lars Davidsson and Gothenburg-based Jesper Sundström lead the practice.

Within Insolvency, Wistrand is a first tier firm,

Clients appreciate Wistrand’s ‘exemplary work and understanding of the practicalities involved’ in corporate restructuring. The ‘excellent’ Christian Bergqvist in Stockholm and Margareta Andersson in Gothenburg handled over 200 liquidations in 2010. Michael Plogell was recently appointed trustee of Frog Marine Group.

Within Insurance, Wistrand is a first tier firm,

Wistrand’s ‘technically skilled and experienced lawyers provide concise advice’. Jörgen Eklund assisted Anticimex Insurance with Swedish and pan-Nordic insurance and reinsurance schemes.

Within Intellectual property and media, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

Wistrand’s ‘knowledgeable, responsive’ Michael Plogell handles patent and trade mark disputes. Copyright expert Olof Alffram is advising a database supplier, and Peter Helle is advising ePhone Sweden on data disclosure.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, tier 4

At Wistrand, Gothenburg-based Per Dalemo advised Nordic Choice Hotels Sweden on the sale of its Danish operations to First Hotels. Lars Hasp advised Nyckelstenen Investment 1 on Fagerberg & Dellby’s acquisition of Big Bag Sweden. Robert Kullgren’s clients include Svinöhed Industri and Jörgen Eklund acts for Medtronic.

Within Real estate, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

Christer Elande heads Wistrand’s five-partner team, within which the ‘thorough, responsive’ Per Dalemo in Gothenburg advised Nordic Choice Hotels, and Kristian Lundius in Malmö advised Newcap Holding on the SEK177m sale of two shopping centres.

Within Shipping, Wistrand is a second tier firm,

Lave Beck-Friis’ Gothenburg-based team at Wistrand handles financing and traditional shipping work. Clients include Stena Line, Scandlines, Tärntank Rederi and the Swedish Shipowners Association.

Within Tax, Wistrand is a third tier firm,

Wistrand advises on corporate, private and capital taxation, EC tax law and VAT. The team’s main figures are Margareta Andersson in Gothenburg, plus Conny Otteland and litigator Börje Leidhammar in Stockholm. The team was reinforced in 2011 when six tax consultants joined the Gothenburg office from Haglund & Partners.