The Legal 500

BA-HR is ‘the bond-holders’ favourite’. ‘Efficient, business-minded and practical’ Richard Sjøqvist heads a department which excels at complex restructuring. Recent instructions include commercial bond rearrangements of some NOK6bn for Petromena. The group which is ‘very good in all elements’, includes Karstein Espelid, Finn Myhre and Camilla Borge-Andersen, who offers specialist tax expertise.

DLA Piper handles a large number of Bankruptcy Court appointments. Johan Ratvik heads the group and is handling the liquidation of Wadan Yards Group, a Norwegian company which owns a shipyard in Ukraine. Egil Hatling is court-appointed administrator in the FL Holding bankruptcy, a case with white-collar crime and tax evasion aspects. Siv Sandvik is commended for her knowledge of bankruptcy law.

Ro Sommernes Advokatfirma DA is ‘an outstanding firm of liquidators’. Knut Ro is ‘extremely practical’, and Ståle Sommernes has ‘an outstanding legal mind and focuses on doing an appropriate job’. Håvard Wiker is also highly recommended.

Selmer’s head of insolvency, Thomas Steen Brandi is ‘efficient and effective, focussed on the right things, and has a modern approach’. Brandi worked with Jeppe Normann on the bankruptcy of the Ekko Eiendom /NOTAR international estate agency group. Jon Skjørshammer, who is leading the work on the Terra Securities bankrupt estate, is also recommended in a department which has ‘an outstanding capability for managing complex restructuring situations with international elements’.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is ‘in a different league’ for complex restructuring as well as receiving appointments as administrator and receiver from the courts. Practice head Jo Rodin is ‘a no-nonsense, effective, dynamic guy who takes robust decisions and drives the process forward’. Rodin led the work for Cyrus Capital Partners Europe in the restructuring and refinancing of real estate investor Aberdeen in 2010. Associate partner Reidar Myhre is recommended for property sector instructions.

Wiersholm’s practice group, which is ‘proactive and available full time’, is led jointly by Ståle Gjengset and Leif Moltke-Hansen. The firm is recommended for complex high-value restructuring such as Kongsberg Automotive, which required debt resscheduling and an issue of equity, and quoted Eitzen Chemical, with attendant stock exchange regulatory issues in addition to the recapitalization.

Wikborg Rein’s group attracts a significant proportion of the complex, high-value offshore and shipping sector instructions, both bankruptcy appointments from the courts, and restructuring assignments. Leif Petter Madsen is trustee for Songa Floating Production, and Marius M Gisvold is representing Nordea in the Oceanlink restructuring. In other business sectors, the team saved Nedre Haugen Borettslag, a housing co-operative, from liquidation after a high-profile dispute between the interested parties.

Kvale Advokatfirma Da continues to be appointed to administrate the larger and more complex trusteeships by Oslo Probate Court and has ‘a better team and better lead partners’ than most firms. Tom Hugo Ottesen is ‘a member of the insolvency magic circle’. Thomas Piro was appointed as trustee for the Norwegian branch of Glitnir Bank.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA is ‘above average compared to other international law firms in Europe’ in restructuring, particularly in bank representation, but does not administrate bankruptcies. Jon Kristian Sjåtil is ‘straight to the point, creative and very good at communicating his legal advice in a clear manner’, and Stavanger-based Dag Sigvart Kaada offers ‘very good response and business understanding’. Torbjørn Gjelsvik is also recommended. The team assisted Actavis Group in conjunction with the bankruptcy of pharmaceutical producer Inpac.

Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA administrates a large number of bankrupt estates awarded by courts across Norway. In Oslo Frode Finnøy and Odd Magne Gjerde are recommended. Dagfinn Strømstad acted in the insolvency of fish producer Lofotorsk and its subsidiaries.

Brækhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS has been instructed in numerous probate court bankruptcies; Christian Solemslie is dealing with Auto Huset, and Bjørn Køhler Thommessen with the John Bauer school.

Advokatfirmaet Grette DA handles around 60 bankruptcy estates each year. The firm combines traditional bankruptcy and restructuring work, particularly in the construction sector, in which practice leader ‘highly qualified and competent’ Torgeir Myrstad majors. Myrstad is handling the extraordinarily complex Rosenhoff Fabrikker bankruptcy, aspects of which have been litigated by Jacob Bjønness-Jacobsen.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS’ Inger Marit Borch heads the growing group, which has added three senior associates in the last year, and is regularly appointed to administer bankruptcies by Oslo Probate Court; recent trusteeships include Taxi 2 Norge Drift and Pellestova Eiendom. Hans Otto Meyer continues to handle the international complexities of the Tonsberg Magnesium insolvency.

Deloitte Advokatfirma AS’ lead partner Anne Helsingeng leads to work on the winding up of BenQ Nordic under a scheme of arrangement.

Føyen Advokatfirma DA’s Hans-Jørgen Arvesen is regularly appointed as administrator of bankrupt estates by the courts. Arvesen is currently advising a major hotel group through a reconstruction process following internal fraud.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA receives regular trusteeship appointments by probate courts, and works on debt restructurings closely related to the banking and finance practice. Claus Flinder heads the group. Recent debtor-side instructions have been received from Fokus Bank and Hercules Capital.