Nicholas Ørum Keller

Nicholas Ørum Keller primarily advises medium-sized and larger owner-managed companies on company law, the purchase and sale of businesses (M&A), employment law, and matters related to the defence and dual-use industry. He assists both Danish and international clients and is known for a straightforward, commercial and solution-oriented approach to the law. For Nicholas, the law is a tool to support the company’s strategy and objectives – not stand in their way.

Commercial advisory

Nicholas advises companies through all stages of their development – from growth and investments to succession planning, restructurings and conflict management. He has rights of audience before the High Courts, and he and his team regularly conduct major court proceedings and arbitration cases. Many of the matters involve complex commercial law issues where legal, commercial and strategic considerations must be balanced. A significant part of Nicholas’ work consists of putting together the right advisory teams around the client. Many commercial law matters require expertise across several disciplines, and Nicholas has extensive experience in ensuring that the client has access to the right specialists from the outset.

Purchase & sale of businesses (M&A)

Nicholas works extensively with business transfers where the buyer or seller is foreign. Through an extensive international network, he assists both Danish companies seeking international investors or buyers and foreign companies seeking access to the Danish market. His background as a diplomat in the Middle East has given him a particular understanding of the cultural and business differences that often arise in international transactions. This experience helps build trust between the parties and ensure progress in the transaction process.

Nicholas continuously advises strategic buyers, family-owned businesses, investors and private equity funds in connection with acquisitions, divestments, investments and succession planning.

Nicholas’ most recently published transactions appear at the bottom of the page.

The defence industry

With a background as an Army officer and deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, Nicholas has particular insight into the defence sector and its stakeholders. He advises Danish and international companies within the defence and dual-use industry on, among other things, public defence tenders, export controls, production and export licences, and international agency and distribution agreements. Nicholas assists both established defence companies, investors and foreign stakeholders seeking access to the Danish or Nordic market. His combination of legal expertise and practical understanding of the defence sector makes him a sought-after adviser in an industry characterised by complex regulatory requirements and international collaborations.

Among his most recent matters, Nicholas has advised a listed Asian company in connection with a tender for armoured vehicles for the Danish Defence, as well as a Polish buyer in connection with a potential acquisition of a Danish dual-use manufacturer.

Employment law

Employment law is a key element in any business. Nicholas and his team advise on the entire employee lifecycle – from recruitment and incentive programmes to business transfers, restructurings, redundancies and summary dismissals. He assists management teams, owner-managers and HR functions in handling both day-to-day and complex employment law issues and has conducted a large number of employment law cases before the courts. The cases have included, among other things, incentive programmes and warrants, discrimination due to disability, and summary dismissal of senior employees in cases concerning financial irregularities.

Test cases

Alongside his core areas, Nicholas takes on a small number of cases each year that raise principled or particularly interesting legal questions. Most recently, he conducted a case before the Western High Court on whether a unilaterally given promise could be considered legally binding. The case contributed to clarifying a fundamental question of the law of obligations.