What the team is known for
Outstanding energy practice with noted capabilities in cross-border matters, assisting clients with high-profile transactional mandates and project work. Expertise covers both offshore and onshore oil and gas activities as well as renewables, ranging from wind to biomass and waste-to-energy. The multi-disciplinary team also advises on the financial, corporate, regulatory and EU law aspects of energy matters and receives particular praise for its work on environmental and planning issues associated with energy projects.

Strengths
Clients look to the firm for its "broad international experience" and add that the team makes clients feel "welcomed: you feel that your transaction is also important to them."

Other clients describe the team "excellent," highlighting that the lawyers are "business-oriented, straight to the point" and "understand our needs very well."

Work highlights
Advised on the construction and implementation of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project between Russia and Germany.

Acted for Danske Commodities on entering into a co-operation agreement with an newly established energy company in the biogas sector.

Notable practitioners
Head of department Per Hemmer is an experienced energy practitioner, undertaking both transactional and regulatory work for oil, gas and offshore wind farm clients. Interviewees describe Hemmer as "very experienced," and several particularly praise his "high commitment" to his clients. One source lauds him as "a market leader in hardcore regulatory work."

Jakob Østervang provides "high-quality advice" and is "very commercially oriented," according to clients. One adds that he is "very skilled at negotiating and talking with important customers" on his clients' behalf. He has a focus on M&A and transactional mandates relating to the renewable energy market and is also experienced in restructuring and financing issues.

Chambers and Partners Europe, Energy

Bech-Bruun continues to develop its position as one of the leading names in the Danish energy and infrastructure market. This year it successfully expanded its team to bring in new expertise to supplement the already strong lawyers on its roster. It has also continued to impress on the energy side in particular, where it has again secured some of the most significant mandates in the Danish markets.

“Bech-Bruun’s energy team is providing a full-scope service for high-profile and complex renewable projects, including procurement, regulatory, competition, corporate and financing,” says one in-house counsel at a major European energy provider. “They have outstanding knowledge of Danish energy law and the Nordic energy market and all the relevant stakeholders. They are also very friendly, pragmatic and have a good responsiveness.”

Generally, clients praise the accuracy of the firm’s work as above average, with the work ethic of some of the senior lawyers praised in particular.

“Why we are using Peter [Østergaard Nielsen] is that he has a very good commercial touch and knows the supplier market on wind, he knows the industrial players and is strong on the supply agreements,” says one in-house counsel at a Danish investment group. “He is very well known on the supplier market for wind. When he moved to Bech-Bruun we followed him, because we are attached to Peter, not the firm he works for.”

Nielsen joined the team in February 2016 from Moalem Weitemeyer Bendtsen and brings a strong reputation in the wind and renewables market with him. The firm also brought on board another new partner in January 2015 in the shape of Claus Berg from Viltoft to help boost its construction and public procurement capabilities.

While the firm is known for its strength in the energy market, it has also had a productive year on the infrastructure side as well. This includes the continuing advice being provided to the Region of Southern Denmark on the development of a new hospital and working with Aarhus Kommune on the public-private partnership (PPP) construction of a new office building.

IFLR 1000, Energy and infrastructure

Praised for its ‘in-depth knowledge’, the 11-partner team at Bech-Bruun handles regulatory and contentious matters along with acquisitions and financings for public and private entities, utilities, municipalities, investors and project developers. ‘Highly experienced’ practice head Per Hemmer assisted Nord Stream 2 with the preparation of the Danish construction permit and the environmental impact assessment related to the construction of two gas pipelines. Jakob Østervang is recommended as an ‘excellent lawyer’.

Legal 500, Energy