More investors join U.S. lawsuit against Danske Bank

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A group of 64 institutional investors has joined an existing U.S. lawsuit against Danske Bank <DANSKE.CO> over a $200 billion (£154.23 billion)

money laundering scandal, the law firms behind the action said in a statement on Monday.

Danske Bank is under investigation in several countries including the United States over 200 billion euros ($220 billion) in payments made through its small branch in Estonia between 2007 and 2015, many of which the bank has said were suspicious.

U.S. law firms Grant & Eisenhofer and DRRT, now representing 232 pension funds and other investors, said claims against the bank for economic losses resulting from the alleged money laundering now total nearly $800 million.

The lawsuit filed in March by 168 institutional investors alleges that Danske and its senior management participated in a massive money-laundering scheme and cover-up at the bank's Estonia branch, the law firms said in a statement, adding that they expect to bring additional cases over the coming months.

Danske Bank said the claims are an extension of an existing lawsuit and that it is defending itself against the claims and will consider any development together with the bank's external counsel.

Danske and four of the bank's former top executives also face a lawsuit in New York filed in January by a U.S. pension fund, accusing the bank of defrauding investors and inflating its share price by hiding and failing to stop money laundering.

(Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by David Goodman)