Based in Copenhagen, the insurance team at Gorrissen Federspiel offers clients a ‘combination of exceptional legal expertise, commercial understanding, and approachable style’. It is sought after by clients who are active across a range of industries, including banking and finance, shipping, construction, and fishing. Henriette Gernaa co-leads the team alongside Morten Nybom Bethe; the former brings a strong focus on arbitration and an impressive track record of taking cases to the Danish supreme court, having worked with blue-chip companies and professional service firms in matters of commercial litigation and international arbitration. The latter leads the non-contentious side of the practice, advising on the establishment and operation of financial businesses.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Henriette Gernaa's team offers top-notch advice, on-point assessments, and swift responses.
- Henriette Gernaa is a very qualified and esteemed attorney with excellent personal skills, and she speaks with authority and competence. Gernaa's right hand, Chastine Elisa Christensen Schmidt, has a deep understanding and knowledge of insurance practice, especially in the area of professional liability. She also has excellent personal skills, and as a team, they collaborate very well together.
- ‘Very good understanding of insurance claims. They know their stuff and are a safe pair of hands.’
- 'Henriette Gernaa is a very qualified and esteemed attorney with very good personal skills and she speaks with authority and competence.'
- 'A very strong team of lawyers.'
- ‘Highly qualified and are able to make a difference and achieve what we want.’
- ‘Excellent legal skills and also a very good understanding of the possible outcome.’
- ‘We value our long-standing collaboration with this team, who know our company and our history better than anyone else.’
- ‘The team is composed of a broad range of professional expertise and it is clear that the members collaborate well and that they thrive, which provides good benefits for us.’
- 'Henriette Gernaa's team offers top-notch advice, on-point assessments and swift response.'
Key clients
- AP Møller Maersk A/S
- Deloitte
- PwC
- Danske Bank
- Intact Financial Corporation
- Skuld P&I
- Gard Marine & Energy Insurance (EUROPE) AS
- NorthStandard
- West of England P&I
- ITIC
- Scandlines
- Uni-Tankers
- Fayard A/S
- Ulykkesforsikringsforbundet for Dansk Søfart (The Danish Shipowners’ Accident Insurance Association)
- Havtrygd
Work highlights
Advised Deloitte on the OW Bunker litigation regarding auditor liability arising from the 2014 collapse, securing dismissal of two claims and Supreme Court affirmation reducing the aggregate claim to approximately DKK1.2bn.
Advising Ulykkesforsikringsforbundet for Dansk Søfart on several industrial‑injury cases on fitness‑for‑duty, deductions for non‑industrial injuries, authorities’ powers, and compensation for seasonal workers, alongside broader insurance and regulatory advice (aggregate impact of approximately USD4m).
Advised Topdanmark Forsikring A/S on a precedent‑setting all‑risk insurance coverage dispute concerning LEG 2 terms in a complex multi‑party flooding case.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Practice head
Henriette Gernaa; Morten Bethe Nybom