The Legal 500

Arntzen de Besche’s department serves a broad range of public and private clients. Knut-Marius Sture is ‘always on time, and has a brilliant knowledge of the labour market’, while Ingeborg Moen Borgerud is ‘one of Norway’s best-qualified lawyers in labour law and legal procedure’. The practice acts for Dagbladet and A/S Norske Shell.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS ‘delivers exactly what we want, on time and on budget; we 
receive partner attention at a fair price’. Kjell Torkildsen succeeded in the Court of Appeal in the summer of 2009 on behalf of the Norwegian Catholic Church, in an unusual case concerning the right of the church to instruct a priest to move to new duties. Lars Kokkvold ‘understands the interaction between the law and consequences for the organisation – he achieves results’, and senior associate Gaute Krokann, ‘is impressive’. Clients include Aker Subsea and EDB Business Partner.

Wiersholm recently handled a steady of complex and challenging restructuring assignments. Eli Aasheim is ‘very knowledgeable and experienced, she always balances her advice between the law and practical solutions’, and Trond Erik Solheim is also highly commended. Wiersholm is frequently instructed in complex employment litigation; Jan Fougner and Camilla Schøyen Breibøl represented 640 air stewardesses from SAS Norway in a precedent case concerning gender equality and indirect discrimination, a case they won before the Eidsivating Court of Appeal in March 2009.

BA-HR’s lawyers ‘act as a team and always involve a relevant specialist in cases’. Tarjei Thorkildsen ‘is very knowledgeable – a superb strategist and very efficient negotiator’; Thorkildsen and Arne Andersen are acting for Norsk Industri, representing the shipping and offshore industry in a lawsuit against the Norwegian Tariff Board, which is allowed to set collective wage agreements.

DLA Piper’s ‘general level of service excels’. Per Benonisen, is recommended for large-scale downsizing programmes and Knud Jacob Knudsen provides ‘high-quality work’ in employment disputes. Anette Mittet Gjertsen advises Oras on various employment law matters; other clients include Logica Norge and NCC Construction.

Deloitte Advokatfirma AS’ team is ‘practical, to-the-point, and thinks alongside the client’. The department has particular strengths in international compensation and benefit planning. Gro Forsdal Helvik is ‘an excellent business partner’. Thor Ørbeck-Nilssen and Stig Sperre are also commended. Clients include FMC Kongsberg Subsea.

Kluge Advokatfirma DA’s ‘good-quality’ group advises a wide range of businesses. Oslo-based Marco Lilli, who heads the team, is noted for his quick responses and detailed knowledge of employment law. Johan Krabbe-Knudsen, in Stavanger, is recommended. Marianne Higson advised German oil company Wintershall on the employment aspects of its acquisition of Revus. Clients include Kverneland and Transocean Offshore.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA ‘is excellent for employment matters, mostly because of response times and the clarity of itsadvice’. Trond Stang and associate Birgitte Stenberg Larsen ‘are particularly strong’. Senior associate Kristin Fjellby Grung is ‘very clear in her advice, she contributes a lot to the decision making processes’. Clients include PEAB and Acta.

Selmer ‘is the best law firm I have worked with in employment matters’. André Istad Johansen had ‘the ability to understand our business and our problems in no time’. Clients include Kraft Foods and Aberdeen Property Investors.

Advokatfirmaet Storeng, Beck & Due Lund ANS (SBDL) is an extremely effective boutique firm. Nils Storeng is ‘highly qualified, skilled and his advice can be trusted’ and Tom Beck ‘is always there when we need him’. Kari Bergeius Andersen has ‘a very good eye for closing the case at the right moment’, and Terje Andersen ‘impresses with his understanding of collective bargaining law’.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS offers ‘very high levels of knowledge, good advice, and great value for money’. Svein Aage Valen ‘shows great strength in defusing tense situations’. Håvard Sandnes is ‘very positive and very good at communicating’, while Stein Bråthen-Otterbech is ‘available and down-to-earth’. In employment litigation, Bergen-based Trond Hatland ‘picks up every nuance of importance in court – nothing escapes him’. Clients include Reitan Servicehandel and Microsoft Norge.

Føyen Advokatfirma DA has well-established advisory relationships with companies such as Backe Group and Kranor. Lars Skotvedt is ‘good, very service-minded – very experienced within his field’ and Preben Mo Fredriksen ‘demonstrates the ability to argue the case in a professional and convincing manner’. Senior associate Nina Kroken is ‘extremely good, and always helpful’.

Advokatfirmaet Grette DA’s Jens Kristian Johansen is leading an expansion of the department, which now numbers 13 fee-earners. Johan Hveding is recommended for his wide practice and depth of experience. Advokatfirmaet Grette DA’s clients include Yamaha Motor Scandinavia, and Mediaplanet.

Advokatfirmaet Hjort gives ‘good-quality legal advice and rapid responses’. Jarl Borgvin Dørre is ‘an excellent lawyer and advisor – service-oriented, empathetic and very precise’. The firm’s clients include Samlerhuset Group, and Secora.

Advokatfirma Ræder DA’s ‘overall service is very good’. Head of group Elizabeth Ege is ‘outstanding in employment and perhaps the best lawyer I have ever worked with’; her team includes Erik Raad Herlofsen. The team provides comprehensive support to a wide range of corporate clients including several embassies, and XXL Sport & Villmark.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA’s Per Arne Damm provides considerable support to the firm’s key clients in IP and TMT. Active clients of the group include Hewlett-Packard and SATS Norge.

Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA’s Espen Johannessen is ‘our preferred choice – professional, strategic and service-minded’. Clients include Helse Finnmark and Carnegie.

Wikborg Rein’s labour law group comprises some 12 fee-earners led by Jan Backer. Recent assignments have tended to involve restructuring although a solid niche in pensions advice should be noted, as should the litigation skills of Bergen-based Dag Steinfeld. The firm’s clients include Odfjell Drilling.

A book by Brækhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS’s Jan Dege, ‘Den individuelle Arbeidsretten’ was published during 2009; the product of vast practical experience. Henning Heitmann is ‘extremely competent in HR law, and pleasant to work with’. Clients include Addecco Norge.

Bull & Co Advokatfirma AS’s Kåre Bjørlo is a well-followed labour lawyer, though the loss of partner Nicolay Skarning to Kvale Advokatfirma Da will have an impact on the firm’s depth in the short term, despite its recruitment of the experienced Margrethe Husebø from the Industry Federation.

Advokatfirmaet Hodneland & Co is ‘very good – we have received the same level of service for less money than with larger firms’. Alf Kåre Knudsen is ‘an outstanding lawyer whose pleasant manner is very important when dealing with often very inflamed conflicts’.

Kvale Advokatfirma Da has recruited Nicolay Skarning from Bull & Co Advokatfirma AS to head and expand the firm’s six fee-earner employment group.

Vogt & Wiig AS provides ‘overall levels of service at a high level’ in employment matters. Clients include Astrazeneca and Nutripharma.