Morten Frank

Professional profile

Morten Frank is specialised in dispute resolution, and he assists Danish and international companies in legal proceedings and arbitration cases in Denmark and abroad.

Morten combines a strong academic background with commercial understanding and international insight. Morten has researched arbitration law, contract construction and comparative law at the University of Copenhagen, and has obtained an exceptional insight across legal and cultural boundaries through studies in Singapore, China, the USA and Canada. Morten is licensed to practise law in Denmark and in New York State, USA.

Moreover, Morten has extensive experience as a speaker and lecturer, such as a lecturer at the University of Copenhagen in Contract Law, European and International Commercial Law, and International Litigation and Arbitration Law.

Morten has also authored and co-authored a number of articles in Danish and international journals within arbitration law and other specialist fields. Further, Morten is the author of two books, including the leading publication on the interpretation of commercial arbitration agreements in Denmark.

Career and education

Career

Gorrissen Federspiel 2017 -
PhD Fellow, University of Copenhagen 2014 - 2017
Lett Law Firm (DLA Piper Denmark) 2007 – 2014

Education

Right of audience before the Danish High Court 2020
Certified arbitrator, Association of Danish Law Firms 2018
Doctor of Philosophy (Law), University of Copenhagen 2017
Admitted to the New York State Bar 2013
Admitted to the Danish Bar 2013
LL.M. in International and Comparative Law, National University of Singapore, Singapore 2012
LL.M. in Global Business Law, New York University School of Law, USA 2012
Master Studies, East China University of Political Science & Law, Shanghai, China 2012
Master of Laws, University of Copenhagen 2008
Master Studies, University of British Columbia, Canada 2006
The Danish Royal Life Guard 2002-2003
Mercantile high school degree 2002

Language

English

Publications

“Interpretation of Pathological Arbitration Agreements: Non-existing and Inaccessible Elements”, 20 Pepp. Disp. Resol. L.J. 298 (2020)

“May Or May Not: The Interpretation of Permissive Words in Commercial Arbitration Agreements—A Common Law Perspective”, International Arbitration Law Review, Vol 23, Issue 2, 2020, pages 114-138

“Arbitration ‘if any' or ‘to be settled': A pathological yet curable agreement to arbitrate?”, Dec 2019, ASA Bulletin

“Where to go: the floating arbitration agreement”, Arbitration International, Volume 35, Issue 2, June 2019, pages 171–194

"Interpretation of commercial arbitration agreements" (PhD thesis), Karnov Group, 2018

"A Cold Shoulder to Foreign Judgments - Securing Recognition in Denmark", International Law Practicum, Autumn 2015, Vol. 27, no. 2, pages 102-103

"Coming out of the cold - the Danish approach to the recognition of foreign judgments", The Commercial Litigation Journal, Sep-Oct 2013, pages 8-11

"Anerkendelse af udenlandske retsagsafgørelser og voldgiftskendelser i dansk ret" ("Recognition of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Danish law"), the Danish Weekly Law Reports, no. 19, 11 May 2013, pages 185-192

"The ASEAN Way", The Danish Bar and Law Society's periodical "Advokaten", no. 2, 2013, pages 32-34

"Håndhævelsesloven med kommentarer" ("Enforcement law with commentaries"), Karnov Group, 1st edition, 2011

"Nye regler kan dømme kontrakten ude" ("New rules may rule out the contract"), The Danish Bar and Law Society's periodical "Advokaten", no. 3, 2010, pages 28-29

"Kan erfaring fortsat anvendes som delkriterium ved kontrakttildeling?" ("Can experience still be used as a part-criterion in the award of contracts?"), Danish Weekly Law Reports, no. 14, 4 April 2009, pages 133-137

"Annullation af kontrakter indgået i strid med EU-udbudsreglerne", ("Annulment of contracts entered in contravention of the EU public procurement rules"), Justitia, Djøf Publishing, no. 4, September 2009, pages 3-42

"Kompendium i Formueret III" ("Compendium - Property Law III"), the publishing house Samfundslitteratur, 1st edition, 2009

"Konkurrencepræget dialog ved indgåelse af særligt komplekse IT-kontrakter" ("Competitive dialogue in connection with the conclusion of particularly complex IT contracts"), Erhvervsjuridisk Tidsskrift (the corporate law journal), no. 4, November 2009, pages 325-337

"Ny bevisform på vej ind i retssalene" ("A new kind of evidence is entering the court rooms"), The Danish Bar and Law Society's periodical "Advokaten", no. 3, 20 April 2009, pages 40-41

"Ugyldighed og annullation af kontrakter indgået i strid med udbudsreglerne" ("Invalidity and annulment of contracts entered in contravention of the procurement rules"), Danish Weekly Law Reports, no. 44, 1 November 2008, pages 372-378

"Virkningen af Klagenævnet for Udbuds annullation af ulovlige beslutninger" ("The effects of the annulment by the Complaints Board for Public Procurements of illegal decisions"), Udbudsportalen, November 2007

Memberships and Activities

Memberships

ICC Denmark's Committee for International Commercial Arbitration & ADR
The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
Young Arbitrators Copenhagen (YAC)
Danish Arbitration Association
ICC Denmark's Committee for International Commercial Arbitration & ADR 2016 - 2019

Activities

Lecturer (assistant professor) of Practical Contract Law, University of Copenhagen 2014 - 2015
External lecturer of Long-term Contracts, the University of Copenhagen 2012 - 2014
External lecturer of European and International Commercial Law, the University of Copenhagen 2012 - 2013
Tutor of the Law of Obligations and the Law of Property, University of Copenhagen 2009 - 2011
Head of Insolvency Tuition Group, Aspiri 2007 - 2010