We are known for being extremely focused on ensuring the right process through coordination and expectation-matching with all parties, guaranteeing a flexible project and transaction process and therefore a high completion rate. Accessibility is one of our hallmarks, and you will always witness our dedication and passion.
We invest time and interest in our clients and partners, acquiring detailed knowledge of the business of our clients as well as general market conditions. A natural link exists between capital markets and real property transactions, and, in collaboration with our partners and clients, we create new forms of ownership and cooperation that are enhanced by this link.
Forms of cooperation
The cooperation between capital and competences plays a key role in both transaction and development cases. Very often, the ability to create interaction is what makes the difference between a completed transaction or development case, or the opposite.
We are specialists in ensuring operational and balanced complexities of agreements. Expectation-matching must support the commercial market in which the parties’ agreements are to be used in a project or transaction process.
Our clients often use us as the unifying adviser who coordinates and communicates the knowledge of all advisers, and paves the way for overall solutions for our clients.
In all cooperative relations, we ask for feedback proactively so that we can adjust our advisory services on an ongoing basis to meet the specific needs of our clients, and we thus develop in tandem with our clients and other partners.
Development cases
We have worked intensively to extend our understanding of the completion of project development cases and to include all aspects of project development – everything from preparation of master plans and plans for utilities, through models of cooperation on share capital, mezzanine capital and senior loans, to forward funding and forward purchase models.
To us, both the negotiation and performance of the construction contract form an integral part of our advisory services as well as the subsequent sale of the developed property, be that to a long-term investor or as a sale of project homes.
Thanks to our targeted focus, we now have a deeper understanding than anyone else in the legal profession of how best and most efficiently to plan and complete development projects, and not least of how the agreements of the parties must be drafted to underpin expedient and commercially viable project development.
Transactions
In the area of property transactions, we have specialised in serving national and international private equity funds in relation to the requirements applicable to corporate structure, tax structure, reporting, legal and commercial advice on the Danish market and not least – for foreign players – an introduction to the Danish property market.
We have in-depth knowledge of private equity fund structures and regularly advise both private equity funds and joint venture partners on fund structures and forms of remuneration.
Knowledge of the financing of private equity funds forms an integral part of our advisory services on funding in connection with transactions, and our advisory services range from business case discussions to ensuring that all matters in relation to the transaction have been covered.
Advising Danish institutional investors calls for detailed and embedded knowledge of regulatory requirements, irrespective of whether the institutional investor is engaged in fixed asset investments or project investments. We apply our knowledge and provide package solutions that work in practice.
In addition, we provide advisory services on the indirect investments that institutional investors make in Danish assets through, for instance, alternative financing products (derivatives, bonds, etc.) in the form of joint ventures or traditional loan financing.
Law of business leases
Our focus on development and innovation has brought us unique and structured knowledge of the law of business leases, including market rent levels, drafting of agreements, possible types of agreements (concession, sale and lease back, etc) and project development leases. As part of this, we have built up our own database, which we use for both advisory services and litigation.
In particularly, we are advisers to major property and shopping centre owners and, in that connection, we complete complex cases involving market rent increases, which are essential in maintaining the value of the asset for the property owners.
The value of a property is not higher than the lease on the property. We tailor a lease to the project at hand, the purpose being to ensure that “a deal’s a deal” – meaning that it will stand up before the courts – and to ensure the return and the agreed rent, now and in the future.
We are up to date with developments in terms of both legal practice and drafting of agreements. Plesner has, in collaboration with the Danish Property Federation, drafted Denmark’s most frequently used business lease.