"They seem to know exactly what we are thinking and what we want. They are very good in the negotiation process and they always seem extremely well prepared" says a client....
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"They seem to know exactly what we are thinking and what we want. They are very good in the negotiation process and they always seem extremely well prepared" says a client. "They were very on the ball and they have a very good team," agrees another, "we didn't come across an area where they didn't have a vast knowledge."
Another long-standing name in the market, Plesner maintains the top tier position it reached last year. "They are very good at acquisition finance and derivatives," says one partner, and the firm did work on a number of both banking and big-ticket capital markets deals over the last year.
A key client is Dong Energy, a key player in the Danish energy sector. On one deal in June 2010 a team led by partner Jørgen Permin advised the company on negotiations for syndicated and bilateral revolving credit facilities of €1 billion. These facilities were provided by Scandinavian financers Nordea Bank Danmark and Handelsbanken and other lenders headed by the RBS.
Permin also led on the project financing in regard to the 50% stake the company has in what will become one of the world's biggest offshore wind farms in the world, the London Array Project in the Thames Estuary.
In the equity capital markets, a team led by Christian Kjølbye and Thomas Holst Laursen advised on a voluntary public offer from DuPont for Danisco, the leading ingredients and bio-based solutions company in the country. Though not yet closed, the deal values Danisco at €4.6 billion and, if it proves a success, will be the second largest inbound investment ever in Denmark.
Overall, clients were impressed by the firm's innovation. "There are certain parts of Danish law that are a mess due to changes and they found solutions to these problems well," says one, while another agrees, "They were very good at unpicking complicated parts of Danish law."
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"Plesner are definitely a top tier firm, as they are very active and we see them in all the major transactions," says one partner, while another agrees: "Plesner are very good, good at strategy and are growing."This growth was highlighted by the lateral hire of Tue Ravnholt Frandsen from Bruun & Hjejle, who joined in March 2011, along with Henrik Rossing Lonberg....
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"Plesner are definitely a top tier firm, as they are very active and we see them in all the major transactions," says one partner, while another agrees: "Plesner are very good, good at strategy and are growing."
This growth was highlighted by the lateral hire of Tue Ravnholt Frandsen from Bruun & Hjejle, who joined in March 2011, along with Henrik Rossing Lonberg. Lonberg is seen as a rising star in Denmark and his hire is considered quite a coup.
Overall, the team itself is extremely highly thought of, as one client comments: "They have incredibly creative, smart and attentive lawyers, and are very hard working. I see myself as a bit of a taskmaster but these guys were up to it."
Christian Kjølbye comes in for some specific attention too: "He is one of the best M&A lawyers I have ever worked with, really outstanding," says one client. "He was outstanding, sharp and very intelligent," adds another, "He was always practical and looked for solutions not problems."
Kjølbye himself was on the team that worked on the standout deal for the firm's M&A practice this year, advising on the buyer side of the Danisco deal opposite Kromann Reumert. Worth €4.6 billion, the deal will become, on closing, the second-largest inbound investment ever made into Denmark.
The team also took on work from the government, advising state-owned broadcasting stations DR and TV2|Danmark in a controlled auction of infrastructure assets run by Handelsbanken including the €168 million sale of Broadcast Service Danmark in September 2010 to the Swedish state-owned Teracom.
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"Plesner are very good in this area," says one partner. The team is led by the esteemed pairing of Pernille Bigaard and Michael Ziegler, who both have extensive experience in this area and are both administrators for the Bankruptcy Division of the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court....
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"Plesner are very good in this area," says one partner. The team is led by the esteemed pairing of Pernille Bigaard and Michael Ziegler, who both have extensive experience in this area and are both administrators for the Bankruptcy Division of the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court.
The crisis led to a great many insolvencies, especially in the real estate, airline and shipping sectors, and Plesner has been heavily involved, advising such names as Sterling Airlines, the Sandgården Group, Nordic Aero and PharmaZell.
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