Specialist areas
Specialist areas
We are specialists and generalists
We deal with a wide range of legal areas, and our experience base is broad. We are highly specialized within several areas, but also offer high-quality advisory services in other areas, thus having the capacity to meet our clients’ needs for advice in full.
Specialist areas
Lassen Ricard is a leading law firm - and especially well-known - within copyright as well as media and entertainment law, but we also provide highly specialized advice within a large number of other areas, and our experience base is broad.
M&A, energy and infrastructure and construction law are but a few of the areas within which we have extensive experience.
In addition, we advise several technology and growth businesses, and we seek actively to contribute to their success. The Danish Society of Engineers (IDA) recommends us to its members.
We are often involved in litigation and arbitration proceedings, as attorneys appearing on behalf of a party or as arbitrators, and we also sit on committees appointed by the government.
Our extensive and highly specialised work involving the protection of Danish and European broadcasters' rights in the Nordic countries, in the capacity of secretariat as well as attorneys acting for the UBO (Union of Broadcasting Organisations) also deserves mention.
We provide advice within all aspects of labour and employment law
We assist international groups of companies as well as small and medium sized enterprises on an ongoing basis, and we also represent our clients before the courts.
Our advisory services cover employment relationships as well as executive appointments, including the drafting and conclusion of contracts, assistance during the period of employment or appointment, and advice in connection with termination. Our advisory services also include labour law and collective agreements, mergers & acquisitions, outsourcing, bonus schemes and other incentive schemes as well as the protection of trade secrets.
Assistance within energy and infrastructure is of increasing importance
For several years, Lassen Ricard has been advising, litigating and arbitrating within the areas of energy, construction and infrastructure. We have particular experience in domestic and international arbitration where we have represented clients on major energy projects both within the offshore gas industry, the offshore wind industry and the geothermal industry.
Our energy practice is expanding as we also advise clients on CCS projects and the extensive EU and Danish regulations on decarbonisation, current and upcoming ("Fit for 55"), including EU and Danish regulations on CO2 quotas and Guarantees of Origin (Governmental and Non-Governmental).
We have extensive experience in advising the players involved in the building industry
We assist suppliers, contractors, professional advisors and project owners among others. We advise on all matters arising during the process from invitation to tender and award of contract to handover and inspection, and we advise on projects of all sizes, ranging from construction or refurbishment of small properties to large international offshore projects.
We have considerable experience of dispute resolution within construction law, including cases before the Danish Building and Construction Arbitration Board, the Danish Institute of Arbitration, international arbitration institutions and the ordinary courts.
EU law impacts a large number of specific legal areas on which we provide advisory services
We also have experience of cases on fundamental treaty-based EU law and EU case law, including cases on member states’ liability for breach of the EU law. In several cases, we have appeared before the Court of Justice of the European Union in connection with the submission of preliminary references.
We have considerable experience in advising foundations and associations
We assist commercial foundations, family foundations, charitable foundations and self-governing institutions within all aspects of foundation law; we also serve as board members.
Our advisory services include the setting up of foundations, handling of supervision and control, amendments to articles of association requiring consent or permission from the relevant authorities, issues of distribution, managerial liability as well as a number of other areas.
We also advise on matters of association law, including the setting up of commercial and non-commercial associations and subsequent amendments to articles of association; also, we often chair general meetings and meetings of the representative boards of large charitable associations.
We advise a number of companies on the conclusion of contracts within the area of IT law
Out assistance relates to standardised IT services as well as to highly specialised customised IT services, based on public authorities’ standard form contracts and on individually drafted contracts.
We provide specialist advice on contracts within the copyright area which are based on complex use of IT and underlying IT contracts, and we have litigation and arbitration experience of disputes concerning IT contracts.
Lassen Ricard provides legal assistance on subjects within securities and capital markets
We advise mainly companies and investors in connection with capital raisings, by way of equity as well as loan capital. Our advice includes rules governing listed companies, good corporate governance, regulation of foreign direct investment, and subjects within company law.
Lassen Ricard acts as legal advisor to buyers or sellers in connection with M&A
We advise both Danish and international clients on large and small transactions. Our advice covers all legal subjects relevant to the transfer of a business. The areas in which we provide assistance include process planning and coordination, takeover bids, due diligence, setting up and running data rooms, foreign direct investment regulation, drafting transaction documents and related documents, and negotiating the transaction.
Most of our M&A transactions are cross-border transactions, and we work together with other international advisors to achieve the best result for our client. In that connection, we also have strong cooperation with other international law and accountancy firms.
We have special expertise in media and entertainment law
The advice provided within this area requires vast experience and knowledge.
Within media law, Lassen Ricard is the leading law firm in Denmark. We represent many media and production companies in cases before the courts, before the Danish Press Council and in connection with other legal matters, such as the lifting of reporting restrictions and the granting of access to documents; we also provide advice on a regular basis on legal issues relating to media content, including at the production stage. Our advice includes liability aspects under and outside the Media Liability Act, the media’s freedom of expression, press ethics, the rules on defamation and the protection of privacy, as well as issues within the new digital reality.
Our attorneys have written the books “The Danish Media Liability Act and the Press Ethical Rules with Comments” and “Protection of Sources” as well as a number of scholarly articles on media law. Moreover, we are represented on the Media Liability Committee appointed by the Ministry of Culture.
Within the area of entertainment law, we have for many years been advising production companies on copyright, personality rights, contract formation, clearing of rights and issues relating to privacy and defamation.
Lassen Ricard is the leading law firm in Denmark within copyright law
Copyright is a comprehensive field covering issues in the analogue and digital world, including in relation to audiovisual productions, furniture design, music, books, websites, etc. Our experience in the field is broad and our knowledge highly specialized. We advise on all issues related to rights, including ownership, acquisition, assignment, licensing, exploitation, protection, infringements, etc. We negotiate agreements, are involved in strategic rights planning and conduct cases before the courts as well as before the Copyright License Board.
We have, for example, conducted cases about rights issues in connection with Danish broadcasters’ own broadcasting activities and advised international streaming services concerning their presence on the Danish market.
Another area that deserves mention is our comprehensive and highly specialized assistance to Danish and international broadcasters as attorneys and secretariat to the Union of Broadcasting Organisations (UBO) in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Estonia, www.ubod.dk. The assistance includes advisory services on all types of reuse of TV footage, including broadcasters’ streaming services, as well as on extended collective licences, tariffs, the relationship to other rightsholders, handling of sports rights, etc.
This is one of our special areas of expertise within IP law
Our attorneys have extensive experience in litigating, arbitrating and resolving disputes concerning the infringement of trademarks, patents, trade secrets and design rights as well as in opposition proceedings before the trademark authorities, including EUIPO.
When advising technology companies, we regularly handle negotiations and agreements, including investment agreements, involving Danish and international patent, trademark and design rights.
We provide advisory services on data protection to both Danish and international clients
Our experience includes advising on the processing of personal data in connection with media activities and the provision of services on social media platforms directed at Danish users, including children and young persons.
Handling of disputes is a vital part of our services
We have considerable experience in litigation and regularly appear before all Danish courts, ranging from district courts to the Supreme Court. We have acted as counsel in preliminary cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
We conduct both national and international arbitration cases, including ad hoc and institutional arbitration, in Denmark and internationally.
Our attorneys regularly serve as arbitrators and several are certified arbitrators from the Association of Danish Law Firms and from foreign institutions.
Our assistance also comprises other aspects of dispute resolution, including mediation.
We provide legal assistance within all subjects in the company law area
We assist in establishing companies and structures, articles of association and other corporate documents, shareholder agreements, incentive schemes, capital raisings, restructurings, and much more.
We have many years’ experience in assisting technology and growth businesses
We study our clients’ special technology and growth ambitions and seek actively to contribute to success. As such, we assist in the establishment and organisation, clarification of the regulatory subjects, IP protection, joint ventures and other collaborations, capital raising in Denmark and abroad, expansion outside Denmark as well as Exit.
Among our clients are businesses within nanotech, medtech, foodtech, IoT and AI. For each business, we have studied their specific technology, line and area of business, assisting them in optimising their potential while at the same time limiting their risks.
The Danish Society of Engineers (IDA) has for several years recommended us to their members as the law firm that is targeted to technology and growth businesses.
Clients
We work with clients in Denmark and internationally
The personal contact between client and attorney, or team of attorneys, is crucial to us.
Our history
Our history at Lassen Ricard dates back to 1986
On 1 January 1986, the law firm was founded by Lennart Ricard and Steen Lassen.