Viltoft

Specialist areas: Dispute resolution, construction and public procurement.

Partner.

Peter Fauerholdt Thommesen advises public and private sector clients and technical consultants on all aspects of construction including infrastructure and public procurement. He assists in drafting and negotiating contracts and in designing and handling tenders for public works and other public contracts. 

Dispute resolution (arbitration, litigation and mediation) is a particular area of expertise for Peter. He handles not only construction and infrastructure disputes and professional negligence disputes within technical consultancy, but also commercial, contractual and public law disputes. He is a certified arbitrator and mediator. In 2013, he sat as a Temporary Judge at the High Court of Eastern Denmark. Since 2017, he has been member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.  

Peter also advises on real estate transactions and projects, including public-private urban development projects and other PPPs. He has extensive general commercial, contracts and corporate law experience.

Peter has achieved recognition in Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.

Peter has recently advised clients on matters such as:

• Drafting and tendering of contracts for the lightrail project in Odense (Odense Letbane) and the Greater Copenhagen Area (Ring 3), covering civil works, transportation systems, rolling stock and maintenance and operation
• Drafting and tendering of contracts for infrastructure works in connection with the Copenhagen Metro
• Drafting and tendering of contracts for urban development PPP projects as well as establishing public-private urban development companies (NærHeden, Høje Taastrup C, etc.)
• Tender of insurance services relating to infrastructure projects
• Tender of it development contract
• Ongoing legal assistance to technical consultants (architects and engineers) and contractors on building and construction projects

He has also been involved in litigation and arbitration concerning:

• Delay and additional claims of contractors in connection with the Copenhagen Metro project
• Delay and disruption related to projects within the district heating sector
• All-risks insurance cover for construction defects in newly constructed commercial buildings and other insurance claims disputes
• Product liability in the building and construction industry
• Fees and liability of technical consultants in relation to large public construction projects such as mega-hospital projects
• Professional negligence of technical consultants, attorneys and company directors

As arbitrator Peter Fauerholdt Thommesen has been appointed in 20+ ad hoc and institutional arbitrations regarding shareholder disputes, partnership disputes, M&A, real estate and insurance disputes as well as contractual disputes in a number of areas such as building and construction, IT and energy. He has experience both as chairman, co-arbitrator, sole arbitrator, interim arbitration and as arbitrator in expedited arbitration procedures.

Peter is the co-author (with Michael Gjedde-Nielsen et al.) of ABR 18: General Conditions for Consulting Services, Karnov Group, 1st edition, 2021.

Peter is also the co-author (with Jakob Juul) of Danish Arbitration ("Voldgiftsret"), Karnov Group, 3rd edition 2017.

Admitted to the Supreme Court, 2022

Partner, VILTOFT, 2014-

Temporary Judge, the High Court of Eastern Denmark, 2013

Certified arbitrator, the Association of Danish Law Firms, 2013

Admitted to the High Court, 2012

Attorney, VILTOFT, 2010-2013

Foreign intern, Essex Court Chambers (Toby Landau QC), London, 2008

Stagiaire, ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, 2008

Admitted to the Danish Bar, 2007

Assistant attorney and attorney, Bruun & Hjejle, 2004-2010

Peter speaks the Scandinavian languages, English and French.

Member, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR (since 2017)

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

Member of the working group of the Danish Institute of Arbitration concerning dispute boards in construction and other long-running contracts (2013).

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

Volunteer advisor, Copenhagen Legal Aid (2002-2012).

Member of the Danish Society for Construction and Consulting Law, the Danish Association for Procurement Law, the Danish Arbitration Association, Young Arbitrators Stockholm (SCC) and the Young International Arbitration Group (LCIA).

Certified mediator, The Association of Danish Law Firms, 2020

LL.M., University of Cambridge, England, 2008

Master of Laws (LL.M.), University of Copenhagen, 2004

Studies at New York University School of Law, USA, 2002