The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance(including shipping finance), BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR provides ‘industry knowledge and strong individuals who work to very short response times’. Richard Sjøqvist has ‘extensive knowledge of developments in financial markets’, and Finn Myhre provides ‘quality regulatory advice’. Terje Sommer and Robin Bakken assisted JPMorgan and UBS with regulatory issues for the NOK13.6bn acquisition financing of Storebrand. Also commended are Ole Lund who ‘knows his way round shipping finance like few others’, and Rolf Johan Ringdal for expertise in finance. BA-HR clients include Swedbank, Aker Group, and Ship Finance Limited.

Within Corporate and M&A, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR is ‘a top-tier M&A firm’, which provides
‘a level of service surpassing some of the most renowned US and European law firms’. ‘Efficient and solutions-oriented’ Svein Gerhard Simonnæs heads the department. Lars Norheim ‘combines commercial awareness with an in-depth knowledge of the legal field’, and Peter Hammerich 
provides ‘excellent overall corporate support’.
Rune Svoren and Bård Sandstad advised Aker Exploration on its NOK4.3bn merger with Det Norske Oljeselskap. Robin Bakken, Bjørn Gabriel Reed, and Morten Plesner Smørdal 
are also highly recommended and Børre Sofus Arnet ‘handles complexity within tight time constraints’.

Within Dispute resolution, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR ‘has some of the best contract lawyers in Norway – they have a remarkably clear understanding of the key issues in dispute resolution’. In one of 2009’s most complex instructions, Helge Olav Bugge successfully represented the Reitan family, owners of the major retailer Reitan Group, in Supreme Court litigation concerning the inheritance tax treatment of assets transferred within the family. Gunnar Sørlie and Geir-Arne Borgestrand are ‘experienced and proactive, very competent’. Sam Harris is also recommended.

Within EU and competition, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR has ‘skill in competition law which ranks them at the top in Norway’. Helge Stemshaug is ‘outstanding, pleasant to work with, creative, intelligent and enthusiastic’, while Beret Sundet is ‘thorough and thoughtful in her approach’. The practice has represented Det Norske Veritas through the aftermath of the dawn raid on its offices by the EFTA Surveillance Authority in 2008. Clients include Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Wyeth.

Within Electricity, nuclear and renewables, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

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’.

Within Employment, BA-HR is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR is ‘very good in all aspects – its lawyers strike a very good balance between business and law’. Bjørn Gabriel Reed, Finn Myhre and Jon Christian Thaulow were instructed by the Norwegian subsidiary of an insolvent Icelandic bank, Glitnir, in connection with its divestiture and sale. Anders Echoff and Richard Sjøqvist are, ‘excellent – they get results’.

Within Intellectual property and TMT, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR’s impressive team has developed an excellent client base in both TMT and IP. Gunnar Sørlie, ‘a very skilful strategist, litigator and negotiator’, has represented Seadrill Offshore and Pfizer. Lars Norheim is praised for his ability to get results, and Beret Sundet for her ability to put complex science in a legal context.

Within Legal market overview,

BA-HR, Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS, Wiersholm, and Wikborg Rein continue to offer the most impressive mix of expertise and capacity in most practice areas. However, both Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA and Selmer receive excellent research feedback and each has several departments which are of equal standard to the leaders.

Within Maritime law (including insurance), BA-HR is a third tier firm,

BA-HR’s Øystein Ore and Jan-Fredrik Rafen are leaders in dry insurance matters. The firm’s corporate department handles transactional work with a shipping or offshore element. Clients include Hurtigruten and SevanMarine.

Within Offshore construction and shipbuilding, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR has ‘many good partners in offshore construction law and litigation, but is somewhat lacking in associate support’. Jan Einar Barbo has a doctorate in offshore construction, and Gunnar Sørlie ranks highly as an offshore construction litigator. Rolf Johan Ringdal and Morten Smørdal are very highly rated. The firm was regularly instructed by Aker Group during 2009, and also assisted North Sea and SevanMarine in newbuild contracts.

Within Oil and gas, BA-HR is a second tier firm,

BA-HR is skilled in corporate and finance sector instructions, and is an excellent choice for arbitration and litigation. Key client Aker Group provides a stream of challenging service sector work. The team has proved equally adept at handling licence negotiations in developing countries. Geir Gustavsson is ‘a first-class, highly skilled lawyer’. Rolf Johan Ringdal, Mats Saether and Anders Gullåsen recently acted in several complex rig sale and leaseback transactions.

Within Real estate and construction, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR provides ‘very high service levels’ and has additional expertise as a result of having recfruited former Wikborg Rein head of real estate, Anne Sofie Bjørkholt. Stig Bech, who is noted for his consistently high-quality service, led in advising Oslo Kommune through the renegotiation of the remaining NOK1.5bn part of Norway’s largest land sale, involving the former airport at Fornebu. Sam Harris is highly rated for litigation expertise in the construction field. Haakon Flaaten is recommended for complex transactions, and Jan Einar Barbo for construction law. Clients include Pangea Securities, Pareto Private Equity and Reitan Gruppen.

Within Tax, BA-HR is a first tier firm,

BA-HR is commended for ‘depth of analysis and efficient team building, which avoids senior time being spent on junior work’. Frode Talmo and Njaal Hoyland are ‘excellent tax lawyers who give fast, reliable and no-nonsense advice’. The practice’s litigation strengths are particularly focused on tax controversy; international tax expert Joachim Bjerke succeeded in an administrative appeal in a complex NOK312m transfer pricing dispute. The firm also acts for HitecVision Private Equity and Schibsted.