The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance,

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,

Bech-Bruun still attracts big-ticket deals, but it lost two key players: Peter Lyck to Hannes Snellman Attorneys at Law Ltd and Jørgen Reimer Jensen to Nordia Advokatfirma. On the equity side, Regina Andersen and Steen Jensen advised Australian Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board on its proposed acquisition of a non-controlling interest in Copenhagen Airports. On the debt side, Jensen negotiated a DKK13.5bn guarantee for Amagerbanken under Bank Package II and the subsequent issuance of DKK13.5bn three-year notes.

Within Intellectual property, Advokatfirman Nordia is a third tier firm,

Nordia Advokatfirma, which recently merged with a4 Law Firm, represents global brands Louis Vuitton, Dior, Lacoste and Puma. Key figure Christina Wiesner recently represented Scandinavian wholesaler JYSK against Stokke in a case involving Tripp Trapp highchairs.

Within Legal market overview,

All of the above said, in 2011, the European economic crisis hit investor confidence and a dearth of big-ticket deals forced larger firms to become more flexible around mandates and pricing, and the devastating effect on mid-market firms was exacerbated by new breakaway boutiques providing specialist advice at competitive rates. Key developments include Philip Law Firm merging with Bech-Bruun; Lind Cadovius preparing to close its doors; and the Copenhagen office of Scandinavian firm NORDIA Advokatfirma losing all its previous partners, but then taking on a4 Advokatfirma’s partners as well as some high-profile lateral hires. Hannes Snellman Attorneys at Law Ltd’s recently established Copenhagen office, which focuses on transactional work, attracted several high-profile lateral hires.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, tier 5

Nordia Advokatfirma merged with a4 Law Firm and is fielding an entirely new team that includes Jørgen Reimer Jensen, who was recruited from Bech-Bruun. Simon Sørensen advised the owners of SystemPac on its merger with Ubro and ScandiSales Grafisk.

Within Real estate and construction, tier 4

‘Client-focused’ Nordia Advokatfirma ‘clears the details and solves the problems’. It recruited Søren Sloth and his team from the former a4 Law Firm, and Christina Bursøe Stollberg from Sjælsø Gruppen, to replace the departed Torben Mauritzen. Recent mandates include assisting Sophienberg Ejendomsudvikling with two Copenhagen developments and advising FB Gruppen on a DKK240m development.