The Legal 500

BA-HR provides ‘industry knowledge and strong individuals who work to very short response times’. Richard Sjøqvist has ‘extensive knowledge of developments in financial markets’, and Finn Myhre provides ‘quality regulatory advice’. Terje Sommer and Robin Bakken assisted JPMorgan and UBS with regulatory issues for the NOK13.6bn acquisition financing of Storebrand. Also commended are Ole Lund who ‘knows his way round shipping finance like few others’, and Rolf Johan Ringdal for expertise in finance. BA-HR clients include Swedbank, Aker Group, and Ship Finance Limited.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA’s ‘high-quality, practically oriented, efficient’ banking group, ‘is good on service and follow up’. The firm acts for leading banks including Nordea and Swedbank. Viggo Bang-Hansen and Anne Gro Sundby advised Renewable Energy Corporation as 
issuer of a five-year €320m subordinated convertible bond granted by a syndicate led by Deutsche Bank. Jarl Dybvik and Wilhelm Damm are highly experienced in marine finance. Jo Stokke and Thomas Aanmoen are consistently commended.

Selmer’s Sverre Tysland and Petter Ringnes are ‘very supportive and manage to have extremely complex matters properly manned extremely quickly’. Selmer has a strong bonds practice and the ‘absolutely excellent’ Einar Grette leads in the field, he recently assisted Think Global to secure operational finance during US Chapter 11-style proceedings. Bernt Olav Steinland is recommended for regulatory matters and Knut Endre for public finance.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS’s talented group includes Hans Haugstad, shipping finance specialist Siri Wennevik, and Berit Stokke, who combines a project finance and regulatory practice. Haugstad led the team advising DnB NOR Bank, and Nordea Bank Norge through a NOK4.5bn senior bank debt financing for Kongsberg Automotive Holding’s acquisition of the GSM business of Teleflex Incorporated in late 2007 and has since assisted with restructuring the facility twice. Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is instructed by Royal Bank of Scotland, Fokus Bank and Norwegian Property.

Wiersholm’s banking and finance group, highly recommended for international work, is ‘among the best and second to none’. Leader Leif Moltke-Hansen is ‘unfailingly helpful’; Moltke-Hansen, with Jarle Kvam, led in advising Saferoad in the agreement of a NOK2bn facility. Torkel Ernø joined Moltke-Hansen to assist when oil and gas industry provider Marine Subsea issued a $170m callable bond. Also commended by clients are Erik Ramm who is ‘very experienced, – his knowledge of financing is unsurpassed’, capital markets specialist Kaare Sverdrup and lawyer Jo Faafeng.

Wikborg Rein’s ‘finance work within the shipping and offshore sector is excellent and efficient’. Bernhard Haukali led in advising HSH Nordbank in the $112m financing of a Siem Offshore new-build program. In Oslo, Finn Bjørnstad, Johan Rasmussen and Haukali are all commended for ‘high levels of expertise derived from long experience in the shipping and finance world’. Christian Friis heads the Bergen shipping finance group which ‘is equally good and very thorough’. Wikborg Rein is also active in wider business financing, generally acting for banks.

Arntzen de Besche’s ‘top-notch’, eight fee-earner finance group has a broad practice with an established niche in aircraft finance. Clients include Yara International, Citibank, and Barclays. Headed by ‘responsive and pragmatic’ Pål Sveinsson, the department includes Geir Evenshaug, Erlend Bakken and senior lawyer Atle Stensrud, who is ‘very good – on the ball and pleasant’.

DLA Piper’s loss of the Bergen shipping finance team in early 2009 reduced the firm’s domestic reach although the availability of global network support in cross-border work is still a strong selling point. Fredrik Lindblom recently led on a complex acquisition financing on behalf of a Luxembourg-based client. The ‘excellent’ Stein Hegdal leads the group, which provided stalwart support to the firm’s insolvency lawyers through the administration of Kaupthing Bank’s Norwegian interests. Tord Eide is also recommended. Clients include Storebrand Bank and UBS.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS’ enlarged and strengthened finance group is headed by Trond Kildal, noted for his expertise in syndicated finance. Peter Brechan has vast experience in project loans and treasury products, and Halfdan Lowzow is expert in aircraft finance. Clients include Svenska Handelsbanken and BNbank.

Kvale Advokatfirma Da’s Tom Hugo Ottesen and Espen Hamar lead the team which is regularly instructed by Fokus Bank, Handelsbanken, micro-loan group Folkia and Terra Group. Christian Stang Våland is expert in the savings bank regulatory regime and recently assisted Hjelmeland Sparebank through a restructuring.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA has ‘a good team skilled and expert in the framework for Norwegian banking’. Henning Øvrebø and Leif Tore Rønning ‘have a proactive attitude’. Morten Winther, and Peter Aall Simonsen assisted a consortium of savings banks to acquire Glitnir Bank Norge following the collapse of the Icelandic banking group. Clients include Deutsche Bank, Nordea, and borrowers including Herkules Capital. Sindre Walderhaug is recommended for shipping and offshore finance.

Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA’s recommended finance partners include Oslo-based Ingar Solheim and Per Morten Christiansen, and in Bergen, Erik Myhr Nilsen, who brought his shipping finance team into the firm when DLA Piper’s Bergen office changed allegiance early in 2009. Clients include Kommunalbanken, Citibank and Barclays.

Vogt & Wiig AS is ‘a very pleasant firm to work with, very supportive, and good value for money’. Clients note that the firm is a market leader in maritime finance and commend Christine Rødsæther, Børge Knustad, Frode Berg and Thomas Dale, ‘a sharp and resourceful young lawyer’. Anders Monrad is recommended for acquisition financing and Ingar Fuglevåg for aviation finance. Representative clients include Nordea, DVB and HSH Nordbank.

Mid-size Brækhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS has a solid, competent, finance practice whose clients include Bank of America, which Bredo Stabell has represented for over twenty years. Christian Solemslie acts for Swedish headquartered SEB.

Advokatfirmaet Grette DA’s finance group is noted for a commercial and constructive approach. Jacob Sverdup Bjønness-Jacobsen is ‘a very knowledgeable lawyer who always responds quickly’. Børge Grøttjord, appointed partner in 2009, was previously in-house counsel at DnB NOR Bank.

Kluge Advokatfirma DA has a ‘small but very competent finance team’ which is strong in the shipping and offshore sector. Sverre Holm is ‘as good as any Norwegian lawyer in the field, a pleasant guy and a good negotiator’. Recommended partners include Viggo Lange and Stavanger-based Snorre Haukali, who continues to act for global seafood leader Marine Harvest.

Kyllingstad Kleveland Advokatfirma DA’s Christian Steen Eriksen is ‘very efficient and his work is high quality’; the firm is particularly strong in offshore construction financing.