Viking warriors

In 2004, the Swedish Bar Association took a strong moral stance against the liberalisation of legal services by tightening up restrictions governing how many bidders a law firm can represent at auction – now limited to just one. Since then, the legal market has been divided over the issue, with the country’s biggest firms lobbying to have the restrictions relaxed and the smaller firms fiercely defending the ethics behind the decision.

The debate continues to gather pace and, responding to pressure early this year, the Bar Association decided to discuss motions to loosen the conflict rules. Although the majority of the board found the controversial proposals difficult to stomach, the debate has now been put back until the autumn and the outcome is far from certain. Firms are now publicly declaring sides in desperate attempts to swing the balance.

Per Dalemo is a corporate partner at MAQS Law Firm, which is one of the fastest growing firms in Sweden owing, in part, to a regulatory climate that actively promotes competition. ‘The Bar is currently discussing the possibility that it will leave a small opening for firms to act for more than one bidder, and we see the change as likely,’ he explains. ‘I feel that there is an international presence that may stand behind this change, but all of the mid-tier, or top 15 Swedish firms, are against it. It’s turned into a battle.’

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