The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance (including shipping finance), Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

Wiersholm’s ten-partner group offers ‘very high levels of business acumen and industry knowledge’, though ‘response time is sometimes a problem’ Erik Ramm acted for Barclays Capital and other major financial institutions in a €40bn covered bonds programme to DnB NOR Boligkreditt. Leif Moltke-Hansen’s group includes Torkel Ernø and capital markets specialist Kaare P Sverdrup. It acts for Svenska Handelsbanken, DnB NOR and HSH Nordbank.

Within Corporate and M&A, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

Wiersholm ‘do first-rate work, always very responsive and accessible, and well positioned in the market’ Erik Thyness has ‘the ability to extract relevant aspects of complex questions and give concise and relevant advice’. Ståle Gjengset ‘thinks the big picture and give practical advice’. The group recruited Harald Hellebust, ‘probably the best Norwegian corporate lawyer of his generation’ from DLA Piper. Jarle Kvam led the team which advised Cisco Systems in the acquisition of Tandberg and Eystein Eriksrud counselled Subsea 7 through its NOK15.8bn merger with Acergy.

Within Dispute resolution, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

Wiersholm’s litigation group houses 19 attorneys admitted to the Supreme Court. Magnus Hellesylt appeared for dairy producer Tine in complex, long-running litigation brought by the Norwegian Competition Authority for alleged violations of competition law. Anders Ryssdal and Olav Perland continue to represent leading banks including Fokus Bank and DnB NOR in major class actions over retail structured investment products. Employment guru Jan Fougner’s ‘special strength is the ability to present complicated legal matters in a manner that lay people are able to follow’. Clients include Norwegian Hull Club and Hegnar Media.

Within EU and competition, Wiersholm is a second tier firm,

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.

Within Electricity, nuclear and renewable, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

Wiersholm generally has ‘the ability to mobilize adequate resources on short notice and to provide well-founded practical advice’ in energy sector transactions, although clients note that the impressive strength at partner level is not currently carried through to the younger lawyers. Inge Ekker Bartnes has ‘excellent in-depth skills in the sector combined with great legal knowledge’ and Odd-Harald Wasenden’s ‘expertise lies in these new focus areas of physical and financial markets for energy’. Helge Morten Svarva provides ‘perfect delivery’, and Knut Bergo is recommended for transactions. Clients include Statnett and DONG Energy.

Within Employment, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

Wiersholm’s large employment group is ‘responsive and competitively priced’, and head Eli Aasheim’s ‘depth of knowledge and experience results in the efficient delivery of services.’ Trond Erik Solheim is also highly commended. Jan Fougner and Camilla Schøyen Breibøl represented 640 air stewardesses from SAS Norway in a precedent case concerning gender equality and indirect discrimination. Other clients of the practice include Nordisk Film and Cisco Systems.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

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.

Within Intellectual property and TMT, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

Wiersholm is ‘far ahead of most law firms in this field’. Hans Erik Johnsen ‘a living textbook’ is ‘by far the best lawyer for TV and broadcast matters in the Nordics’, and John Gulbrandsen, a specialist in media and broadcasting law, as well as IP, ‘offers great strength in negotiations, and is good in court’; Gulbrandsen has appeared in many precedent cases representing such majors as Monster and Telenor. Kyrre Eggen is also recommended. Advisory clients include Hegnar Media and Pantagruel.

Within Legal market overview,

BA-HR, Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS, Wiersholm, and Wikborg Rein are generally consider to be the elite firms, although the quartet occasionally appear to be complacent about competition, not only from effective and ambitious Advokatfirmaet Schjødt DA and Selmer but also from the stronger mid-tier firms, which are frequently noted as providing better value for money.

Within Maritime law (including insurance), Wiersholm is a second tier firm,

Wiersholm’s ‘service level is very high, with fast feedback and excellent quality, but it’s also expensive’. Practice head and marine insurance guru Erik Blaker is ‘always to the point, honest and never oversells the legal potential in a conflict’. Blaker represented Swiss Re in a complex business interruption claim arbitration following technical problems with the offshore production vessel Berge Helene. Erling Lind acts for leading ship and rig owners Frontline, Golden Ocean and Seadrill in financial and transactional matters. Hans Kenneth Viga is ‘a major resource despite his young age’.

Within Offshore construction and shipbuilding, Wiersholm is a second tier firm,

Wiersholm has ‘a good understanding of the technical issues involved in offshore construction and with a creative approach to the legal issues’. Erik Blaker heads the practice, in which Eystein Eriksrud, is also highly recommended. For disputes in the sector, Helge Morten Svarva ‘provides excellent well thought through advice with a good commercial basis’. The firm provides comprehensive legal services to leading ship owners and offshore operators including Siem, Seadrill and Star Reefers.

Within Oil and gas, Wiersholm is a second tier firm,

Wiersholm has ‘a small team’ in which the ‘key lawyers have an in-depth knowledge of the area which is vital to the service level received’. Anniken Maurseth joined the group from her senior position in the Statoil legal department during 2010. Thomas Svensen has ‘great legal knowledge, is very pleasant to work with and has outstanding oral pleading skills’. The expertise of the group is underscored by the firm’s five year framework agreement with Statoil, and a similar three to five year agreement with Det norske oljeselskap, the second largest operator on the Norwegian Continental shelf; the regrettable corollary for potential clients is that the firm is frequently conflicted out of other instructions.

Within Real estate and construction, Wiersholm is a second tier firm,

Wiersholm ‘has a very strong team and due to the size of the firm, it can draw on different resources if needed’. The strength of the team is biased towards high-value, complex transactions in the sector and Tom Rune Lian is ‘one of Norway’s best all-round real estate lawyers, whose negotiation skills combine with a brilliant knowledge of the legal framework’. Nicolay Vold is also recommended for transactions and financing work in the property sector. Clients include Værste and Pareto.

Within Tax, Wiersholm is a first tier firm,

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.