The Legal 500

Advokatfirmaet BA-HR DA provides transactional, regulatory and litigation advice to some of the most significant players in the market including Statkraft, Nordkraft and Oppland Energi. Rune Svoren is ‘one of Norway’s leading electricity lawyers’, Jon Christian Thaulow gives good advice and has ‘healthy business understanding’, and Helge Olav Bugge is expert in electricity sector tax.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS’ four-partner team has a ‘strong track record’, and advises a wide array of clients including power producers, grid companies, the Norwegian TSO and energy brokers. Johan Remmen is advising Statnett on establishing a new central grid in northern Norway. Aksel Tannum heads the team.

Advokatfirmaet Lund & Co DA is a boutique with an excellent reputation for representing municipalities and landowners in litigation and regulatory matters relating to renewables, electricity, environment and natural resources. Stein Erik Stinessen, Ulf Larsen and Caroline Lund are recommended.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS provides ‘both quantity and quality at short notice’ and is particularly acclaimed for its expertise in renewables. The ‘highly practical’ Bendik Christoffersen has ‘a great ability to deliver good solutions’. He and the ‘excellent’ Jacob Bull recently advised Østfold Energi, Vardar and EB Kraftproduksjon on acquiring from DONG Energy Power the majority stake in Midtfjellet Vindkraft. Other clients include Nordkraft, Lyse Energi and Troms Kraft. Jens Naas-Bibow and Gunnar Martinsen are also recommended.

Wiersholm’s four-partner team excels at transactional work for energy sector clients including power producers, wholesalers, and transmission and distribution companies. Electricity expert Odd-Harald Wasenden handles a raft of work for Norwegian transmission system operator Statnett including its international projects for new subsea connectors. Practice head Inge Ekker Bartnes is also recommended, as are Helge Svarva for energy litigation and Thomas Svensen for oil, gas and renewables.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt AS’ seven-partner team is gaining traction in the market, having been reinforced by Marius Borgen – who returned to the firm following several years at ABB and Statoil – and Amund Bjøranger Tørum, who joined from Kvale Advokatfirma Da. Practice head Sindre Søndena Andersen advised Lyse Energi and Lyse Produksjon on acquiring a minority interest in Norsk Vind Skinansfjellet.

Selmer is a major player in the energy sector, particularly for renewables. The team is advising Swedish-based Jamtkraft on the €150m acquisition of a minority interest in Troms Kraftforsyning og Energi. Team head Roy Slettvold, who is leading on the aforementioned deal, is recommended along with Halvor Grov and renewables expert Einar Bakko.

Simonsen VogtWiig’s ‘knowledgeable and responsive’ five-partner practice handles transactional, regulatory and litigation matters relating to onshore and offshore energy sources. Team head Peter Aall Simonsen has ‘expert knowledge of business and energy law’; along with Pål Brudvik, he advised wind energy developer Hybridtech Holding on selling to Nordisk Vindkraft the majority of its shares in five wind farm subsidiaries. Catherine Banet is ‘an expert in EU law, state aid and tradeable green certificates’.

Wikborg Rein is instructed by six of the top ten power producers in Norway including Agder Energi and NTE Energi, and is best known for its ‘excellent’ electricity transactional practice, where ‘efficient’ team head Jon Rabben has handled numerous deals for Troms Kraft including advising it on the NOK1.15bn sale of a minority interest in Troms Kraftforsyning og Energi to Swedish utility Jamtkraft. The group is also regularly involved in international mandates where it is able to leverage expertise in its Singapore and Shanghai offices. Jarle Erik Sandvik is recommended for electricity regulatory work.

Dag Erlend Henriksen heads Arntzen de Besche’s three-partner team, which handles transactional, litigation and regulatory matters for clients such as Enova, Gassnova and Statnett. Trondheim-based Steffen Rogstad regularly acts for TrønderEnergi.

Føyen Advokatfirma DA’s Arve Føyen is advising Lyse Energy on various matters and Erlend Balsvik represents Fredrikstad Energi and Energi 1.

At Advokatfirmaet Hjort, Frode Innjord regularly handles renewables-related litigation and recently represented key client Statskog in a Supreme Court case regarding the right to exploit water transferred from another watercourse. Team head Kristin Bjella regularly acts for clients engaged in hydro, wind and power grid projects: for example, Statnett, Agder Energi and Vindkraft Nord.

Kluge Advokatfirma DA provides ‘swift and value-for-money service’ to a growing roster of renewable energy clients including Norsk Hydro, Agder Energi and BKK Varme. Frode Støle is praised for his ‘problem-solving ability’ and heads a four-partner team that also includes the ‘constructive and service-minded’ Olav Hasaas.

Kvale Advokatfirma Da’s growing ambitions in the electricity and renewables market was underscored by the recruitment of the ‘bright, pragmatic and experienced’ Christian Poulsson and Per Conradi Andersen from bjerkenes wahl-larsen. Clients include Norsk Hydro, Tafjord Kraft and Vestavind Kraft.

bjerkenes wahl-larsen’s Øyvind Kraft is admitted before the Supreme Court and has an excellent reputation for handling disputes and advisory work concerning water resources and energy law.