Michala Roepstorff

Attorney-at-Law, Partner

Michala Roepstorff is a partner in our Insolvency Law and Restructuring team and has many years of experience administering bankruptcy estates and providing advice on financial restructuring.

Michala has for many years been involved in some of the largest and most complex bankruptcies and restructurings in Denmark and is currently appointed as the trustee of one of the most significant bankruptcies in Denmark in recent years - the estate of OW Bunker. As a result she has gained additional experience in, among other things, conducting various complicated insolvency-related litigation.   

Michala is highly specialised in the administration of estates in bankruptcy, including uncovering of voidable transactions, continuation of operations as well as complete or partial transfers of bankrupt businesses. She is also experienced in advising on the restructuring of distressed enterprises, including arrangements with creditors, and advises banks and other financial institutions on insolvency matters.

Based on her long-standing experience from proving advice on employment and labour law, Michala has special expertise in terms of how to act with respect to employees in estates in bankruptcy, including temporary retention of key employees.

In 2023, Michala was appointed as a member of the Danish Bankruptcy Council (Konkursrådet). In February 2023, the Maritime and Commercial High Court of Denmark appointed Michala as a permanent trustee with effect from 1 January 2024.

Michala is certified by and a member of the board of the Association of Danish Insolvency Lawyers (Foreningen af Danske Insolvensadvokater). Michala is also the chairman of SWIC, the Scandinavian network of International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC). In 2022, she was re-elected "Councillor of Denmark" in INSOL Europe, and she was co-chair at the INSOL Europe Conference in Copenhagen in 2019.

In addition, Michala Roepstorff is a member of the panel of lawyers appointed by the Danish Debt Collection Agency, and she teaches insolvency law on supplementary courses under the auspices of Danish Law Firms (Danske Advokater).

As a partner, Michala has been a key figure in the continued development of our market-leading insolvency team which in recent years has focused on optimising processes by introducing new digital solutions and additionally strengthening the close cross-disciplinary collaboration with Plesner's other specialist teams on specific cases in order to create as much value as possible for clients.

Highlights

  • OW Bunker - (trustee) administration of the OW Bunker estate, the largest bankruptcy in Denmark in recent history 
  • Europharma.DK ApS - (trustee) estate administration of the parallel importer of pharmaceutical products
  • Fenicia Invest - administration of the estate in bankruptcy consisting of a large hotel project in Spain and various property investments in Denmark as well as the disposal of a number of subsidiaries/associated companies etc.
  • K/S Sweden Real Estate Portfolio - administration of the estate in bankruptcy; the administration work consisted of the sale of a large property portfolio etc.
  • Sterling Airlines A/S - estate administration of the Danish airline

Ratings

  •  

    Michala Roepstorff is listed as a Leading Lawyer (Highly Regarded and Women Leaders) as regards Restructuring and Insolvency.

    "Deep knowledge of the area, experience, good at communication"

    "Michala Roepstorff, Plesner always has a very positive – hands-on – attitude with regard to problem solutions and she is extremely knowledgeable within the area of insolvency law. As such, you know that you can always rely 100 % on her advice. A tier-one lawyer within her field"

    "Extremely knowledgeable and pleasant to work with"

    "Michala is very knowledgeable in insolvency matters, identifies solutions, is approachable yet firm. Very commercial and quick to respond/address points of concern"

    "Ability to spot and subsequently come up with a problem and solution" 
    (2023)

  • Michala Roepstorff is recommended as regards Insolvency.

    "Michala Roepstorff has a good commercial grasp of what matters to creditors, and is a very dedicated insolvency expert"

    "Michala is not only an excellent lawyer, but is also very pleasant to work with. Michala Roepstorff and Anine Severin really put in effort to produce results better than one could ever dream of" (2023)

  • Michala Roepstorff is ranked as a leading individual as regards Restructuring/Insolvency.

    Michala Roepstorff moves up in the rankings as she advises on a range of both local and cross-border highly valuable insolvency proceedings. She is regularly appointed trustee administrator of bankruptcy estate on behalf of debtors, and also acts for creditors on the collection of various pledgees.

    "Michala has a very good understanding of clients' needs."

    "Michala has a great personality. She's available and good at explaining things to people who are not lawyers." (2023)

  •  

    Michala Roepstorff is listed as a Leading Lawyer (Highly Regarded) as regards Restructuring and Insolvency (2021/2022+2022)

    "Expert concerning insolvency, very good negotiation skills, very good communication" (2022)

    "
    Extremely knowledgeable, solution-oriented, very pleasant to work with" (2022)

    "She is very skilled and a pleasure to work with and have as counterparty. She is a good colleague in the business. Pleasant, skilled and always calm. Good at problem-solving" (2022)

    "She is highly skilled, extremely professional and pleasant to work with. All cases are solved with the same level of professionalism" (2021/2022)

    "The team led by Michala Roepstorff is very skilled. Michala has the ability to solve large and small cases in the same professional way" (2021/2022)

    "Michala Roepstorff is very strong in cross-border issues, extremely competent and pleasant to work with" (2021/2022)

  • Michala Roepstorff is recommended as regards Insolvency.

    "Michala Roepstorff is a dedicated insolvency expert" (2022)

  • Michala Roepstorff is ranked as a leading individual as regards Restructuring/Insolvency.

    Michala Roepstorff advises on a range of both local and cross-border insolvency proceedings. Sources praise her as "extremely commercial and knowledgeable" (2022)

  •  

    Michala Roepstorff has been recognized in IFLR1000 Women Leaders (2021+2022)

  • Michala Roepstorff is ranked as a leading individual as regards Restructuring/Insolvency.

    Rising in the rankings following extensive market praise, Michala Roepstorff works on a range of both local and cross-border insolvency proceedings. One client lauds her as "very accessible, pragmatic and solution-oriented," while a second interviewee compliments "her ability to cut to the chase and get through to the key commercial points" (2021)

  • Michala Roepstorff is recommended as regards Insolvency.

    "Michala Roepstorff is very approachable and commercial; very knowledgeable regarding Danish insolvency law" (2021)

  • Michala Roepstorff is ranked as a leading individual as regards Restructuring/Insolvency.

    Michala Roepstorff works on a range of both local and cross-border insolvency proceedings. One client enthuses: "She is extremely efficient and goes immediately to the heart of the matter. She also has a practical approach that looks at the economic aspects of the matter to best protect the interests of her client" (2020)

  • Michala Roepstorff is recommended as regards Insolvency (2019)
  • Michala Roepstorff is recommended as regards Insolvency and Restructuring (2015)
View more View less

Latest news on Insolvency Law and Restructuring

Insolvency Law and Restructuring