What the team is known for
Large multidisciplinary team advising on general public law regulation, as well as more specialised areas of law such as energy, environment and infrastructure. Expertise also covers regulatory matters related to international law including EU and human rights legislation. Offers a strong commercial law background to represent a variety of private parties on public law issues including contentious cases, representing clients in proceedings before courts at all levels. Also represents municipalities and publicly-owned institutions.

Strengths
Clients describe the team as "very good, with high-quality employees and high-quality work." 

Interviewees comment on the depth of coverage the team offers: "They have a really strong brand and a lot of areas of expertise. I had high expectations and I was positively surprised by how good their services were. I was left very happy."

Work highlights
Assisted several regions of Denmark with the preparation and implementation of new hospital projects, including advice in connection with the preparation, planning and implementation of the projects.

Represented the Danish Road Directorate in a Supreme Court case relating to the interpretation of the Danish Road Act and the concepts of property and locus standi under Danish law, in matters relating to landowner rights to buy land that was formerly under public ownership.

Notable practitioners
Haakun Djurhuus is particularly known among interviewees as a "really good environmental lawyer" while sources also praise his abilities in public law trials. He is also active in administrative law and often assists with construction matters. He successfully represented Metroselskabet in a Supreme Court case regarding liability for costs incurred in rerouting pipelines around the Cityringen metro construction site.

Chambers and Partners Europe, Public Law

Bech-Bruun’s environmental practice is ‘among the best’ and provides the full range of services for a broad range of clients, including public sector entities such as the Danish Agriculture and Food Council and the Region Zealand. The five-partner team is led by the ‘very skilled and service-minded’ Håkun Djurhuus and Jacob Brandt, who stands out for his ‘strategic mindset and experience from the regulatory side’. The group advised the Municipality of Fredericia in relation to the spillage of liquid fertiliser in the harbour. Other highlights include the department assisting Femern with public law matters regarding the construction of a tunnel; and advising Nord Stream 2 on the construction and operation of two pipelines in the Baltic Sea, including the environmental impact assessment.

Legal 500, Environment