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The Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, London, has announced a fresh new look for its meetings and events space, giving the area an updated, contemporary look and feel.

The recently completed work includes the restyling of all 11 meeting rooms, all public areas and the events space. An additional meeting room – known as the “Modern library-W1” – has been introduced to provide a much needed addition to the in-demand meetings facilities at the hotel. The Modern library offers natural daylight and can comfortably accommodate 15 people. In addition to a new dedicated cloak room, the entire meetings floor and all meeting rooms have been re-carpeted, and new digital signage has been installed outside all meeting rooms.

Set in Portman Square, the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel, with its central location and large meeting facilities, including a ballroom for up to 700 people, remains a popular choice for meeting planners looking for a convenient setting combined with high service standards.

For more information, please visit: www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-london

By Annika Åman-Goodwille

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Internet transparency? I’m both scared and excited about its benefits and dangers. I remember keeping a lock on my personal, well-hidden diary when I was young, so I gasp when I see how young people expose themselves on Facebook. Nowadays it seems to be increasingly difficult to communicate confidentially, even to be in danger of being seen as having something to hide if one tries to do so.

Transparency is necessary for democracy to minimize government corruption. Along with that goes freedom of speech. The Freedom of Information Act is Britain’s attempt at transparency; the parliamentary expenses scandal highlighted its need. On a personal level, it makes life easier to live with colleagues and friends when one has no hidden agendas. Yet I’m sure we all have things we’d rather not publish to the world if only because they may be misconstrued out of context.

So, I have been struggling to get to grips with WikiLeaks. Their assumption is that publishing information supplied by anonymous whistleblowers will make the world a better place; information, much of which, written candidly in confidence, can easily be misunderstood. Yet is the WikiLeaks process democratic in itself? Isn’t Julian Assange acting as judge and jury? Given that only1% of the files leaked have been published, isn’t he acting as our censor? He says the names of anyone in danger of reprisal have been redacted. Yet has Wikileaks got enough knowledge to ensure innocent people don’t get hurt? What has been achieved other than newspaper sales? Some diplomatic red faces? Yet has it so far suppressed injustice?  I doubt it.

Despite the efforts of the world’s most powerful governments to control it, transparency on the Internet is here to stay. It will be more difficult to hide corruption, injustice and blatant disregard for human rights. Though I cannot help but wonder how government communications will be amended by the knowledge that WikiLeaks is out there. Back to handwritten notes, locked diplomatic bags and the old shredder?

Though we should be sceptical about the com­mercial interests of the likes of Google and Facebook and of ‘eaves­dropping’ through government Internet surveillance, on a personal level it is still relatively easy to control what we allow to be published on the Internet about ourselves. Mark my words, be wary and use those controls.

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Blog: godigitalordie.blogspot.com
Twitter: @agoodwille

By Helena Whitmore, McGuireWoods London LLP  | Photo: Yiannis Katsaris

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There are many reasons why someone who lives in the UK may have an ownership stake or influence over a non-UK company. For example, offshore companies as well as companies incorporated in countries such as Cyprus, Malta or Luxembourg are often in tax planning structures. It may also be the case that the owner lived in another country before coming to the UK, and set up the company in that country before moving. Also, it is not unusual for people to accept appointments as directors of companies which are based in other countries.

Having an involvement with an overseas company can provide many potential benefits, but is also accompanied by a number of tax and other risks. In particular, HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) in the UK are currently focussing a fair amount of attention on the question of corporate residence. This is a very important question, because a company which is resident in the UK will be taxable in the UK on its worldwide profits, whereas a non-UK resident company will only be taxable in relation to its activities in the UK.

A company which is incorporated in the UK is resident in the UK for tax purposes. A company which is incorporated outside the UK will also be treated as resident in the UK for tax purposes, if the company’s central management and control is located in the UK. The central management and control test therefore needs to be considered for any overseas company which has a connection to the UK. The UK has a wide network of tax treaties, which often include a residence “tie-breaker” test. This test needs to be reviewed in cases where the company may be regarded as resident in more than one country (for example in country A because it is incorporated there, and in the UK because it is centrally managed and controlled in the UK). The treaties usually refer to the place of “effective management”, but there are some treaties where the residence status needs to be settled by agreement between the two tax authorities involved.

HMRC have recently issued new draft guidance to indicate cases where they would not normally look into the residence status of a particular overseas company. Unfortunately, this offers little or no comfort to private individual shareholders who own investment companies outside the UK.  The 2009 case of Laerstate BV v HMRC is also an example of where HMRC managed to persuade the court that a Netherlands company should be treated as resident in the UK, because of the amount of influence over the company which was exerted by the shareholder (who at the time was no longer a director of the company).

There is not enough space in this article to go into further detail on the concept of central management and control, other than to say that those who ignore these risks do so at their peril.  It is essential to take professional advice. Those who are interested can also find further information on HMRC’s views on this topic in their International Manual at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/intmanual/INTM120000.htm.

It should also be noted that even if the overseas company cannot be said to be resident in the UK, other tax liabilities can still arise in the UK in relation to UK based profits, as well as payroll, social security and personal income taxes on individuals who may be working for the company in the UK.

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Further information is available on HMRC’s website www.hmrc.gov.uk, or by contacting the writer. This column is intended to provide information of general interest to the public and is not intended to offer legal advice about specific situations or problems.

Contact: Helena Whitmore, McGuireWoods London LLP
Email: hwhitmore@mcguirewoods.com – Web: www.mcguirewoods.com

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On July 6 the Swedish pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai welcomed its one-millionth visitor. The huge interest in our exhibition – with the theme innovation by Sweden – is just one example of the curiosity about Swedish ideas, solutions and culture that I have met here at home and around the world during the last years.

Another example is, of course, the royal wedding this summer. When our Crown Princess Victoria married Prince Daniel in June, thousands of journalists and tens of thousands of visitors gathered in Stockholm to take part in the celebrations. Millions of people could follow the events simultaneously by television, or read about it in the newspapers. What a wonderful festivity it turned into!

People often ask me how Sweden succeeded in becoming the “small country with the big companies”. Our spirit of innovation is one of the most important reasons. Sweden is ranked as the most innovative country in the EU, and one of the most innovative countries in the world. Positive publicity during large events such as the royal wedding, the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony and the World Expo in Shanghai is also important, as well as the cooperation between the public and the private sector to make such events successful.

Our traditional openness to trade, investments and influences from around the globe is, however, probably the most important reason why Sweden remains at the forefront of business, culture and creativity. Over the past 150 years, our development, from poverty to a welfare society, is the history of deregulation and free trade. This is the foundation of our success, and the core values that we fight every day to protect and expand.

Our Swedish companies are known around the world for products and ­ser­vices characterized by quality, innovative technology and modern design, but also for being forerunners when it comes to social and environmental responsibility. In this way, they are contributing to building the Swedish national brand, while at the same time benefiting from the image of Sweden as a country characterized by equality, sustainability and transparency.

For more information, please visit: frihandelsministern.wordpress.com or www.sweden.gov.se

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The Best of Brand Scandinavia

– for you to see, test and buy

Scandinavia is going to be on everybody’s mind and lips in London later this year, when The Scandinavia Show hits the city. More than 100 exhibitors will showcase and sell the best brands that Scandinavia has to offer in fashion, food, design and culture at a two day show.

The Olympia Conference Centre is going to be busy on October 9 and 10, when thousands of visitors will experience a true cornucopia of Scandinavian brands, ranging from Swedish Volvo, to Danish Homestore, Interior Design Company “Skandium” and tourist boards Visit ­Denmark, Visit Finland, Innovation ­Norway, Visit Sweden and Visit Iceland.

Scan Magazine is organizing the grand show and it is the first of its kind in ­London. Thomas Winther, Executive ­Editor at Scan Magazine, explains: “It seems to be a natural development of things for us since we, at Scan Magazine, have a Scandinavian team which represents ­Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway and therefore have the best possible ­platform for promoting Scandinavia.” The Scandinavia show has received great backing from several partners. The Daily Telegraph – the official media partner – is running a national media campaign to promote the show, which is the biggest of its kind.

While it will be possible to taste Scandinavian food and see design classics as well as find inspiration for Scandinavian travel, the Scandinavia Show will also offer great cultural experiences such as a fashion show arranged by the London boutique “Wild Swans”, which sells top Scandinavian clothes designs, music performances by The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, a kids’ show, Scandinavian children’s movies and much, much more. And the mission of the Scandinavia Show is clear. Mads E. Petersen, the Creative ­Director at Scan Magazine, says: ­“Exhibitors showcase and sell the great Scandinavian design classics as well as the new and hot designs, and visitors will be able to taste everything from Swedish knäckebröd (flat bread) to Danish hotdogs. The show will truly be a fantastic opportunity for both an English and Scandinavian audience to experience the best of brand Scandinavia as well as give ­ex­hibitors great media exposure.”

For further information about the show and to buy tickets visit: www.scandinaviashow.co.uk

To exhibit, contact Thomas Winther at thomas@scanmagazine.co.uk
or call +44 (0)20 79 936 313

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In such tough economic times, the task of starting up your own business or considering expanding your business to the UK appears more challenging than ever. However, The Economist* recently ranked the UK as having the 11th best business environment worldwide, placing it  ahead of many other European countries, so for those companies with strong balance sheets and those individuals with sufficient start-up capital, setting up in the UK may still make business sense.

If you intend to engage in commercial activity in the UK, there are a few matters you will need to consider from a legal point of view.

Legal Structure – getting the right fit

Choosing the right legal structure is one of the first and most important matters you will need to consider. Your choice will depend on a number of factors, such as the size and nature of your business, general tax considerations, the extent to which you are willing to be exposed to personal liability and the level of public disclosure of your business records.

Going solo

Individuals who wish to start a business generally operate as sole traders or through limited companies.

Being a sole trader is probably the simplest way to start a business. You can start trading immediately but you will need to notify the tax authorities in the UK (HMRC) of your self-employed status within 3 months of trading. If you intend to work in the UK whilst having tax liabilities or filing obligations in another country you will need to take specialist tax advice.

Whatever structure you adopt you should bear in mind that you may need to obtain authority from certain regulatory bodies and/or take out industry-specific insurance depending on the type of business you intend to operate and you should remember that UK regulatory requirements may differ from those of other jurisdictions.

Alternatively you can set up a private limited company. If you supply goods and services, this is likely to be the most acceptable structure to your customers and suppliers. A private limited company can be set up, owned and operated by just one individual (acting as both shareholder and director). Setting up a company in the UK is quick and straightforward and can be done with as little capital as £1.

A shareholder of a company bears no personal liability for the company’s debts. His liability to the company is limited to the amount payable on shares he holds which have not been fully paid for.

A company director, on the other hand, is exposed to potentially higher levels of personal liability.  Directors have specific duties imposed on them, which have recently been enshrined in the Companies Act 2006.  Anyone thinking of becoming a director should be fully aware of these duties as breaches can lead to both civil and criminal liability.  One duty of particular relevance in this economic climate is that owed to a company’s creditors.  If a director allows a company to continue trading when he should have known there was no reasonable prospect of it avoiding insolvency, he could become liable to contribute to the assets of the company on liquidation.  There is obviously a fine line to be drawn as to when a director should stop trading and it is therefore important for him to seek accounting and legal advice as soon as his company gets into financial difficulty.

Teaming up with others

By setting up with others you can share potential liability and pool resources. However, there are also risks involved which you will need to consider carefully.

A private limited company is one option and the points discussed above will also apply to companies with multiple shareholders and directors.

A partnership is another option. In fact, anyone who carries on a profit-making business with at least one other person may, in law, already be trading as a partnership without realising it.  A partnership is not a separate legal entity and each partner is personally liable for all its debts.  Neither a partnership nor its partners are required publicly to disclose their accounts (unlike companies) and so it is possible to keep the financial affairs of a partnership fairly confidential.

Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) were created in 2001 in a bid to limit partners’ personal exposure.  An LLP is a separate legal entity and provides that you are only liable up to the amount of capital you have put into the business.  The annual accounts of an LLP are filed at Companies House and are a matter of public record.

Just as important as deciding which structure to adopt is to think through your working relationship with your business partners (whether partners in a partnership or fellow shareholders) and establishing how the business will be run. Make sure your relationship is recorded in writing to avoid any future problems especially if your respective levels of involvement (in terms of time and financial contribution) are unequal. Entering into a partnership agreement or a shareholders’ agreement (as the case may be) is strongly advisable.  It is common at the beginning of any blossoming business relationship that people fail to consider the implications of falling out with each other and therefore do not have their relationship properly documented.  However, the reality is that business relationships often do turn sour and so it is imperative there is legal documentation in place at the outset to protect all parties involved.

Looking to expand into the UK market?

Aside from the option of incorporating a wholly owned subsidiary in the UK, an overseas company may register itself in the UK to operate as a branch. A branch operates under the authority of the company’s headquarters and is not itself a separate legal entity.  In the event of financial difficulties the overseas company has unlimited liability for the debts of its branch office.

Alternatively you could seek a joint partner and set up a joint venture (JV) with them.  This could be an option if a foreign company wants to enter the UK market but has limited knowledge of it and so teams up with a UK business with local expertise.  JVs can either be contractual in nature or take the form of shareholdings in a JV company.  Otherwise, acquiring an existing UK business (with its current management) may also be a viable solution which would surmount the problem of having limited local knowledge of the UK market.

Getting started

Seeking financial and legal advice early, particularly in relation to the tax treatment of the business structure to be chosen, is key and will then enable you to focus your resources on researching your potential market and preparing the financials.  You can change your legal structure should your business circumstances change but this may be expensive to achieve.

In this global recession the UK business environment is evolving rapidly.  One recent major change came in the Chancellor’s 2009 budget in March.  Although corporation tax rates remain unaltered, the top rate of individual income tax is increasing from 40% to 50% (from April 2010) for anyone earning over £150,000 per annum.  This will obviously have a direct effect on all high earning sole traders and partners.  Company directors who are shareholders may be able to mitigate the impact of this, subject to anti-avoidance rules, by taking out more money by way of dividend instead of salary.  This will not be the last major change, so be prepared to adapt your business plan as best you can.

Good luck!

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*This ranking is taken from the 2009 edition of The Economist‘s “Pocket World in Figures”.

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As Danske Bank and its Finnish subsidiary, Sampo Bank, opened the doors to a prestigious event with the CEO of Thomson Reuters, Tom Glocer, as guest speaker, the message was clear: after a couple of hard years, the banks’ clients are getting back on their feet and the banks are there for them, open for business.

The event, which was organised together with the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, was opened by Danish Anders Wulff Larsen, head of Danske Bank’s International Corporate Banking (ICB) in London. Danske Bank has been present in London since 1983 when it set up office to be able to meet the requirements of its Scandinavian group customers expanding into the UK market. “I am pleased to say that this is a long term commitment and you will continue to see Danske Bank and our Brand names in the UK in the future,” said Larsen, to the full room at the London Capital Club. But he also stressed. “We are here to underline the fact that our Nordic business is very important to us and that one of our main markets is, in fact, the Finnish market.”

Sampo Bank’s new colours

With Danske Bank’s acquisition of Sampo Bank in 2007, there began a 14 month long process to integrate the bank’s operations and organisation into the group’s organisational structure. Larsen himself was not a part of this restructuring, but as earlier in his carrier he had spent two years in Helsinki working for Danske Bank, the Finnish market was by no means unfamiliar to him. In Helsinki, Larsen worked closely together with Pekka Vataja, the current Head of Danske Bank’s Corporate & Institutional Banking in Finland. Vataja also attended the event and in front of Danske Bank’s characteristic white and blue logo with Sampo Bank’s name on it he explained: “As you can see, we have two names; Sampo Bank is Danske Bank’s name in Finland. When Sampo Bank was acquired by Danske Bank in 2007, it was already an established bank in Finland, so instead of replacing it or setting up something new, Danske Bank gave it a boost by connecting it to its international network and providing the necessary capital.”

Well prepared for the future

When acquired by Danske Bank Group, Sampo Bank had a network of 128 branches with 3,200 employees. Much of this structure was kept, but sweeping changes also took place. One of the key milestones was the merger with Danske Bank’s information system and the web-based cash management system.

“It gives our customers the opportunity to operate cash management online through the same system in all countries where we are represented, which is a unique service. It gives a huge advantage for group companies in that they can optimize their cash flow,” Larsen explained.

After the merger, Danske Bank Group became one of the largest banking groups in Northern Europe while Sampo Bank, with more than 1.1 million personal customers and 100,000 corporate and institutional customers, is the third largest bank in Finland. Both are therefore more than ready to take on new requirements from old clients as well as new; Vataja concluded: “The mood in Finland is improving and it is the same feeling in the bank; the mood has shifted. Last year people were preoccupied by the financial environment, but now we see customers planning for expansions and the future. It is a much more positive outlook, and I am glad to be able to say that we in Sampo Bank are open for business.”

Swedish lawyers Hamilton Advokatbyrå have had a London outpost for nearly 25 years. It was established to help clients fromSweden to set up in the UK, but now the firm is helping companies from the UK that need advice on operating in Sweden.

Christoffer Hamilton and Dag di Meo are two partners in the Stockholm-headquartered legal firm Hamilton Advokatbyrå who have a double (working!) life. While the firm has a number of offices throughout Sweden, Hamilton Advokatbyrå also has a London office, where Hamilton and Di Meo spend part of their working month.

Christoffer Hamilton says that having a London presence demonstrates how seriously the firm takes continuing to “develop interest and experience in UK-Swedishmatters”.

Hamilton Advokatbyrå opened its London office in 1985. This was a time, Hamilton says, when many Swedish companies were opening and developing operations in London. “It was important for us to be there to help them make the first step. It was a key service for our Swedish clients.” Now, though, the firm’s primary emphasis is on working with UK-based clients who need specifically Swedish legal advice.

For UK clients, Hamilton Advokatbyrå’s network of offices across Sweden is a definite plus. “As well as at our Stockholm base, I have colleagues in Malmö, Växjö, Karlstad and Falun,” Hamilton says. This proves useful for clients who, for example, are buying another company based in Sweden. “If you are doing a process of due diligence on a company it is helpful to have a local base,” Hamilton says.

Hamilton Advokatbyrå has assisted buyers and sellers of companies in a considerable number of transactions over the years. The firm has been instructed to provide advice regarding the sale or purchase of non-listed companies, as well as bidding for listed companies. It has particular expertise in advising private equity funds, and also assisting in management buy-outs or buy-ins.

Strong M&A activity

“Our large practice has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions activity, establishing businesses in Sweden, Swedish employment law and other relevant matters,” Hamilton says.

He highlights that mergers and acquisition activity is something that continues during an economic downturn. As some businesses struggle, it is an ideal time for companies in a stronger position to buy up competitors at an advantageous price. “When there is more liquidity available I sense that there may well be a useful window of opportunity for companies to pick up other enterprises,” Hamilton says.

Coping with the intricacies of employment rules and regulations can be a sticking point when establishing or restructuring a business presence in another country. Hamilton points out that companies more used to the UK environment are frequently pleasantly surprised at the relative ease of operating in Sweden. He says: “There is a perception that Swedish employment laws are more complicated than they are. For example if a company has to make a redundancy, the employee is entitled to salary payments due under the terms of his or her notice period but nothing further.” This, he says, often comes as something of a surprise for UK-based companies.

Debt recovery litigation

An inevitable consequence of a difficult economic climate is an increase in litigation, and particularly in relation to insolvency and debt recovery matters. Again this is a point where Hamilton Advokatbyrå scores well with clients, including those from the UK, with its network of Swedish offices. As Christoffer Hamilton points out, when recovering debt a court appearance is often required and “having lawyers available on the ground is a significant benefit”.

In fact, since the firm was established in the 1960s it has been a leader in the area of insolvency – so much so, in fact, that Hamilton Advokatbyrå’s lawyers have played a major role in developing Swedish legislation in this field.

Another growing area is IT law. As companies are involved in significantly more cross-border trading they may need to take detailed advice about doing business in different jurisdictions. “This really is a business sector we have seen expanding – much more than 10 years ago, and it’s an indicator of how people are now doing business,”

Hamilton says. For companies hoping to open up the Swedishmarket for online sales, Hamilton Advokatbyrå is an ideal first port of call. More than that, though, as the firm has access to a wide range of lawyers around the world through membership of a widespread international network, ideal for clients opening up online business worldwide.

There are also a number of Swedish clients with UK connections in Hamilton Advokatbyrå’s roster. Christoffer Hamilton highlights the large Swedish non-governmental school business Kunskapsskolan Education Sweden AB. “We have advised the company in connection with its planned developments in UK, where three schools are currently under planning, which will operate using the specific learning concepts developed by Kunskapsskolan,” he says.

The schools Kunskapsskolan is developing are Holywells High School in Ipswich, Hampton Community College in Richmond upon Thames and Whitton School in Twickenham, both in southwest London.

And despite 20 years of travelling to and from the UK and Sweden, Hamilton says he still enjoys the two-centre working life. Things have improved, he says, with better IT and transport infrastructure making the travelling easier. “I certainly don’t have to carry so much stuff now, and the quick rail links to the airports in London and Stockholm make the journey more pleasant,” Hamilton says.

He does recommend avoiding London’s tube system during rush hour, though, but has the ideal alternative. “I like just being able to walk around in London – it’s very pleasant. And while it can take some time to walk right across the city, it is a very easy way to get around.”

Award-winning service Hamilton Advokatbyrå’s performance has caught the attention of the Swedish legal press. Business magazine Affärsvärlden recently ranked the firm equal top in the business benefit category of its law firm of the year awards. Overall Hamilton Advokatbyrå came a highly creditable fifth in the survey, conducted for the magazine by market analysts RegiAB

As the world grows smaller and more and more businesses become global players, the need for law firms with an international scope grows the other way. Increasingly it is demanded that they safeguard any of their clients’ international transactions as well as their national ones. One of Norway’s leading law firms Wikborg Rein has chosen to embrace this development with a major extension of its London office.

The demand for more international services has, however, not come as a surprise to Wikborg Rein. The firm, which was founded as a one-man business in Oslo by Erling Wikborg in 1923, opened its first foreign office in New York in 1956. Today they have about 185 lawyers divided between Oslo, Bergen, London, Singapore, Shanghai, and Kobe and have more international experience and expertise than any Norwegian law firm with their combination of Norwegian, English, Greek, Singaporean, Chinese, and US qualified lawyers.

Tripling the legal team

The seven-man team in the London office, which mainly focuses on shipping, offshore, banking and finance, currently includes three Norwegian lawyers as well as a Singaporean lawyer. They provide services for large and small Norwegian corporations conducting business in the UK or other foreign jurisdictions, as well as UK businesses involved with Norwegian law.

Soon the legal team will be joined by three new English qualified partners. The extension is a huge step for the corporation, which will be the first Norwegian law firm to provide a full-scale English law service, including dispute resolution. This will, for instance, benefit the firm’s many clients in the shipping and offshore industry. “Many Norwegian ship and rig owners have ordered ships and rigs fromyards in Japan, Korea and Singapore. Generallymany of these contracts are subject to English law and when there are disputes, and that is quite often these days, we will be in a position not only to assist the clients in finding English lawyers to assist them in a court case or arbitration proceedings here in London, but also to undertake that task for them,” explains Partner Henrik Hagberg. He became part of the London team in August 2008.

As both new and current partners will recruit new associates, Hagberg predicts that the London department will almost triple its legal teamwithin a year or two. After official inclusion of the three new partners, it will therefore also be moving to larger and more modern offices in Cheapside, near its current location next to St Paul’s cathedral.

Working around the clock

But it is not just in London that Wikborg Rein is internationally minded. The firm has many global conglomerates in its portfolio and to provide themwith the best possible service, lawyers needs to work across boarders and jurisdictions. “We have worked very hard on the cooperation between our offices and it is now as seamless as possible. To a large extent we work in integrated teams in-between the countries where our offices are located,” says Hagberg, who himself has worked at both Wikborg’s Oslo and Kobe offices, before returning to London for the second time in his career. “For me the job is not that different. My portfolio in Norway was fairly international with largely the same businesses as here and the same goes for my time in Japan where I was from 2002 to 2005.”

The international alignment of offices and shared portfolios means that Wikborg is able to undertake huge assignments and work around the clock thanks to the time difference. But with this also comes an extensive network of legal expertise, explains Hagberg. “We have a huge network not only in the countries where we actually have offices but also the countries around them like Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia.”

Wikborg will announce the official inclusion of the three new partners shortly and we will be sure to follow up on that and the other exciting new projects of the firm.

• Wikborg was founded back in 1923 by Erling Wikborg with a focus on maritime law and marine insurance business

• From 1999 to 2002, Wikborg Rein expanded by fifty percent

• TodayWikborg Rein has about 185 lawyers, of whom 58 are partners

• Wikborg covers all areas of business law, with special focus on six business areas: shipping/offshore, banking/finance, corporate finance, natural resources, trade/industry/public procurement, and real estate.

Litigation and dispute resolution services are provided for all core business areas.

There is probably no one who has not heard of the X factor and even though some of us may not admit to it, most are likely to have seen at least an episode or two of the popular talent show. But what all of us did not know is that the show has also brought fortune to two Danes whose invention has been just as exposed to fame’s searchlight as the aspiring stars.

The two Danes Kenneth Siber and Thomas Jensen are the founders of UK based Mindstorm, a company that specialises in bringing everyday surfaces and spaces to life with a range of innovative interactive solutions. The company was started just three years ago, but with its inventive development and reliable solutions it has quickly attracted the attention of both investors and clients.

Spotting the talent

One of the business developers who first spotted the potential in the innovative touchscreens was another Dane, the founder and CEO of 1CT (Corporate Technologies), Søren Jonas Bruun. 1CT specialises in taking emerging technology companies to their full potential and in the beginning of 2009 1CT got involved with Mindstorm. “I founded 1CT on the idea that I would like to repeat some of the successes that I had seen in the past where technology companies were brought forward quite quickly and brought into larger companies. I find that process very inspiring,” says Bruun adding: “To grow and groom is the key for what we do.”

The cool factor

Mindstorm is the first UK-based company that 1CT has invested in, but Bruun did not hesitate when he first heard about the company’s ideas and plans. “The companies we work with are not necessarily new companies, but they do need to have a new technology that is crisp and cool enough for the big players to find it interesting. Mindstorm certainly has that cool factor,” stresses Bruun.

On 27 September, more than 12 million people in the UK watched X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh use the Mindstorm Aurora Table to select the 24 acts that will compete for this year’s X Factor prize. But Mindstorm is not just about coolness and X factor, but also about solid production and reliability says Bruun. “Mindstorm very quickly developed the solutions in demand and a steady deliverance which enabled them to produce, for instance, the touch screen which greatly pleased Simon Cowell and consequently got them on national TV in the UK.”

The multi-touch technology of Mindstorm is installed across the globe with prestigious companies such as Nokia, Google and BMW and prestigious clubs around the world.

Crossing the finishing line

Since 1CT started up five years ago, Bruun has been joined by three partners and has around 100 experts which 1CT calls in for help in the different sectors. “We do it the old fashioned way, we try to build the company up in a healthy way and in partnership with the clients,” says Bruun.

Since its beginning 1CT has helped 14 companies “successfully cross the finishing line” as Bruun puts it. “We are very exit focused, we try to understand what it takes to become attractive to the leading international players. Basically, we set a goal and figure out how to get there. It sounds very simple, but it is a lot of hard work,” he stresses and adds. “A lot of companies get excited and overly confident about the new technology and then just go along. But if that is your tactic you often end up as the 4am girl, who was not picked on the dance floor; you have to be where the music plays and you have to be there at the right time, wear the right clothes and be ready to move in if approached.”

Many of the exits created by 1CT have been to large American “gorillas” such as Cisco, Adobe and VMware.

Fact Box

All 1CT’s projects are designed and planned to go from A (now) to Z (exit) within 6 to 36 months

1CT is based in Copenhagen, London (HQ), New York and San Francisco

1CT won a 32m DKK GazelleGrowth program tender from the Danish Ministry of Science together with the leading Danish Science Park, Symbion

1CT charge for services through options and makes direct investments on market terms

- For more information visit: www.1corptech.com