M&S PROFILE: Carl Nisser

Carl Nisser is an international corporate & commercial lawyer at Excello Law.

What was your route into the profession?

Before enlisting at Uppsala University I worked for SKF, the Swedish ball bearing company in Sweden, England and Scotland. Having completed my Swedish LLM, I started my judicial career moving to the Appellate Court and Supreme Court of Administration in Stockholm. The Appellate Court nominated me as Legal Counsel at the Competition Authority. One reason for my appointment was that I was one of very few young lawyers who had worked in industry and I had earned a French D.E.S. at Strasbourg focused on competition law.

Having started this way, most people—and I—thought that I would complete a judicial career and retire. However, I accepted a job as general manager for a Swedish metal and mining company in Paris, moved to Brussels, then worked as legal counsel for Volvo and Goodyear, moved to the US as Goodyear’s export manager and then as an advisor to Goodyear Indonesia where I was a member of a team responsible for introducing Goodyear Indonesia on the Stock Exchange. 

I returned to the US, attended executive courses at Harvard Business School and tried life as an entrepreneur, also working in the Far East for US AID. In 1989 I was recruited to set up a law firm in Brussels for three Scandinavian law firms. That is when I eventually started my career as a member of the Swedish Bar Association.

What has been your biggest career challenge so far?

To handle the daily pressure at the Appellate Court and be the sole judge at courts of first instance (district courts) in criminal as well as civil cases. Another big challenge is to fight age discrimination in Europe. 

Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?

Gunnar Lagergren, a Swedish international judge and arbitrator of very high repute. His knowledge of languages, understanding of different cultures and ability to reach compromises are legendary.

If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?

I have not been a lawyer all the time. I have for many years worked in sales and as an executive in Europe, Indonesia, Thailand and the US, as well as an entrepreneur, having started companies in Europe and the US, mostly in renewable and hi-tech industries, but also as a US importer of wine and beer. I would probably choose to work on impact investments, such as mine clearing, helping children with autism anxieties and support those who are forgotten and ignored. I have headed up and supported a number of charities and find it very rewarding.

Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?

Are there any who deserve our admiration?

What change would you make to the profession?

Encourage those who want to become lawyers to live and work in at least two countries so that they see that there are different solutions to similar issues.

How do you relax?

I love to spend time with family, children and grandchildren, and to cook and enjoy food enhanced by quality wines. I love long walks in Somerset, classic music, opera and jazz. 

I am also interested in learning about renewable energies, such as how to improve the storage capacity of solar heat, and revolutionary new methods to assist children, adolescents and adults who suffer from autism spectrum disorder (ASD).