Firm Profile > Bech-Bruun > Copenhagen , Denmark

Banking and finance Tier 1

Bech-Bruun runs the gamut of banking and finance work for a client roster including Danske Bank and Nordea Bank. Practice head Morten Krogsgaard specialises in international finance law; he recently assisted Advent International with the financing of its acquisition of Færch Plast and advised HSBC as local counsel on its financing of Ineos’ acquisition of Dong E&P. Thomas Thordal Sevelsted is also a key name to note; he recently acted for Strawberry Fields on a facilities agreement with lender Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) for the purpose of refinancing properties in Denmark and Sweden.

Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

The department at Bech-Bruun consists of 'excellent negotiators', who are 'skillful' and 'have a no-nonsense approach that drives the whole M&A process forward'. The 'outstanding and always available' Steen Rode 'acts quickly when needed' and heads up the practice, which also includes Søren Kamp Nørbæk, who focuses on cross-border transactions. In a recent highlight, Rode advised AEA Investors on its acquisition of Alpha Offshore Services; other notable mandates include Jacob Hjortshøj assisting SolixGroup with its purchase of Skiold, Ole Nørgaard acting for Teradyne on its € 121m acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Mobile Industrial Robots from its shareholders, Claus Aagaard Nielsen advising Nine United Denmark on its $66m sale of 26% of its share capital to Herman Miller, and Simon Milthers, who has 'expert regulatory insights', handling Total's $7.4bn acquisition of Maersk Oil.

Tier 1

Dispute resolution Tier 1

Bech-Bruun provides 'clear and precise advice' and 'plans thoroughly to avoid surprises'. In a recent highlight, group head Jes Anker Mikkelsen acted for an international petroleum company in a dispute against insurers concerning its role in repairing a damaged North Sea oil platform. Other mandates include Carsten Pedersen representing an insurer for a Danish law firm in a professional liability claim brought by former clients relating to failed real estate investments, and Claus Berg acting for the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement in a dispute in which Hørkram Foodservice claimed the court gave preferential treatment to a competitor in a previous case. Anne Buhl Bjelke is 'extremely knowledgeable' and 'consistently delivers high-quality service levels', and Henrik Valdorf-Hansen  and senior associate Mogens Gaarden are also key names to note.

Employment Tier 1

Bech-Bruun's team is highly experienced in restructurings, regulatory issues, employment litigation, immigration matters and outsourcings, and counts Danish State Railways, Region Zealand and Joe & the Juice as clients. Lise Lauridsen leads the team and recently advised an oil and gas company on employment aspects of an acquisition in the energy sector, and assisted with Teradyne's acquisition of Mobile Industrial Robots. Morten Ulrich is very active in the public sector; he recently acted for the Board for Wages and Tariffs in an arbitration relating to changes to on-duty work for head doctors at public hospitals. Newly promoted partner Sandro Ratkovic is experienced in handling executive service agreements.

Energy Tier 1

Bech-Bruun is noted for its 'excellent communication, industry knowledge, accessibility and quick turn-around times' with expertise in contracts, disputes and regulatory issues. Practice head Per Hemmer is 'a trusted adviser' and is an expert in transactional issues; he recently worked on Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline between Russia and Germany running through the Baltic Sea. Another recent highlight was renewable energy specialist Jakob Østervang assisting Global Green Energy with the sale of a wind park in Italy. Simon Milthers  is considered an 'excellent transactional adviser' and the department also fields wind energy specialist Peter Østergaard Nielsen; Johan Weihe, who is an expert in oil and gas regulations; and senior associate Anders Hørlyck Jensen, who focuses on wind projects.

Environment Tier 1

Bech-Bruun runs the gamut of environmental law work, with the highly experienced Håkun Djurhuus and Jacob Brandt at the helm. Djurhuus' recent mandates include advising Femern on its construction of a tunnel between the Danish island of Lolland and the German island of Fehmarn; while Brandt acted for the Municipality of Aarhus on the drafting of possible changes to the Danish Planning Act, which conflicted with the region's need for housing. Per Hemmer is also a key figure and assisted Nord Stream 2 with its project involving a gas pipeline connecting Russian gas reserves to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Hanne Mølbeck is noted for her infrastructure expertise; she recently worked with the Copenhagen Metro on the preparatory elements of its development of a new line extending out to the harbour area of Nordhavn.

EU and competition Tier 1

Bech-Bruun handles competition and procurement matters for a client roster which includes Procter & Gamble and the City of Copehagen. Practice head Peter Stig Jakobsen focuses on competition, procurement and state aid law; he recently acted for Daugaard Biler in a dispute against Nissan Nordic Europe concerning its selective distribution system. Other recent highlights include public procurement specialist Anne Bergholt Sommer advising Boeing on the provision of supplies to the Danish Defence following a procurement process, Jesper Kaltoft assisting CPH City & Port Development with its tender procedure for a major urban development project, and public sector expert Anders Birkelund Nielsen  acting for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on its procurement procedures. Managing partner Simon Evers Kalsmose-Hjelmborg is also active in the competition space; Kalsmose-Hjelmborg advised MTG on the competition aspects of its merger with TDC, and the firm assisted Nokas with its involvement in a dispute filed against competitor Loomis by its customers relating to cash handling and transportation services.

Information technology Tier 1

Bech-Bruun is highly skilled in contracts, outsourcings and licensing matters; Niels M. Andersen also has notable expertise in contracts and transactions, Arly Carlquist focuses on outsourcings and procurement matters, and Mikkel Friis Rossa and Thomas Munk Rasmussen are key contacts for compliance and data protection work. Recent highlights include Andersen assisting Energinet with its outsourcing agreements, and Rossa advising the Municipality of Copenhagen and Danfoss on their separate GDPR compliance programmes.

Insolvency Tier 1

Danske Bank, Nordea Bank and Nykredit are notable clients of the team at Bech-Bruun. In a recent highlight, team head Troels Tuxen advised AC24 on its €6m bankruptcy proceedings. Other mandates include Jørgen Hauschildt acting for Jysk Maskincenter in bankruptcy proceedings. Michael Serring is also a key name to note and is particularly skilled in insolvencies related to limited partnerships.

Insurance Tier 1

Dispute resolution, regulatory issues and corporate work are the key areas of focus for Bech-Bruun's team. Practice head Henrik Valdorf-Hansen recently defended the City of Copenhagen against two claims brought separately by Tryg Insurance and Codan Insurance relating to a fire at a municipal property. Anne Buhl Bjelke is an expert in regulatory matters and advised multiple insurance companies on the new Insurance Distribution Directive. Jes Anker Mikkelsen specialises in contentious work and acted for Betri as insurer of two accountants in indemnity claims arising from the collapse of Eik Bank. Mogens Gaarden is also a key name to note; he represented a board member of Roskilde Bank following its collapse.

Intellectual property Tier 1

Bech-Bruun runs the gamut of IP matters with 'an in-depth knowledge of the life sciences sector'. IP litigator Claus Barrett Christiansen jointly leads the team and assisted a number of well-known clothing company with investigations into the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods. Clients single out fellow practice head Martin Draebye Gantzhorn as 'very knowledgeable about life sciences and IP' with 'a great network of other specialists in those areas'. Other key names include patent litigator Klaus Ewald Madsen, who represented Hedensted Gruppen in a patent infringement dispute against Jasopels relating to apparatuses and methods for the treatment of mink furs; life sciences specialist Christian Vinding Thomsen, and litigation and licensing expert Dan Bjerg Geary.

Real estate and construction Tier 1

Bech-Bruun's 'excellent team has substantial international experience' and provides 'commercial' and 'to-the-point advice'. The 'very experienced' Jens Hjortskov leads the Copenhagen team, and real estate, project development and tenant law expert Jesper Bøge Pedersen heads up the Aarhus group; Hjortskov recently advised Amager Ressourcecenter on a waste-based energy plant for Amager Bakke, which will be used to power a ski slope. Clients also single out Sven Frode Frølund, who recently joined from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and 'knows how to deal with the most demanding clients' and 'how to execute the most complicated real estate transactions'. Other highlights include Steen Puch Holm-Larsen advising Resolution on its purchase of Billund Shopping Centre Outlet from Parken, Per Bjerg Christensen assisting PFA with the development of a transport and logistics centre in eastern Jutland, environmental law specialist Torben Brøgger acting for the Region of Southern Denmark on the construction of a new university hospital in Odense. Claus Berg is a key name for construction issues, and Tina Braad has expertise in construction and procurement law.

Shipping and transport Tier 1

Bech-Bruun fields 'very hands-on partners' with 'a good commercial understanding', which is applied to contentious and non-contentious matters across dry and wet shipping. Maritime specialist Jes Anker Mikkelsen jointly leads the practice and advised Norwegian Energy Company on its sale of licence and ownership interests in the North Sea to Dong E&P. Fellow co-head Johannes Grove Nielsen is 'very approachable, commercial and to the point'; he represented several shipping companies in issues relating to the collapse of OW Bunker and the insolvency of Danish shipping company Copenship. Senior associate Louise Lundsby Wessel is skilled in contracts and disputes.

Tax Tier 1

Bech-Bruun fields a sizable team, which is 'highly skilled and experienced' and works across all aspects of tax law. The team recently advised Integrity Bulk on its creation of a cross-border incentive scheme that covers its employees in Denmark and Singapore; Thomas Frøbert focuses on international tax matters and acted for the Danish Ministry of Taxation in the Danish scandal relating to withheld tax repayments; and Michael Serup is an expert in private tax issues and represented Jesper Bernhoft in a dispute before the Supreme Court concerning the exit taxation of shares after their migration from Denmark.

Capital markets Tier 2

Bech-Bruun 'knows the local market well' and provides advice that is 'risk based rather than purely technical in nature' thanks to a 'very responsive and client-focused' practice. Morten Krogsgaard leads the team and is an expert in DCM work; Steen Jensen and David Moalem are also key names to note. In a recent highlight, Krogsgaard advised Nordea Bank on a bond issuance; Jensen also acted for the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan on the sale of its stake in Copenhagen Airports to ATP and simultaneous purchase of Macquarie's stake, and Moalem assisted NTG with its $108m public tender offer for NeuroSearch.

Media and entertainment Tier 2

Bech-Bruun is recognised for its 'in-depth knowledge of the law', 'ability to understand the market' and 'focus on the job and the real objectives'. Niels M. Andersen is an expert in transactions and agreements, and advised Blackwood Seven on an investment from a number of investors, and IP expert Claus Barrett Christiansen acted for Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen in a contractual dispute with his former manager. Technology specialist Arly Carlquist is also a key figure.

Telecoms Tier 2

Bech-Bruun has particularly strong expertise in telecom infrastructure agreements, outsourcings, procurement work and data protection issues and counts Accenture and The Capital Region of Denmark as clients. Niels M. Andersen leads the team and is an expert in commercial contracts and regulatory issues, and Arly Carlquist is highly skilled in outsourcing and procurement matters.