Martin von Haller Groenbaek is a Copenhagen-based lawyer specialised in IT and tech law, working with tech startups, and an expert on open source.
Martin divides his time between being a partner at Bird & Bird, chairing Nordic Makers and advising a number of cultural and human rights foundations and organisations.
Bird & Bird
Today, Martin is a partner in Bird & Bird, an international leading law firm in business sectors where technology plays a key role, and member of the firm’s Danish and international Tech and Comms Group. Bird & Bird merged in 2014 with Bender von Haller Dragsted, which he co-founded in 2001.
He is one of Denmark’s leading IT and tech lawyers with more than 20 years of experience advising Danish and international organizations, including large blue chip companies, on legal and commercial matters related to IT and technology in the broadest sense. He is considered a pioneer in relation to the legal aspects of the Internet and now web3. He was co-founder in 1996 of the Danish E-Commerce Association (FDIH).
Martin works with clients on the legal aspects related to emergent areas and industries such as AI, Blockchain, 3D Printing, Robotics, Smart networks and smart cities, wearable tech, IoT, FinTech, Deeptech and Greentech.
Open source
Since 2000, he has been working with strategic and legal issues related to open source software, creative commons (open content), open data, open APIs and open business. He was a co-founder and of chairman of Danish Open Source Vendors Association and he is currently Legal and Public Project Lead for Creative Commons Danish chapter.
Legal500, the most comprehensive worldwide coverage currently available on legal services providers, in over 100 countries, mentions Martin as “a go-to expert on open source and creative commons” already in its The Legal 500 2011: Europe, Middle East & Africa edition.
Tech startups
Martin advises technology start-ups and SMEs within the IT and media sectors on fundraising, M&A and transactions, corporate matters and more general commercial contracts.
Over the last 20 years he has co-founded several startups such as Araneum, one of the first Danish web-companies, with Alexander Aghassipour, co-founder of Zendesk, and with other prominent Danish IT-entrepreneurs such as Thomas Madsen-Mygdal and Nikolaj Nyholm.
Martin was the founder of the Danish chapter of First Tuesday, one of the first international Internet entrepreneurs networks. He has subsequently been a part of almost any Danish startup network initiative.
He is co-creator of CPHFTW, a grass-roots and non-profit organization representing and working for the tech startups in Denmark and the Öresund Region, and member of the CPHFTW foundation.
Nordic Makers
Martin is a co-founder of Nordic Makers, a collective of Nordic business angels that founded and built great companies that invest in early stage companies on founder-friendly terms.
He currently serve as the chairperson.
Other stuff
Martin has dedicated lots of time and energy to work with IT and tech policy in different settings. He was a co-founder of the Danish Internet Society Chapter and he has been sitting on board of numerous public committees and councils such as the Danish Internet Forum and DK-Hostmaster A/S. He served as a member of the Danish IT-Security Committee, personally appointed by the Danish Minister of Science.
Martin has extensive business experience from serving on numerous board of directors, often as chairman, of small- and medium sized IT companies, among these Jubii, GoViral, Mondo and E*Trade DK and has chaired the board of Saxo.com, the largest online bookstore in Denmark.
He lives in Admiral Gjeddes Gaard, a historical building in the old center of Copenhagen, with his wife Jeanne von Haller Grønbæk.
Martin’s full CV is available here.
He can be contacted at
– martin.vonhaller (at) twobirds.com
– martin (at) groenbaek.net
– groenbaek (at) protonmail.com