Viltoft

Specialist areas: Dispute resolution, construction and public procurement.

Partner, attorney

Peter Fauerholdt Thommesen is one of Denmark's leading experts in construction and procurement law. He advises clients in the public and private sectors, including technical consultants, contractors (both Danish and international), insurance companies, and others on all aspects of construction and infrastructure projects, including contracts, collaborative models, and procurement procedures. He also has extensive experience in structuring public-private property development projects and other types of partnerships.

Dispute resolution is one of Peter’s key areas of expertise, including arbitration, litigation, dispute boards, and mediation. He acts as both legal counsel and arbitrator in disputes relating not only to construction and infrastructure projects, but also to other areas of commercial and public law, such as contractual matters, shareholder issues, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, EU law, professional negligence, product liability, insurance, IT, and energy. He is a certified arbitrator and mediator and has served as an acting judge at the Eastern High Court. He is a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.

Peter is a co-author of leading specialist publications on arbitration and construction law.

References:
Peter has recently been involved in the following matters:
• Legal adviser on all construction and procurement aspects of the Cityringen (Copenhagen Metro) project, including the Northern Extension (opened in 2020) and the Southern Extension (opened in 2024)
• Legal adviser on construction and procurement aspects of light rail projects in Odense (Odense Tramway, opened in 2022) and in the Greater Copenhagen Area (Ring 3, under construction)
• Counsel for public-sector clients in several major arbitration cases against Danish and international infrastructure contractors, involving claims and counterclaims concerning additional works, delay and disruption, liquidated damages, and defects
(Peter represents Metroselskabet in ongoing arbitration proceedings against the Cityringen civil works contractor – see Metroselskabet's press release on the Danish Building and Construction Arbitration Board’s partial award of February 2026: https://metroselskabet.dk/en/contact-and-press/press/press-releases/metroselskabet-receives-decision-in-first-part-of-arbitration-case-concerning-m3/)
• Legal adviser in connection with public-private urban development projects, including NærHeden, Høje-Taastrup C, and Kildedal
• Counsel for technical consultants in several arbitration cases against public-sector property developers concerning consultant liability, liquidated damages, and additional fees, for example in relation to superhospital projects
• Legal adviser to private- and public-sector clients on the development of partnership models and contracts concerning early contractor involvement (ECI) in construction projects
• Counsel for copyright holders in a case before the Danish Supreme Court concerning wrongful transposition of the EU Copyright Directive into Danish law

Peter has been appointed arbitrator in more than thirty ad hoc and institutional arbitration cases (DIA, SCC, and ICC) concerning a wide range of commercial law matters, including construction, infrastructure, contracts, international sales law, shareholder matters, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, insurance, IT, and energy. He has experience acting as presiding arbitrator, co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator, emergency arbitrator, and arbitrator in expedited proceedings.

Peter also teaches courses offered by private providers and regularly presents at conferences on topics related to construction, arbitration, public procurement, and contract law, most recently on AB / ABT / ABR 18, early contractor involvement (ECI), the use of BIM in construction, technical consultants' budget responsibility, EU public procurement rules, tender legislation, and dispute resolution in construction inspired by international arbitration.

Partner, VILTOFT, 2014- Acting judge, Eastern High Court, Denmark, 2013 Attorney, VILTOFT, 2010-2013 Foreign intern, Essex Court Chambers (Toby Landau KC), London, 2008 Stagiaire, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, 2008 Assistant attorney and attorney, Bruun & Hjejle, 2004-2010

Peter speaks the Scandinavian languages, English and French.

Board member, Danish Arbitration Association (since 2025)

Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (since 2017)

Board member and co-founder of Young Arbitrators Copenhagen (YAC) (2013-2020, chair 2017-2019).

Member of the working group of the Danish Institute of Arbitration concerning dispute resolution boards in construction (2013-14).

Member of the working group of the Association of Danish Law Firms about remuneration types (2013-2014).

Member of the Danish Society for Construction and Consulting Law, the Danish Society for Procurement Law, the Danish Arbitration Association and the Swedish Arbitration Association.

Admitted to the Supreme Court, 2022 Certified mediator, Association of Danish Law Firms, 2020 Certified arbitrator, Association of Danish Law Firms, 2013 LLM, University of Cambridge, England, 2008 Admitted to the Danish Bar, 2007 Master of Laws (LLM), University of Copenhagen, 2004 Exchange studies at New York University School of Law, USA, 2002