The Legal 500

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

Praised for its ‘efficiency and professionalism’, Wikborg Rein’s undoubted forte is financings within the shipping and offshore sectors. Bernhard Haukali heads the seven-partner team and recently advised ABN AMRO and Deutsche Bank Shipping on the $65m financing of eight reefer vessels.

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

Led by Ketil Bøe, Wikborg Rein’s 20-partner corporate group is one of the largest in the country and as such can handle a tremendous volume and diversity of major transactions. Sigurd Opedal advised Siemens on acquiring shares in Bennex and Poseiden from Hitec Vision. The ‘very capable and well-connected’ Arne Didrik Kjørnæs often handles work for Stolt Nielsen and ‘really knows what it is like to work on a deal with a significant international component’. Other clients include Montagu Private Equity, STX Europe and Aker Seafoods.

Within Dispute resolution, Wikborg Rein is a second tier firm,

Led by Ola Haugen, Wikborg Rein’s 14-partner team is well placed to handle domestic and cross-border disputes through its international network. Maritime litigation accounts for a significant proportion of work, and Dag Steinfeld successfully represented the major shipowner within the Seatrans Group in a complex arbitration regarding, inter alia, the principles of pricing of the shares of a minority shareholder. Dag Mjaaland is recommended for oil and gas disputes, and Gunnar Meyer and Ingvild Hanssen-Bauer for patent litigation.

Within EU and competition, Wikborg Rein is a first tier firm,

Wikborg Rein’s ‘excellent’ team head Mads Magnussen successfully acted for Lemminkäinen Norge in a phase II investigation regarding its acquisition of state-owned construction company Mesta Industri. Morten Goller handles cartel cases and is ‘very strong on public procurement matters’: he is advising the Norwegian Ministry of Defence on the procurement of new fighter planes – Norway’s largest ever public procurement.

Within Electricity, nuclear and renewable, Wikborg Rein is a second tier firm,

Wikborg Rein handles a range of significant power transactions and litigation. Practice head Jon Rabben, who provides ‘a rare combination of legal expertise and commercial insight’, recently advised Troms Kraft on its NOK2.2bn acquisition of minority interests in Nordkraft and Salten Kreftsamband. The ‘business-focused and solutions-oriented’ Kelly Malone leads on international renewables projects, and extensively works for SN Power on its renewables investment projects such as in the Philippines, Uganda and Chile.

Within Employment, Wikborg Rein is a second tier firm,

Wikborg Rein’s team head Jan Backer has an excellent reputation and recently successfully represented Sykehuset Telemark in an injunction case designed to suspend a hospital reorganisation. Dag Steinfeld is the primary contact in Bergen and has a focus on employment litigation.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Wikborg Rein is a first tier firm,

Wikborg Rein attracts a significant volume of high-value offshore and shipping sector mandates, both court-appointed bankruptcies and restructuring assignments for banks such as DnB NOR, Nordea and Fokus Bank. Leif Petter Madsen has a pre-eminent reputation in the market, having been a trustee in numerous high-profile matters including recently for Songa Floating Production. Marius Gisvold handles restructuring work for banks.

Within Intellectual property and TMT, Wikborg Rein is a second tier firm,

Wikborg Rein has ‘extensive knowledge in patent litigation’, where Gunnar Meyer is ‘a classy performer who is good on his feet’, and Ingvild Hanssen-Bauer is ‘very impressive and a strong advocate’. Pharmaceuticals is a strong industry focus, where it represents two leading generics players – Teva/ratiopharm and Actavis – as well as the Norwegian Association of Generic Pharmaceutical Companies. Torleif Dahl is ‘excellence personified’ for IT and telecoms transactions, and the ‘analytical and knowledgeable’ Rolf Riisnæs is recommended for ICT contracts.

Within Legal market overview,

The market is dominated by the full-service firms BA-HR, Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS, Wiersholm and, to a slightly lesser extent, Wikborg Rein. Advokatfirmaet Schjødt AS and Selmer provide compelling competition in the majority of practice areas.

Within Maritime law (including insurance), Wikborg Rein is a first tier firm,

Wikborg Rein provides ‘a very good and expedient service’ to a broad portfolio of clients regarding shipping transactions and disputes. The firm excels at mandates in an international context, supported as it is by a strong Asian team, and a new alliance with leading Brazilian firm Vieira, Rezende, Barbosa e Guerreiro Advogados. Oddbjørn Slinning and the ‘dedicated and knowledgeable’ Trond Eilertsen are representing P&I underwriter Gard AS and shipowner Nes Hf in Supreme Court litigation regarding a claim from cargo underwriters following the grounding of the vessel Sunna. Morten Lund Mathisen leads the firm’s wet shipping team, and Finn Bjørnstad is recognised as a leading transactional lawyer.

Within Offshore construction and shipbuilding, Wikborg Rein is a first tier firm,

Wikborg Rein has ‘a diverse team that provides complete skill-set coverage’ to shipowners, offshore companies, shipyards and shipbrokers. Øystein Meland is an expert litigator and recently reached a settlement for Chinese yard ESSCA/CPLEC in a $330m London arbitration with SeaMetric International regarding the cancellation of two heavylift vessels. Finn Bjørnstad is ‘particularly good at taking the initiative to ensure that transactions are executed in a manner which focuses on efficiency while also targeting the lowest risk profile’.

Within Oil and gas, Wikborg Rein is a second tier firm,

Wikborg Rein is ‘able to respond in a co-ordinated way’, and acts for clients including RWE, Aker Solutions, Transocean and VNG. Finn Bjørnstad advised the principal shareholders of Skeie Drilling & Production on the sale of their shares in the company to US-based Rowan Companies. Newly appointed practice head Jon Rabben handles transactions and litigation, and Dag Mjaaland is excellent for natural gas matters.

Within Real estate and construction, Wikborg Rein is a second tier firm,

Wikborg Rein has ‘high transactional and analytical skills’. Line Ravlo-Losvik adopts a ‘business-focused approach’ to representing real estate investors. Erlend Holstrøm heads the construction group, which is strongly focused on builders and contractors litigation.

Within Tax, Wikborg Rein is a third tier firm,

Wikborg Rein’s four-partner team provides tax support to the firm’s existing clients, and is particularly strong on M&A mandates. It is assisting with the structuring of a cross-border merger between a Norwegian company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and a Cyprus-based corporate. Are Zachariassen recently returned from the Singapore office and has a focus on international and shipping-related tax matters, and Ernst Ravnaas has significant experience advising on corporate tax and private investor tax issues. Anders Myklebust heads the group.