The Legal 500

BA-HR’s head of tax Joachim Bjerke, Frode Talmo and Njaa Hoyland are ‘a tax troika who work together as a genuine team’. The arrival of Jan Jansen, ‘one of the best tax lawyers we have in Norway’ creates a formidable group which has expertise across the board, and a particular strength in tax litigation. The firm provides tax advice to Prosafe Production Public, Sevan Marine and Statkraft.

Ernst & Young Tax is ‘very good on response times, appropriateness of advice and strength-in-depth of the team’. The tax department is divided into five specialist sub-service lines. Øyvind Hovland leads the international group and is personally rated as ‘great for international transactions and structuring’. Espen Ommedal and Gjert Melsom are also highly rated in the international tax field. Also recommended are Johan Killengreen and Pål Andre Johansen for ‘business tax’, tax managing partner Christin Bøsterud for complex VAT issues, and Hans Georg Wille for corporate transactions. The firm maintains strict confidentiality over instructions which include work of the utmost complexity.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS ‘will work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to deliver an exceptional product’. The ‘next generation’ partners are Finn Backer-Grøndahl who is ‘one of the best lawyers for shipping and offshore tax issues’, and Ståle Kristiansen ‘technically strong and good at making deadlines’. Morten Fjermeros is ‘an excellent lawyer in every respect, both businesswise and personally’, and Henning Naas is a ‘skilled tax litigator’. Sverre E Koch and Christian Bruusgaard are ‘probably still the two top tax lawyers in the firm but they have got more “laid back” during recent years’. Clients include Accenture and Dell.

Wiersholm’s 15-fee-earner tax department offers breadth and depth in advisory work and considerable expertise in tax litigation. Arvid Aage Skaar is ‘very good in the complex areas of international tax and VAT’, and Nicolay Vold is consistently recommended for complex corporate tax. Shipping tax expert Bettina Banoun assisted Songa Offshore to redomicile in Cyprus. Favourable Supreme Court decisions were achieved for both TeleComputing and Hurtigruten.

Deloitte Advokatfirma AS’ tax department has continued to expand; recent hirings including VAT specialist Alexander With from Selmer. In a department boasting expertise ranging from transfer pricing to corporate tax planning, Gro Forsdal-Helvik head of the employment and pensions group, and her team ‘have a very good attitude towards service and good knowledge about international taxation issues’. Tore Paulshus is head of tax and legal, and Audun Frøland leads the corporate tax department. John Spissoy advises several major companies comprehensively on both national and international corporate tax.

Advokatfirmaet Grette DA has considerably expanded the tax team with experienced lawyers recruited from other firms including BA-HR and Ernst & Young Tax. The firm now offers significant expertise in VAT and customs duties. International VAT expert Nils Eriksen is ‘a very calm, strategically wise person’, and Jørgen Grønlie is ‘clearheaded and creative’ in his approach. Clients include Kverneland and Wolters Kluwer.

Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS is ‘somewhat easier to deal with and less self-important than some other larger law firms in Norway – you feel you get the attention you need, at the right level’. Ole Morten Huseby heads the group in which Espen Nordbø ‘is effective, and has a very deep knowledge of Norwegian and international tax’. Clients include Sektor Gruppen and Colliers International.

Harboe & Co AS has expanded to eight partners with the recruitment of Jarle Schelander from the Norwegian tax Administration. Einar Harboe, a Supreme Court advocate, has appeared in several precedent cases. Harald Hauge is an expert in the tax complexities of financial accounting.

Kluge Advokatfirma DA is ‘probably now the strongest firm for petroleum tax advice’ in which Eirik Jensen is a leader. Jensen represented ConocoPhillips in complex transfer pricing litigation before the Court of Appeal. Other recommended lawyers in a strong group include Geir Even Asplin and Bergen-based Irene Søreide. Clients include Norse Oilfield Services, Remora and Noble Energy Norge.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA’s ‘lawyers show a particularly good business understanding and the capability to identify relevant issues and to resolve these in an efficient and appropriate way’. Department head Cecilie Amdahl and Johan Kiær Engelschiøn are recommended for corporate tax advice. Trond Larsen leads the VAT team. In Ålesund, Ingvild Vartdal ‘gives very clear advice and shows deep insight regarding our business’. Clients include Cisco Systems and Farstad Shipping.

Selmer provides ‘a good level of service with quick response time and good industry knowledge, especially in real estate’. Jon Vinje is recommended for advisory matters and tax litigation, and Einar Bakko for complex corporate tax advice. Are Lian has taken over VAT matters following the departure of Alexander With, and has ‘never disappointed with the quality of his work’. Clients include General Electric and Scatec Group.

Simonsen Advokatfirma DA’s broad-based tax group provides excellent support in the firm’s core competencies of TMT/IP and the oil sector, including Jan Syversen, ‘one of the best oil/gas tax lawyers in Norway’. Trond Erik Andersen is recommended for international tax advice; Andersen advises TGS Nopec on transfer pricing. Clients include the Norwegian Oil Industry Association, ConocoPhillips and BGN.

Wikborg Rein ‘has acted as our worldwide tax law firm for three years to our greatest satisfaction’. The tax department was strengthened by the recruitment of Ernst Ravnaas, who was previously a corporate tax partner at Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA. Anders Myklebust, who heads the team, is recommended for complex corporate instructions and is also expert in the hydro, petroleum and shipping sectors. Are Zachariassen is expert in international tax. Clients include Pareto Group and Eidsiva Rederi.

Arntzen de Besche’s tax team is now led by Rune Tjomsås Andersen. The firm’s tax offering was thinned by the departure of Jan Jansen but early recruitment at partner level is anticipated. Kåre I Moljord is noted as a tax litigator. The firm’s clients include Norske Shell and Seadrill Management.

Brækhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS’ Øystein Sverre is recommended for international tax advice, Pål Berg for business taxation and litigation, and Petter Jorgen Pettersen for VAT. Clients include Polimex Mostostal and Bredero Shaw Norway.

DLA Piper’s practice head Sverre Hveding is recommended for both domestic and international instructions. VAT advice is provided by Marit Bonnevie Wollebæk. The firm’s clients include Atlaship, Pharos Forvaltning and NLI Products.

Advokatfirmaet Mageli ANS has recruited previously recommended Hans Olav Rostveit from Simonsen Advokatfirma DA.

Advokatfirma Ræder DA’s Jens Kobro and Trond Sanfelt are recommended for commercial and business tax, and Solveig Lindemark for tax controversy.

Advokatfirmaet Seland DA’s name partner Johan Seland is ‘well informed and has excellent expert knowledge, gives prompt feedback, and is always friendly and competent’. The firm is recommended for business tax advice in the SME and family business sector.

Advokatfirmaet Steenstrup Stordrange DA’s Ulf Sørdal handles a steady stream of complex instructions, both contentious and advisory. Eivind Bryne who ‘responds quickly and has excellent knowledge of industry and VAT’ is recommended.

Advokatfirmaet Sverdrup DA’s Gunhild Buestad is a reliable all-round adviser recommended for mid-range domestic and international business and energy tax advice and litigation. Clients include Lundin Services and Stargate.