Bird & Bird has entered Denmark through a formal alliance with a local firm in a bid to expand its offering in the north European IT and media sectors.

The strategic cooperation agreement with Danish boutique Bender von Haller Dragsted (BvHD) adds to the City firm's existing Nordic offering in Sweden and Finland.

BvHD, a 15-lawyer boutique focusing on IT and intellectual property (IP) law, has offices in Copenhagen and Skanderborg, southwest of Aarhus.

Bird & Bird said the formal alliance builds on an existing relationship that has been in place over the last few years and comes in response to growing client demand for IT and media sector advice across northern Europe.

While the firms are not merging, they intend to align some processes to provide a more coordinated offering to clients.

Bird & Bird chief David Kerr (pictured) commented: "We're delighted to formalise our relationship with BvHD and further strengthen our capability in northern Europe. This region has proved significant for our clients, particularly those in the IT and media sectors and we look forward to working extensively with BvHD."

BvHD managing partner Peter Lind Nielsen added: "We are very pleased to become an integral part of Bird & Bird's network. This association brings international expertise to our clients and enables us to assist our clients more easily on cross-border issues."

Bird & Bird has a 65-lawyer Stockholm office and a 40-lawyer office in Helsinki.