The Legal 500

Norway > Electricity, nuclear and renewables

Editorial sections

Other

All countries

Other countries

BA-HR’s energy team ‘has a very strong combination of top-tier legal expertise and well-developed commercial instincts’. The firm acts as principal legal advisor to Statkraft and E-CO Energi, and advises a number of funds and asset managers, as well as handling energy commodity contracts and other derivatives. Rune Svoren ‘combines legal and commercial skills to find solutions’ and Helge Olav Bugge is ‘efficient, accurate and fine on response times’.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS acts for many leading hydro-electric power and grid distribution companies, and numerous municipalities. Dag Arne Ruud is noted for his expertise in transactions and power plant construction; he recently advised Otra Kraft throughout a complex compulsory purchase process involving more than 300 landowners. Johan Fredrik Remmen chairs the Norwegian Bar Association’s standing commission for energy law.

Advokatfirmaet Lund & Co DA is ‘in the top quartile’ for energy regulation and adjacent areas of law such as environmental, and sector mergers, planning and real estate. The ‘generous and pleasant’ three-partner firm is expert in waterfall pricing agreements. Caroline Lund and Stein Erik Stinessen are frequently instructed to advise on policy, and have represented Norges Bondelag in drafting standard agreements for environmental standards.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS ‘provides excellent quality and service of work, swift responses and a flexible attitude’. Gunnar Martinsen is ‘a clear number one’ in renewable energy law and Jens Naas-Bibow is recommended for ‘matters regarding income regulation and tariff rates in the energy sector’. Bendik Christoffersen has ‘a very rare combination of in-depth knowledge of electricity, taxation, M&A and property rights’, while Jacob Bull is ‘skilful and bright-headed – excellent for windfarm and turbine generation agreements’. Erik Samuelsen is also extremely highly rated.

Wiersholm’s established sector specialists, Inge Ekker Bartnes, Helge Morten Svarva and Knut Bergo, whose practices include commercial issues, regulatory matters and litigation, have been joined in the partnership by Odd-Harald Wasenden, who holds a doctorate in energy derivatives regulation; Wasenden has acted as principal counsel in the ongoing cross-border merger of Nord Pool Clearing into Nasdaq OMX Stockholm.

Arntzen de Besche’s Henrik Bjørnebye and Dag Erlend Henriksen, with other partners, were commissioned to prepare a report for the Ministry of Energy on electricity supply policy. Other recent instructions include assistance to Tideway in its dispute with Statnett relating to the NorNed subsea electricity transmission cable, and ongoing legal advice to Naturkraft and Vattenfall.

Selmer has established itself in the transactions side of the renewables sector, which generally involves advice in technical and regulatory law. The firm continues to act as legal counsel for Renewable Energy Corporation and other alternative energy and cleantech corporations, including Scatec and Thor. Recent client gains in the hydropower sector include Sunnhordland Kraftlag. Roy Slettvold and Einar Bakko are recommended.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA’s Peter Aall Simonsen is a leader in the field of energy law and has extended his reach into the renewables sector. The firm is advising Agder Energi and other leaders in connection with transmission and trading contracts. Hans Olav Rostveit 
is recommended for his tax expertise in the sector, and Tor Stokke for his wide-ranging knowledge.

Wikborg Rein’s team leader Jon Rabben is ‘an outstanding lawyer in the field of hydro-power production – good at making evaluations and judgements, and accurate’. Jarle Erik Sandvik is providing ongoing legal advice to Vattenfall, including on regulatory matters. Kelly Malone, recommended for work with an emerging economy aspect, has led in advising SN Power on international energy investments.

Føyen Advokatfirma DA ‘s solid competence in the sector is demonstrated by long-standing clients including hydroelectricity producers and, more recently, alternative energy newcomers such as Bioenergi Norge. Erlend Balsvik has extended his IP skills into energy technology, and Arve Føyen is an expert in electricity deregulation.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA’s oil and gas expertise extends to wider energy and environment matters. Peter Hiorth is recommended. Clients include Lyse Energi.

Search News and Articles

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to

Legal Developments in Norway for Electricity, nuclear and renewables

  • Gas Regulation 2010

    Description of domestic sector: Describe the domestic natural gas sector, including the natural gas production, liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage, pipeline transportation, distribution, commodity sales and trading segments and retail sales and usage.
    - Kluge Advokatfirma DA

Legal Developments in Norway

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to

  • Corporate Governance - 2010

    Sources of corporate governance rules and practices
    - Kluge Advokatfirma DA

  • Earn money by renting out the cabin

    Å ha hytte kan være dyrt. Å leie ut hytten kan derfor være lurt og lønnsomt. Det gjelder imidlertid å vite hvilke skatte- og avgiftsregler som gjelder.
    - Advokatfirmaet Grette DA

  • Åsne Seirstad offered to pay compensation to the bookseller's wife

    Åsne Seierstad’s international bestseller, The Bookseller of Kabul, portrays an Afghan bookseller and his family, and tells the story of a patriarch society were men are considered superior to women. In 2002 Seierstad was invited to live with the bookseller and his family. During a family dinner Seierstad said to herself “This is Afghanistan. How interesting it would be to write a book about this family”. This dinner and the emerging idea are described in the book’s opening. From a legal point of view it is of course relevant that Seierstad claimed to be portraying an actual family. The book was based on Seierstad’s many conversations and discussions with the bookseller and his family during her stay.
    - Advokatfirmaet Grette DA

  • Principal new judgement of The Supreme Court regarding pension

    On 7 April this year, the Supreme Court pronounced judgement in a case between Fokus Bank and a group of employees in the bank. The case concerned the matter of whether an employer may unilaterally change (“convert”) the employees’ pension scheme from performance-based to contribution-based. The Supreme Court concluded that Fokus Bank had the right to unilaterally convert the pension scheme to a contribution scheme. The Supreme Court’s reasons are principal and presumptive in the sense that employers have such a right, even when the new contribution scheme clearly is less beneficial for the employees than the old performance scheme.
    - Wiersholm

  • Wikborg Rein newsletter: Paying for pirates

    Background: Attacks by Somali pirates are still commonplace and the fall-out from kidnappings of individuals and seizures of ships by pirates are still being dealt with by insurance companies, P&I clubs, arbitration tribunals, courts of law and national governments.
    - Wikborg Rein

  • Gas Regulation 2010

    Description of domestic sector: Describe the domestic natural gas sector, including the natural gas production, liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage, pipeline transportation, distribution, commodity sales and trading segments and retail sales and usage.
    - Kluge Advokatfirma DA

  • Security and Insolvency - Does contract cancellation provide you with a guaranteed solution?

    It has been a tempestuous few years in world markets and whilst the Scandinavian model economies have survived the worst of the downturn, bankruptcies have been prevalent and the international nature of trading patterns has exposed Norwegian companies and local authorities to disputes in courts around the globe. The banking crisis has been compounded by the financial implosion of countries such as Iceland and Greece, leaving recession-hit economies already affected by increased regulatory constraints, environmental protection measures  and enhanced solvency requirements, still struggling to sustain growth.
    - Vogt & Wiig AS

  • Norway: MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS 2010

    Norway is not a member of the European Union (“EU”), but it is a member of the European Free Trade Association (“EFTA”) and the European Economic Area (“EEA”). This means that most EU regulations concerning M&A transactions has been and will be implemented in Norwegian law, including MIFID and the Transparency Directive.
    - Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA

  • Norway Transactions (Q&A)

    What different types of private equity transactions occur in your jurisdiction? Over the past 10 years private equity activity has increased substantially in Norway. The increase in deals did not extend into 2009, which became a consolidation year for most private equity players in Norway, in line with the global trend.
    - Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA

  • Enforcement of security interests in banking transactions

    Norwegian law requires a statutory basis for establishing a security interest. The pledge act of 8 February 1980 no 2 (the 'Pledge Act') is the legal basis for most types of security which can be established pursuant to Norwegian law. It is a general condition for establishing a security interest that the assets to be pledged are transferable, and to the extent transferability is conditional the same condition will apply to the security.
    - Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA

Press releases

The latest news direct from law firms. If you would like to submit press releases for your firm, send an email request to
© 2009 legal500.com