The Legal 500

BA-HR ‘ranks among the leaders in competition law, against some strong contenders’. Department head Beret Sundet, who ‘simplifies complex law and applies it to our organisation’, is leading the complex work for several global pharmaceutical leaders in the expectation that an ongoing investigation by the EU will be followed up by Konkurransetilsynet, the Norwegian Competition Authority. Helge Stemshaug is ‘very to the point and practical’. Clients include Stakraft, Veritas and Color Line.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA ten-fee-earner group, stronger in European law and procurement than competition matters, has expanded the Brussels team. Clients comment on ‘much better performance than other firms in Scandinavia’. Jan Magne Juuhl-Langseth is ‘particularly good’ and Brussels-resident Peter Dyrberg is ‘top class’. Current instructions include a major Nordic-wide dominance investigation. Christian Bendiksen is recommended for public procurement work. Clients include Halliburton, Ladbrokes, and several other major online gaming firms.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS has ‘the best team of competition lawyers in Norway’. Siri Teigum ‘always gives the correct legal advice’; Teigum is advising EDB Business Partner and Ergogroup through a phase two merger investigation by the Norwegian Competition Authority. Eivind Vesterkjær is recommended for merger and cartel cases and Frode Elgesem for EU, EEA and EFTA matters. Dagfinn Heradstveit heads the Bergen competition practice. Clients include Telenor, SAS and Høegh.

Wikborg Rein ‘stands out as one of the very best firms ‘and has one of the larger and broader EU and competition practices, which handles numerous Norwegian Competition Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority cases. Mads Magnussen, who heads the group, is ‘a very bright lawyer and an outstanding negotiator’. Morten Goller and Bergen-based Jonn Ola Sørensen are also recommended. Linda Dragvoll, who previously headed DLA Piper’s competition group, joined the team in the autumn of 2009. The team’s clients include A-pressen, Norske Skog and TeliaSonera.

Arntzen de Besche offers a broad-based practice group which is ‘highly professional, always timely and provides complete answers’. Practice leader Stein Ove Solberg acted for Baker Hughes to secure approval from the Norwegian Competition Authority for the $5.5bn merger with BJ Services. Thomas Nordby ‘has an in-depth knowledge of EU matters’. Erlend Bakken is recommended and senior lawyer Thea Skaug has returned to the team after a period as Legal Director of the Norwegian Competition Authority. Clients include Enova SF, Tine, Mesta and Nortura.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS’ four-partner group is headed by Nina Melandsø, who is well experienced in complex competition work; Melandsø has led state aid and competition work for clients including Telenor, Meltwater News and SBS Radio Norge. Trygve Norum, who divides his time with the corporate group, is ‘a pleasure to work with; he has a pragmatic and reasoned approach to work’. Ian Anders Tobiassen is also recommended.

Advokatfirmaet Hjort’s Monica Syrdal is noted as a ‘rising star’ in the media and telecoms sectors in which ‘business-minded’ Kristin Veierød is also recommended. Heddy Ludvigsen is widely experienced in competition matters and public procurement; in a recent instruction Ludvigsen counselled Unilabs Norge through a concentration notification to the NCA. Clients include Telenor and Agder Energi.

Selmer’s ‘level of partner attention is attractive’. Katinka Mahieu, who ‘grasps complex material quickly’, now heads a department which is strong in state aid, procurement and competition matters, and an important contributor to the firm’s transactions work. Harald Evensen ‘stands out, not only within the firm, but as one of the absolutely top competition lawyers in Norway’: Evensen is leading the work for Octapharma in connection with complaints against the central procurement body for Norwegian Hospitals HINAS.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA is recommended for competition and procurement instructions, and has particular expertise in the TMT sector, although the practice group’s clientele is drawn from all sectors of the economy. Mona Soyland assisted Green Reefers through the Norwegian Competition Authority clearance for a joint venture with Silver Sea and Anders Thue was instructed by the Agency for Public Management to draft the consultancy service procurement law guidelines to be used by all Norwegian Ministries. The firm’s clients include Synnøve Finden and Franzefoss.

Wiersholm’s competition group partners, leader Anders Ryssdal, who is ‘quick, accurate and has an in-depth knowledge in the field’, and Stephan Jervell are expert litigators and the firm ranks as first choice for high-value contentious matters. One client comments, ‘I have experience of a number of the other law firms, especially as opponents in litigation – none of whom have prevailed against this firm’. Ryssdal successfully represented Norwegian Air Shuttle in an action against SAS; the case is now appealed to the Supreme Court. Senior lawyer Kari Lunde ‘keeps timelines, and is very pro-active’ in her handling of complex regulatory assignments.

Advokatfirmaet Grette DA provides ‘very good service and value for money, based on in-depth knowledge of competition law’ through partner Jarle Sæbø, who handles competition law compliance work for Visa Norge Bankgruppe.

Kvale Advokatfirma Da’s Henrik Svane and Olav Kolstad ‘give partner level attention’ and are excellent competition and state aid lawyers but ‘do not have a strong supporting team’. Clients include Orkla and EnterCard Norge.

Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA recruited Aksel Joachim Hageler from Wikborg Rein to head the group in August 2010, and added to the team at senior associate level. Halfdan Mellbye, an expert in the fisheries sector, is ‘a good listener, who cares about his cases’. Trond Skogly is highly recommended. The firm acts for several household name corporates, and has a large public sector procurement practice.