The Legal 500

BA-HR’s ‘service levels, response times, availability and quality of advice are excellent and highly professional’. Terje Sommer is ‘particularly good’. Finn Myhre is well-followed by savings banks seeking covered bond advice. Rolf Johan Ringdal joined with shipping finance guru Ole Lund to assist cruise ship operator Hurtigruten through a complex series of financing deals totalling NOK5bn. Richard Sjøqvist, the department head, and new partner Anders Gullåsen acted for Nordea Bank in connection with Seadrill’s $1.5bn funding for the purchase of four newbuild drilling rigs.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA is ‘one of the best law firms within Norway in the area of loan documentation including long term interest swaps and ISDA agreements’. Wilhelm Damm leads the group, which also houses the ‘very bright’ Anne Gro Sundby. Senior lawyer Harald Sætermo is praised for his ‘high levels of accuracy’. Jarl Dybvik in Ålesund, and Jo Stokke in Oslo, are expert in marine and aquaculture finance. Members of the team assisted Renewable Energy Corporation through several high-value financing transactions. The firm also acts for Nordea and Deutsche Bank.

Selmer, has ‘a good set up’ and provides ‘excellent service and deep knowledge of the financial industry and its regulations’. Einar Grette who is ‘precise, consistent, trustworthy, and communicates well’, has established a strong debt finance team. Grette and Katriina Kekkonen assisted Metallkraft in connection with a NOK140m convertible bond loan and restructuring of the company’s existing multicurrency term loan facility of NOK250m. Knut Endre is ‘knowledgeable and has excellent relations with the authorities’ in public finance. Bernt Olav Steinland is recommended for regulatory matters.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS’s group is ‘absolutely one of the best when it comes to response time, relevant industry competence and value for money’. ‘Service-minded and solution-oriented’ practice head Hans Haugstad led the team which represented a syndicate of banks, including DnB NOR and Nordea, in the granting of a NOK10bn loan and guarantee facilities to Renewable Energy Corporation. Siri Wennevik, and Berit Stokke and their assistants ‘have excellent knowledge and experience in maritime loan finance’. The team is also instructed by Royal Bank of Scotland and Fokus Bank.

Wiersholm’s ten-partner group offers ‘very high levels of business acumen and industry knowledge’, though ‘response time is sometimes a problem’ Erik Ramm acted for Barclays Capital and other major financial institutions in a €40bn covered bonds programme to DnB NOR Boligkreditt. Leif Moltke-Hansen’s group includes Torkel Ernø and capital markets specialist Kaare P Sverdrup. It acts for Svenska Handelsbanken, DnB NOR and HSH Nordbank.

Wikborg Rein ‘outperforms all other Norwegian law firms on international acquisition and project finance’, and is the market leader in offshore and shipping finance. Bernhard Haukali who ‘consistently delivers to a high standard’, worked with lawyers in the firm’s Asian offices to advise Nordea Bank Finland’s Singapore branch on the financing of six car carrier newbuildings under construction in China. Christian Friis is recommended shipping finance work. Johan Rasmussen has a wide finance practice and is highly rated.

Arntzen de Besche’s Paul Sveinsson heads an eight-fee-earner finance group represented in Oslo and Trondheim. The firm offers a broad practice with an established niche in aircraft finance. Erlend Bakken is an excellent business lawyer with finance expertise; he assisted Norwegian Energy Company in the structuring, documentation and listing of bond loans with an aggregate loan amount of NOK2 bn. Brynjulf Moe in Trondheim is also recommended.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS’s lawyers are ‘very good value for money – they are pragmatic and focus on the right things’. The finance group is headed by Trond Kildal and includes Peter Brechan who produces ‘perfect contractual work’. Aircraft finance expert Halfdan Lowzow assisted Babcock Brown Aircraft Management to negotiate aircraft leases with two Norwegian domestic airlines. Clients include Svenska Handelsbanken and ISS Global.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA’s banking practice provides a service which is ‘timely, hands on and good value for money’. Morten Winther is ‘communicative and service minded’, and Sindre Walderhaug, who heads the shipping finance practice, ‘expert and outstanding on bank/financing issues’. Peter Aall Simonsen advised Nordea Bank on the refinancing of 26 vessels by Ship Finance International. Clients include Color Line and Eksportfinans.

Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA’s Per Morten Christiansen is ‘a good adviser who always delivers on time’, and Ingar Solheim leads ‘the best team in Norway for LBO financing’. Erik Myhr Nilsen, in Bergen, includes ship finance within his broad practice. Clients include Kommunalbanken and DnB NOR.

Advokatfirmaet Vogt & Wiig AS, with a significant presence in the maritime finance sector, is ‘a lot better than the average competitor’. Christine Rødsæther, Erik Solheim and Erlend Lous each offers ‘expertise, quick response, and decent pricing’. Anders Monrad is recommended for acquisition financing and Ingar Fuglevåg for aviation finance. Representative clients include Nordea and Pareto Private Equity.

Brækhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS’s Bredo Stabell has represented Bank of America for over twenty years, and Christian Solemslie acts for Swedish headquartered SEB. The mid-sized firm has a reputation for a business-friendly approach.

DLA Piper is ‘good on personal service and quick delivery response as well as providing sound legal advice’. Fredrik Lindblom assisted Swedbank as arranger and agent in relation to the NOK680m long term financing of Helsfyr Atrium.

Advokatfirmaet Grette DA’s ‘service is very good, responds quickly and understood our case and problem’. Børge Grøttjord demonstrated ‘impressive knowledge of ISDA master agreements’. Jarle Roar Sæbø is expert in privacy law as relevant to financial institutions.

Advokatfirmaet Hjort’s Rolf Trolle Andersen leads the finance practice, which is biased towards contentious matters. Harald Hjort is also recommended. Clients include DnB Nor Bank and Resurs Bank.

Kluge Advokatfirma DA ‘compares well with our other main adviser, one of the large top-tier firms’. Stavanger-based managing partner Snorre Haukali and his team ‘dispense great advice and have a strong competence in law as well as industry knowledge’. Sverre A Holm and Viggo Lange are senior partners of long experience but clients increasingly mention promising associates, and note a greater depth on offer. The firm acted as lead counsel for global seafood leader Marine Harvest in connection with a refinancing facility agreement of €600m.

Kvale Advokatfirma Da advises a wide range of banks and financial institutions including Fokus Bank, Handelsbanken, micro-loan group Folkia, and Terra Group. Christian Stang Våland is expert in the savings bank regulatory regime. Robert Romansky is recommended.

Kyllingstad Kleveland Advokatfirma DA’s Christian Steen Eriksen has established a solid following for his banking and finance work in the offshore sector with clients including Ship Finance International and Golden Ocean Group, as well as leading banks.