Michael is considered one of the leading lawyers in the field of state aid law in Europe. He is specialized in competition law, state aid law and general EU law (free movement law, EU procedural law, etc.). Michael also advises about general contract law. Michael is an experienced litigator and regularly represents clients in cases before the Danish courts and the European Court of Justice. Michael is authorized to appear before the Danish high courts. In addition to a Master of Laws degree from the University of Copenhagen, Michael holds an LL.M. degree from the College of Europe in Bruges. Michael has also received a diploma as a business correspondent in French from Copenhagen Business School and has taken a 2-year degree in Executive Coaching. Michael has worked as a lawyer in Bech-Bruun from 2005 to 2019, since 2012 as a partner in its department for EU and competition law. Before this, Michael worked as a référendaire at the Court of the European Union in Luxembourg (2002-2005) and as junior associate with the law firms of Liedekerke and Ashurst in Brussels (2001-2002). Michael has been named “State Aid Lawyer of the Year – Denmark” by international ratings agencies. Most recently, Michael was recognized as "Thought Leader Competition 2019 - State Aid" by the highly regarded Who’s Who Legal. Michael has given advice within many sectors and industries, but has over the years worked particularly extensively within the areas of food and agriculture, infrastructure (transport, energy, IT and telecommunications, payment services) and R&D&I (research, development and innovation). Michael has also represented clients in a series of EU and state aid law cases involving taxes and levies.
48
In November of 2016, the Danish Supreme Court rejected a claim made by trade association Søfartens Ledere on behalf of two sailors against the Danish Ministry of Tax. The two sailors had been employed under a Danish net tax scheme approved by the European Commission based on its guidelines for (...)
32
In a judgement of October 2016, the High Court of Eastern Denmark has rejected a state aid complaint against FOTdanmark, an association of Danish public authorities operating a shared database of digital topographical maps and making those maps available to members of the association and third (...)
35
In January of 2015, the High Court of Western Denmark found that the Municipality of Sønderborg was right to amend two premium-free guarantees granted by the Municipality to district heating companies so that a premium would be charged going forward to avoid findings of state aid. The (...)
28
By a judgement of June 2013, the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court reversed previous decisions of the Danish Competition Authority and the Danish Competition Appeals Board ordering recovery of state aid in the form of below-market rent to a tenant of a publicly owned property. The Maritime (...)
51
In a judgement of May 2013, the High Court of Eastern Denmark found that a tender procedure for a contract under which the winning bidder was to provide access to a nationwide radio-based telecommunications network to public emergency response services did not entail state aid. One of the (...)
23
By a judgment of March 2013, the High Court of Eastern Denmark has rejected a claim by a holder of a radio license concession that the fee for the said concession should be reduced because another radio license concession holder had allegedly received state aid in the form of an insufficient (...)
37
In a judgement of April 2012, the High Court of Western Denmark has considered the EU’s SME definition. In the judgement, the court found that a business that had initially been awarded app. DKK 3.4 million (app. EUR 460,000) in subsidies under a European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee (...)
694
On 22 June 2011 the Danish Competition Council issued a decision dealing with the question whether a Danish municipality (municipality of Furesø) had rented a Center for Sport and Culture to a local football club (FC Nordsjaelland) to a price below market price, leading to a grant of unlawful (...)
446
By its second decision of 22 June 2011 in the Kastrup Marina Case the Danish Competition Council has for the first time ever ordered full recovery of unlawful and incompatible aid under Section 11a in the Danish Competition Act (corresponding to Article 107 of the EUF Treaty). The first (...)
659
On 18 March 2011 the Danish Supreme Court delivered a final judgment in the case concerning TV 2/Danmark’s use of loyalty-inducing discounts in the Danish market for TV advertising. The Supreme Court held in the judgment that TV 2/Danmark’s annual discounts are likely to have a material (...)
1080
On 30 August 2010 the Danish Supreme Court (Højesteret) handed down a judgment in the case of the Public Prosecutor vs. Danske Busvognmaend (Danish Bus Operators) in a case regarding anticompetitive practices. Only the question of the amount of the fine was at issue before the Danish Supreme (...)
1184
On 30 August 2010 the Danish Supreme Court (Højesteret) handed down a judgment in the case of the Public Prosecutor vs. Dansk Juletraesdyrkerforening (Danish Christmas tree Growers Association) in a case regarding anticompetitive practices (price recommendations). Only the question of the (...)
1556
Factual Background A private caterer complained to the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) about the municipality of Vordingborg paying too low a price for its services in 2005 and 2006. The complainant also argued that the municipality’s cost calculation methods were not transparent. (...)
1741
Factual Background The Danish Competition Authority (DCA) has received a number of complaints from private companies which provide eldercare services to the Danish municipalities. The complaints concern in particular the fact that the prices paid by the municipalities (the “settlement (...)
2057
Factual Background A private company complained to the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) about the municipality of Gentofte paying too low a price for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. In particular, the complainant did not understand why the prices had (...)
1746
Factual Background A private company complained to the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) about the municipality of Ølstykke paying too low a price for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. More importantly, the municipality had failed to adjust its prices in (...)
1859
Factual Background A private company complained to the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) about the municipality of Hjørring paying too low a price for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. Summary of the Court’s findings The DCA stressed that under (...)
1659
Factual Background The internet portal was developed in 2003 with the purpose of promoting the island of Funen as an attractive place to live, work and visit. The portal contains all kinds of information of both commercial and non-commercial nature (ranging from information on education, (...)
1608
Factual Background A private company complained to the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) about the municipalities of Sindal and Frederikshavn paying too low a price for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. Summary of the Court’s findings The DCA stresses (...)
1747
Factual Background Public law provided that the National Survey and Cadastre (in Danish “Kort- og Matrikelstyrelsen” - hereafter “KMS”) could sell a number of different products - for example topographic maps and orthophotos - at prices which in the period 2000-2007, ranged from 44-70% of (...)
1739
Brief description of the facts and legal issues The Danish Competition Authority (DCA) found that a Danish municipality had fixed its prices for home care below the actual cost level. Thereby, the municipal service provider was found to be in receipt of State aid falling under the Danish (...)
1617
Factual Background A private company complained to the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) about the municipality of Slangerup paying too low a price for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. Summary of the Court’s findings The DCA stressed that under (...)
1597
Factual Background In the present case the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) examined the prices paid by the municipality of Morsø to private companies in the field of home care. Summary of the Court’s findings The DCA stressed that under Section 11a of the Danish Competition Act the (...)
1508
Factual Background The Danish Competition Authority (DCA) found that a Danish municipality had fixed its prices for home care below the actual cost level. Thereby, the municipal service provider was found to be in receipt of State aid falling under the Danish Competition Act. The (...)
1504
Factual Background In the present case the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) had been informed that the municipality of Sundeved was paying too low a price for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. Summary of the Court’s findings The DCA stressed that (...)
1519
Factual Background In the present case the Danish Competition Authority (DCA) examined the prices paid by the municipality of Helle for the services provided by private companies in the field of home care. Summary of the Court’s findings The DCA stresses that under Section 11a of the (...)
1598
Factual Background A TV producer complained about a public school ("Århus tekniske Skole") providing big screen productions free of charge in the form of open-air concerts. It claimed that the school was thereby using State subsidies meant for educational activities to finance production (...)
1571
Factual Background The company BORNnet Marketing, a producer of advertising spots, complained to the Danish Competition Authority ("DCA") that a regional television channel, TV2 Bornholm, had subsidized the company, Mediegruppen Bornholm, by allowing the latter to use its assets and (...)
1982
Factual Background The Centre of Tribology, which is part of the Technological Institute, is active in the field of tribology (comprising advanced surface treatment of tools and machine parts). It receives public funding from both the European Union and the Danish State. The Danish (...)
2067
Factual Background The Danish Competition Authority (DCA) received a complaint from an actor on the market of vaccinations according to which the State-owned Serum Institute ("SSI") had subsidized a competing company, Udlandsvaccinationen I/S. The subsidies allegedly consisted in (1) SSI (...)
1659
Factual Background The Transport business’ Education Council (Transporterhvervets Uddannelsesråd, "TUR") is a sector-specific education committee that according to Danish law on work related training is committed to assessing the needs of relevant training courses, including the preparation (...)
