Annual report 2022 - Report - Page 22
Cross-disciplinary
collaboration leads to
better consultancy
22 Annual Report 2022
Andreas Schønbeck and Jonas
Eigil Nielsen, both new partners in
Horten, have different
backgrounds for their work as
legal advisers. One has joined us
after more than ten years in the
wind energy sector, while the
other has worked at Horten his
entire career. This combination
has proven to provide a good
foundation for close
collaboration.
As in-house counsel for some of the
world’s leading onshore and offshore wind
turbine manufacturers, Andreas
Schønbeck has gained insight into the
sector and its internal dynamics that can
be difficult to gain outside the sector.
“I have seen from the inside how
consultancy becomes part of the decisionmaking process, and this is of course an
advantage in my own – now external –
consulting activities. But the biggest
benefit is that I know how the supply
chains are structured, how the processes
surrounding projects take place and who
the key players are. I now try to use this
knowledge to help companies in the best
way possible, and to be proactive and
anticipate when external consultancy may
be needed,” says Andreas Schønbeck, who
specialises in complex renewable energy
contracts and projects.
Classic interplay and a good dynamic
Andreas Schønbeck was appointed a
partner at Horten in 2022. He soon
established a dynamic and trusting
collaboration with Jonas Eigil Nielsen,
who has taken the more classic path to
becoming a partner. Jonas Eigil Nielsen
started as a trainee at Horten in 2011, and
was appointed a junior partner,
specialising in M&A, on 1 January 2023, at
the age of 35. In addition to good
chemistry and a direct manner, the
teamwork between the two partners has
centred on business knowledge in a
broad sense and experience with risk
assessments and negotiation processes.
“We complement each other very well
when we meet companies in the energy
and utilities sector, where there are many
projects at the moment, who are seeking
to get a boost through new capital. But
we are also good at sparring with each
other on how we understand the law and
what opportunities we see in the specific
cases,” says Jonas Eigil Nielsen, who is
based in Horten’s Copenhagen office.
The fact that neither partner is reticent to
act was the main reason they started
working together on business
development.
“We initially only had contact in
connection with a few cases, because our
areas of expertise do not directly overlap
that much. But gradually we both sensed
that we had a good dynamic, driven by
the same inquisitiveness and goal of
bringing Horten’s expertise into play in
companies that want to move forward.
Especially in the sector I know so well.
This made business development an
obvious discipline to work together on.
This is an area where it doesn’t help to sit
on your hands,” adds Andreas
Schønbeck, who works from Horten’s
Aarhus office.
Inquisitiveness above all
It is still primarily in the energy and
utilities sector that the two attorneys
work together. But the advantages of
being enterprising apply in all fields of
the legal profession.
“Not many customers come through the
door all by themselves. As a consultant,
you have to make an extra effort. Legal
consulting is something you offer
proactively, perhaps even more today
than 10-20 years ago. This is often
because companies are not yet aware of
their legal challenges, and thus unable to
identify exactly where a solution is
needed. It can therefore be useful to have
someone take an inquisitive look from the
outside. But before we get the
opportunity to do that, we must reach
out and take an interest in the companies
in general,” says Jonas Eigil Nielsen.
Andreas Schønbeck concurs: “If you have
your eyes and ears open in the right
forums, you are more likely to discover,
say, that a company of interest wants to
raise capital for growth and is about to
commence negotiations with investors,
where Horten’s legal advice could be
relevant. This is also important in order to
stay up to date.”
But the sector having changed is not
enough on its own, unless the internal
framework allows active outreach in
relation to consultancy, not necessarily
governed by rigid formal processes and
specific ways of doing things.
“Our collaboration is not limited to a
single form. We can help thrash out
specific details, but someone may also
call because they have seen a post on
LinkedIn or heard something in the
market, where a company wants to invest
in a new technology and thus enter a field
where we have expertise. Then we try it
out. This demands mutual trust, as well as
from Horten, whom we represent.
Fortunately Horten is a company
characterised by great inquisitiveness
and flexibility,” says Andreas Schønbeck.