Senior vice president and group general counsel | GN Store Nord
Executive vice president, group legal, strategy and M&A | FLSmidth
General counsel and head of corporate affairs | A.P. Møller – Mærsk
Deputy general counsel, head of legal, VP | A.P. Møller – Mærsk
General counsel and head of legal, private markets | PensionDanmark
Group general counsel, global legal, risk and compliance | LEO Pharma
Group general counsel, vice president, legal, compliance and risk management | Milestone Systems
Chief legal counsel, Denmark and counsel for Europe region projects | G4S Security Services
Group general counsel, senior vice president, group legal, IP and business ethics | Coloplast
Legal lead, Northern Europe Region | Wipro Technologies & Designit
Head of legal, international and data privacy | Arla Foods
Vice president, legal and regulatory | Hi3G Denmark (3)
Chief legal officer and head of CEO office | ATP Ejendomme
General counsel and chief human resources officer | Copenhagen Business School
Group chief legal and compliance officer | Unifeeder
Chief legal officer and senior vice president | Novo Nordisk Foundation
Chief legal adviser | DMI - Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut
Senior vice president, general counsel and company secretary | Zealand Pharma
Group vice president, chief legal officer, head of M&A and compliance | DLG
Group senior vice president, legal, risk and compliance | Vestas Wind Systems
On behalf of The Legal 500, we are delighted to extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the GC Powerlist: Denmark 2024. Following the success of last year’s Teams edition, this year, we shift our focus to celebrate the exceptional individuals who have elevated the in-house legal role to new heights. We proudly showcase the most dedicated corporate lawyers in the country, spotlighting their remarkable achievements over the past year.
This publication unveils the remarkable contributions made by an exclusive group of general counsel, legal heads, and other pivotal in-house legal figures, underscoring their expertise, leadership, and steadfast dedication to excellence. This latest edition exemplifies outstanding achievements by these select individuals as they adeptly navigate Denmark’s legal terrain, tackling challenges such as integrating legal tech innovations, navigating shifting political and economic dynamics, fostering diversity and inclusion, and as they play a pivotal role in advising closer to C-level management and influencing executive decisions within their respective companies and organisations.
You’ll discover in-depth profiles and exclusive interviews with the most influential and esteemed in-house lawyers spanning various industries in Denmark. Their demonstrated ability to navigate legal strategies, mitigate risks, and provide strategic guidance to their companies is prominently showcased. Their achievements not only inspire the legal community but also underscore the profound impact that in-house lawyers can have on their organisations’ business strategies and overall success.
The research and interviews done during the development of this publication bring to light several key findings, including the resilience and adaptability of legal departments during times of political and economical uncertainty in Europe, but also other more positive notes observations, such as the inevitable and crucial integration of technology – particularly artificial intelligence – into the daily responsibilities of every in-house lawyer. Yvonne Larson, Head of Legal at Signify, emphasises this shift, stating, “[a]s technology rapidly advances, especially in the area of artificial intelligence, the role of the in-house lawyer is again evolving.” Recognising the importance of this evolution, Mads Juul Eegholm, Chief Legal Officer and Vice President at Velliv, Pension & Livsforsikring, underscores the necessity for proficiency in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to leverage innovative solutions for legal operations, risk assessment, compliance monitoring, and strategic decision-making.”
Another notable reflection from this publication’s discoveries is the increasing significance of the role of in-house counsel within companies and organisations, as they assume greater proximity to C-level management and play pivotal roles in executive and business decision-making processes. As stated by Andreas Holmstroem Soerensen, Head of Legal at PFA Pension, “[w]e have for several years focused on stakeholder management and our strategic advice to directors and C-level […] and we are involved in strategic project initiated by our business counterparts, both product developments and customer initiatives, as well as digital infrastructure programs and supplier due diligence.” Another clear testimony of this is provided by Eva Møland Tørsleff, Chief Legal Officer at Heimstaden who further emphasises this trend, noting how her team has “fostered closer collaboration by being physically present and accessible, conducting education across all levels, and specifically equipping our C-level executives with the necessary legal insights.”
Within this edition, we comprehensively address numerous pertinent subjects and unique challenges, inviting you to explore The GC Powerlist: Denmark 2024 and uncover the remarkable narratives of these exceptional individuals. Through their experiences and perspectives, our aim is to provide a comprehensive depiction of the legal landscape in the country and highlight the invaluable contributions of in-house legal departments.
We extend our sincere gratitude and congratulations to all the featured in-house lawyers for their valuable contributions and for graciously sharing their journeys with us. It is with great pleasure that we present to you this distinguished list of Denmark’s most exceptional, diligent, and celebrated in-house lawyers.
Francisco Faria e Castro | Editorial lead | GC Powerlist Series
On Thursday 20th March, Legal 500 returned to Frankfurt for the 2025 edition of the GC Summit: Germany. The event brought together some of the leading legal minds in the country for an afternoon of engaging panel discussions and interactive sessions. The agenda spanned a range of topics, current in today’s dynamic market and tailored to in-house counsel.
Vanessa Westphal, Head of legal services group at Merck, opened the programme with a keynote speech, in which she touched upon the importance of embracing uncertainty. In a market where the ways in which in-house counsel operate is rapidly changing, from the resources available to transactions themselves, Westphal advised how the legal industry can strengthen both its legal and non-legal ‘backbone’: in-house teams should focus not only on legal prowess, but also improve cultural and management expertise to ensure smooth operations across the organisation.
The first panel of the day, sponsored by Seitz, discussed the crucial role that labour law can play in times of crisis. Dr. Kathrin Bürger and Dr. Stephan Pötters of Seitz were joined on stage by Prof. Dr. Marlene Schmidt, partner at Apitzsch Schmidt Klebe Rechtsanwälte, Ralph Wangemann, managing director of human resources and labour director at Opel Automobile, Dr. Tom Gellrich, partner and managing director at AlixPartners, and Olaf Möllenkamp, chairman, Conciliation boards. In light of the election process in Germany, the panel discussed the ever-relevant topic of labour law and examined how the current environment does not make for a classic crisis: various different factors, from digitalisation to ESG aspects, come together to create a complex type of crisis that requires a more nuanced approach to labour regulations.
Ashurst took to the stage for the second panel, considering the influence that environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures and artificial intelligence (AI) can have on joint ventures. Dr. Alexander Duisberg, Marina Arntzen and Dr. Stephan Hennrich, partners at the firm, discussed the hot topic with Maler James, head of the centre of competence for strategic business units and finance at compliance at Volkswagen, Philip Nicolai, general counsel commercial and technology at Schaeffler Group, and Thilo M. Tern, managing partner at Silvester Group. The experts analysed how these elements can be utilised to make joint ventures successful and more sustainable – and ultimately act as dealbreakers or dealmakers.
Following a short break for coffee and networking, experts returned to the stage to discuss how to navigate today’s challenging M&A market. Dr. Christian Traichel and Dr Marco Hartmann-Rüppel, partners at Taylor Wessing, were joined on stage for the firm’s panel by
Carsten Burger, managing director at DC Advisory, Viktor Strauch, partner at Borromin, and Alexander Deicke of Körber. The panel considered how to manage transactions, taking into account risk, uncertainty and regulation.
The final panel of the day brought fresh perspectives on the age-old question: to litigate or to arbitrate? Nicole Boehler, Director of legal operations Europe at Autoliv, engaged in lively debate with Horst Daniel and Dr. Eveli Lume of Squire Patton Boggs, weighing up the pros and cons of litigation and arbitration. The panellists discussed factors such as bias, confidentiality, costs and recoverability. The interactive panel saw plenty of involvement from the audience, with questions from attendees touching on international mediation and third-party funding.
In a true show of the relevance and significance of the panel topics, delegates continued their animated conversations and debates over final networking drinks.
On behalf of Legal 500, we extend our gratitude to our expert panellists, sponsors, and all attendees for coming together for such a productive, engaging and successful event.
