At the request of many players in the transport industry, the two law firms merged on October 1, 2021, and will establish a joint office in Copenhagen during November. Forman Advokater, which is now part of Sønderby Legal, continues as an independent brand, known and respected for many years, not least in the transport industry.
For us at Sønderby Legal, it is a great pleasure to announce that Forman Advokater is now an integral part of our law firm.
EU LAW AND DANISH CRIMINAL LAW HAND IN HAND
Far too many unfounded cases are brought against companies in Denmark within both production, agriculture, and transport – it is the merged firm’s common ambition to stop unjustified cases before they reach the courts.
As a very large proportion of the rules that apply to Danish companies – including those in the transport industry – originate from the EU’s rules on the internal market, Forman Advokater wanted access to the sharpest competence within EU law. Here, Sønderby Legal’s specialists in EU law are ready for future collaboration, and together a powerhouse will be created within transport law.
COMPANIES SPEND UNNECESSARY TIME ON NON-EXISTENT CASES
Through a long series of critical articles on the authorities’ administration of the rules, Forman Advokater has drawn attention to the injustices that often occur in special law criminal law, when the basis for the cases is thin or non-existent. The cases are brought with great fanfare by the authorities and then dropped again because they should never have been brought. This is where the interplay between the expertise of Sønderby Legal and Forman Advokater comes into its own. It is unreasonable and offensive to the sense of justice that companies have to fight with the authorities about incorrect implementation of EU rules. We often see that the authorities, often with the attention of the press behind them, make a much bigger deal than they can deliver.
One of the main purposes behind the merger of the two law firms is, therefore, to create an even better common basis for stopping these cases before they reach the courts. In our daily work, both parties experience that the special law criminal cases function as a serious growth inhibitor in the companies, using large resources on cases that are brought without the necessary basis.
Regarding the collaboration, Per Hansen, lawyer and partner in Sønderby Legal, states:
“With the merger of Forman Advokater and Sønderby Legal, we have created a powerhouse within transport law. Where ordinary criminal law has the attention of both politicians and the media, our clients are largely left to fight their battles on their own. They will now have better opportunities to do so through the combination of Forman Advokater’s and Sønderby Legal’s expertise in their respective fields.”
The joint law firm will operate under two brands from the joint address H. C. Andersens Boulevard 11, 2nd floor tv. 1553 Copenhagen V.
