Mining & Metals

Metals and rare earth elements are the building blocks of modern technology, defence capabilities, and sustainable energy infrastructure. The global race to secure access to these resources has changed the legal, political, and commercial landscape of mining. For investors engaged in exploration or mining activities – particularly in Greenland and the broader Arctic region – the opportunities are significant, but so are the complexities. Regulatory frameworks are evolving rapidly and geopolitical scrutiny is intensifying.

At Plesner, we help you navigate the legal and commercial complexities of mining projects and investments. 

A full-service team across the entire mining value chain

Plesner's Mining & Metals team brings together lawyers from across our firm's practice areas to deliver fully integrated legal advice from exploration and project development to financing, transactions, and dispute resolution.

Our team draws on deep expertise across:

• Project Development & Energy Infrastructure – advising on the structuring and development of large-scale projects
• Corporate & M&A – advising on acquisitions, joint ventures, mergers and cross-border restructurings
• Capital Markets – advising on pre-export finance and project finance structures
• Investment Screening – advising on foreign direct investment screening and national security reviews, including under Danish and Greenlandic rules
• Dispute Resolution – representing clients in arbitration and litigation relating to mining operations, investment protection claims and contractual disputes
• Public Law – advising on licences, concessions and expropriation processes for supporting infrastructure
• Environmental Law – advising on environmental impact assessments and permits relating to mining projects, chemicals, protected habitats and species
• Export Controls & Trade Sanctions – advising on trade compliance programmes and export control and sanctions risk management

Longstanding experience in Greenland 

With some of the world's largest and most strategically important untapped mineral deposits, Greenland has become a focal point for mining companies worldwide.

Plesner has longstanding and deep experience advising on matters related to Greenland, including acting in what is the largest mining dispute ever to be brought in Denmark or Greenland. Our lawyers hold the right of appearance before the Greenlandic courts.

Our Greenland expertise spans the full regulatory and commercial landscape, including the Greenlandic licensing and permitting framework, investment screening under the Greenlandic and Danish regimes, and the evolving geopolitical and legal implications of Greenland's unique constitutional relationship with Denmark and the EU.