International perspective: London calling

In 1991, Kromann Reumert entered into a strategic cooperation with Norwegian law firm Thommesen and Swedish Vinge under the name of Scandinavian Law Alliance. The cooperation was intended to establish the three firms on the pan-Scandinavian market in a European context and resulted i.a. in the setting up of a joint office in London.

As head of the office, partner Jørgen Kjergaard Madsen was responsible for setting the direction of Kromann Reumert’s international presence in London in 1991 - a long time before Brexit discussions and the political turmoil that characterises the UK these years.

“I stayed in London for almost four years and remember the pioneer spirit in particular. Everything was new, and we had not been established in another country before” Jørgen says and continues: "We had to obtain a large number of permissions and authorisations, enter into lease contracts and handle the tax issues. It was “new ground” and hard work, but also very exciting.”

As the first partner at Kromann Reumert’s London office, Jørgen remembers the time when much of the work consisted in building relationships and networks and paying visits to both new and well-known law firms and other businesses.

"Most importantly, I developed a relationship with our UK clients and with foreign law firms based in London. Incidentally, I remember getting my first mobile phone when I came to London, which was really convenient, because I travelled back and forth and was often away from the office for meetings.”

According to Jørgen, some of the work back then was the same as today, but the posted office managers have over the years further developed our position, and as a firm we are today both larger and have a more global outlook. Today, we share office facilities with Thommessen, Logos from Iceland and Borenius from Finland, but we no longer have any formal strategic cooperation with other law firms.

New political landscape

Today, partner Jakob Hans Johansen, who is member of Kromann Reumert's Outbound Legal team, heads our London office. He can look back on a busy 2019, characterised by uncertainty about the political and macroeconomic situation, not just in relation to Brexit, but also in relation to US foreign policy and international trade.

"In 2019, we took an active part in the Danish embassy’s Brexit network, and we met with politicians from the British government and the European Commission to be abreast of the process and provide specific advice to our clients on the new rules that will result from Brexit”, Jakob says.

To Jacob, it is only natural that Kromann Reumert is present in London.

"London is a global financial centre, and with a permanent representation here we are close to the market" says Jacob, who does not believe that Brexit will change London's position as a financial centre in the short or medium term.

As head of the office, Jakob is not only Kromann Reumert’s ambassador at meetings with other law firms, banks and equity funds. He is also the day-to-day manager of those of our employees who are posted to work at the office.

"The office offers a training opportunity for our lawyers and gives them an international perspective on their legal advice and our business” says Jakob, who himself worked as a lawyer at the office from 2009-2012.

During the years in London, we have developed close relations to law firms and clients, and our employees’ international experience enables them to help our clients in their international affairs.

Annual review 2019

The article is part of our annual review 2019. Our annual review offers you a look inside the past year at Denmark’s premier law firm. You will learn, among other things, about some of the most significant cases we handled, about the day-to-day activities and accomplishments of our employees, about our approach to knowledge work, and about our work with CSR, the Global Goals, and children, young people and education.

Read the annual review.