Next Generation Partners

Commercial, corporate and M&A in Iceland

BBA//Fjeldco

The sizeable commercial, corporate and M&A team fielded by BBA//Fjeldco is comprised of highly qualified and specialised practitioners, and is regularly instructed on the full spectrum of complex, cross-border matters. The team has a demonstrably strong track record in large-scale M&A transactions, handling both sell and buy-side mandates on behalf of major financial institutions, high-profile domestic corporations, and start-ups operating out of Iceland. Halldór Karl Halldórsson specialises in high-end M&A transactions and jointly leads the practice group alongside Einar Baldvin Árnason. Elsewhere in the department, Baldvin Björn HaraldssonBjarki Diego and founding partner Ásgeir Ragnarsson are other key ports of call.

Practice head(s):

Halldór Karl Halldórsson; Einar Baldvin Árnason

Other key lawyers:

Ásgeir Ragnarsson; Bjarki Diego; Baldvin Björn Haraldsson

Testimonials

‘BBA//Fjeldco works on basically all meaningful M&A transactions in Iceland, which tells you something about their reputation in Iceland and about their knowledge about the market.’

‘They always do what is best for their client and always bring authority to the situation.’

Key clients

Kvika bank

Íslandsbanki

Arion Bank

Icelandair Group

Icelandic State Financial Investments (ISFI)

Arctic Green Energy

Nova

Icelandair

Alvogen and Alvotech

Rapyd Financial Network

Valitor

Djiboutian Geothermal Energy Development Office (ODDEG)

Bentley Systems

Stefnir

Wellington Partners and Asabys Partners

RPC Group

Mainmanager

Amazon Data Services

JP Morgan

Citibank

Goldman Sachs

TM

Nordic Investment bank

Japan Bank

Nox Holding

CIT Group

Landsvirkjun

Danske Bank

Nordea Bank

ABN Amro Bank

Expedia

Cisco

Microsoft

Luxottica Group

Work highlights

  • Acted as domestic legal adviser to Icelandic State Financial Investments (ISFI) and Íslandsbanki in relation to an IPO of up to 35% of shares in Íslandsbanki and subsequent listing on the Icelandic stock exchange.
  • Advised Arctic Green Energy on an investment by GIC.
  • Advised Rapyd Financial Network on the acquisition of Valitor.

Juris

Juris is home to a ‘solid team’ that operates across the full spectrum of commercial, corporate and M&A mandates, chiefly instructed on general corporate work, domestic mergers and cross-border sales and acquisitions. The practice has a deep bench of both Icelandic and English-qualified lawyers, which the team leverages to act on a litany of complex cross-border work, including international investments, project financing work and international contracts on behalf of a client roster that lists Oaktree Acquisition and Kvika banki, among others. ‘Outstanding attorney’ Halldór Jónsson jointly leads the team alongside Andri Árnason, and Simon Knight is another key name, noted for his work on cross-border corporate matters in the infrastructure and energy sectors.

Practice head(s):

Halldór Jónsson; Andri Árnason

Other key lawyers:

Simon Knight

Testimonials

‘The Juris team are professionals in the field of corporate law and a source of knowledge in the field which helps us with new and progressive ideas that enable us to remain competitive. The co-operation with them has been very good and their input has helped us enormously.’

‘Halldór Jónsson as the team leader has shown us over and over that his knowledge of corporate and tax law is extensive. His guidance has helped us to make the right decisions in our development work and to reach our goals in the best way possible. Furthermore, he is not just a reactive consultant, but has become a proactive participant in our development.’

‘They are a solid team who are ready to take care of all challenges and complement each other well.’

‘Halldór Jónsson is an outstanding attorney with exceptional experience and knowledge.’

Key clients

Aptos

Eyja fjárfestingafélag III

PPH

Summa Rekstrarfélag

Ísfélag Vestmannaeyja

Lýsi

Kvika banki

Mjólkursamsalan

Blær leigufélag

Oaktree Acquisition Corp. II

Work highlights

  • Advised Oaktree Acquisition Corp. II on its SPAC merger with Alvotech.
  • Advised Blær leigufélag and Bjarg íðúðafélag on a new model for the development of affordable rental property.
  • Advising Mjólkursamsalan on Iceland’s new draft agricultural policy.

Lex Law Offices

The corporate, commercial and M&A practice is a cornerstone of Lex Law Offices, which sees its ‘dedicated experts’ frequently engaged on the premier transactions in the domestic marketplace, including sizeable M&A projects, inbound investments, corporate restructurings and financing mandates. The team is equally adept on high-value cross-border mandates, having advised French private investment fund Ardian on the acquisition of Icelandic internet infrastructure provider Míla for $605m. Focusing primarily on debt restructurings and corporate financings, Guðmundur Ingvi Sigurðsson co-leads the practice in conjunction with managing partner Örn Gunnarsson. Tax specialist Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson also contributes to the team.

Practice head(s):

Guðmundur Ingvi Sigurðsson; Örn Gunnarsson

Other key lawyers:

Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson

Testimonials

‘The Lex team has incredible adaptability both to our needs as a client and the needs of the transaction at any given time and sometimes it seems that they are able to deliver the impossible.’

‘Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson can quickly identify the key items in a transaction and knows when legal issues should not complicate or stand in the way of the desired commercial outcome and the expectations of the client. No matter the time of day or the issue at hand, Garðar is ready, willing and able to provide the necessary assistance. He is willing to go the extra mile and in my experience this level of dedication is not common.’

‘Garðar Víðir Gunnarsson has an in depth knowledge of corporate, commercial law and tax law which is a great asset, particularly to a rapidly expanding start-up company like ours.’

‘Lex has a team of dedicated experts in all the areas we have required legal counsel. Being able to count on Lex for all our needs is excellent.’

‘I have worked with many law firms in Iceland. I must say the Lex is by far the best and the most professional company I have worked with. Lex is focused on getting results for the customers. They strive to get the most out of every scenario and situation.’

Key clients

Ardian France

Landeldi

EKO Eignir

ADG

Digital Bridge

EFLA Consulting Engineers

L1076

Síldarvinnslan

SKEL-Investment Company

Sjávarsýn

Reykjavík Energy

Arion banki

Work highlights

  • Advised funds managed by Adrian France on the competitive bid for Míla, an Icelandic internet infrastructure provider.
  • Advised Digital Bridge on its acquisition and financing of over 400 passive telecoms infrastructure towers all around Iceland.
  • Advising EFLA with respect to its involvement in a co-operative undertaking to develop a greenfield port project in Finnafjord in East Iceland.

LOGOS

Corporate, commercial and M&A remains a core focus at LOGOS, offering clients a full-service across all aspects of the sectors. Large scale M&A transactions is a key discipline of the ‘highly skilled team’, on which the team act for market-leading domestic and international firms including Origo, Arion Bank and Siminn. The group acted on a seller-side mandate to advise the latter on an acquisition by private investment fund, Arian – one of the largest M&A transactions in Icelandic history. The practice is jointly headed by three practitioners: Benedikt Egill Árnason who acts for leading corporate clients and private equity firms, M&A and restructurings specialist Guðbjörg Helga Hjartardóttir, and dual-qualified partner Guðmundur Oddsson who has headed the London office since 2006. Thórólfur Jónsson is also recommended and regularly handles corporate restructurings.

Practice head(s):

Benedikt Egill Árnason; Guðbjörg Helga Hjartardóttir; Guðmundur Oddsson

Other key lawyers:

Thórólfur Jónsson; Óttar Pálsson; Fannar Freyr Ívarsson; Helga Melkorka Óttarsdóttir

Testimonials

‘Óttar Pálsson has good technical knowledge on M&A in Iceland, including on international transactions.’

‘Guðbjörg Helga Hjartardóttir is very good overall on M&A strategy, corporate, and commercial issues, a standout lawyer.’

‘LOGOS provides professional services with a deep knowledge of the Icelandic corporate sector and international business and finance.’

‘The team stands out for its diversity, professionalism and engagement.’

‘Guðbjörg Helga Hjartardóttir has the experience to go into every project and see the big picture and assess the whole situation very quickly. Her work is of high quality work, and her attention to detail is of great value when it comes to finalizing complicated tasks. She is a top lawyer in her field.’

‘The team’s M&A capabilities are exceptional.’

‘Helga Melkorka Óttarsdóttir has a reputation for impeccable professionalism that is hard to beat.’

‘Top notch care from experienced partners with significant depth and knowledge.’

Key clients

Origo

Eimskip

Marel

Kerecis

Ministry of Industry and Innovation

Arion Bank

Landsvirkjun

Icelandair Group

Barclays

Deutsche Bank

Goldman Sachs International

Kvika Bank

Landsnet

Crowberry Capital

Haugen Gruppen Nordic AS

Brim

Vordur Insurance

Climeworks

Frumtak Ventures

Verne Global

Computershare

Blackrock Inc

Morgan Stanley

Orkla ASA

Storytel Sweden

Siminn

Sling

Archer Norge

Sidekick Health

Alfa Framtak

Hintsa Performance Oy

Vex

1912

Qair Energy

Danol

Laxar eignarhaldsfelag

Laxar Fiskeldi

Islandsbanki

Landsbankinn

Novator Partners

Hraunbyggd

Hjallahraun

Work highlights

  • Advised Siminn on the sale of Mila, Iceland’s largest infrastructure, to investment house Ardian.
  • Advised Kerecis in respect to its sale of shares to Kirkbi, the investment company of the Lego family, as well as to other investors, for an aggregate amount of $100m.
  • Advised Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, and Islandsbanki with respect to legal matters in connection with the initial public offering of 35% of the ordinary shares of Islandsbanki.

ADVEL Attorneys at Law

Strategic refinancings and corporate re-buildings are key areas of expertise for the ‘business minded’ commercial, corporate and M&A practice group at ADVEL Attorneys at Law. Under the stewardship of ‘responsive, personable and helpful’ practice leader Stefan Thor Ingimarsson , the team also sees regular premium work in the form of high-end M&A transactions and offers services to start-up companies. Bjarni Þór Bjarnason and Ragnar Guðmundsson are other key names at partner level. In recent work, the team advised large domestic security company Öryggismidstoð Íslands on various commercial matters relating to Covid-19 testing.

Practice head(s):

Stefan Thor Ingimarsson

Other key lawyers:

Bjarni Þór Bjarnason; Ragnar Guðmundsson

Testimonials

‘This practice seems to be a leading practice in their local market demonstrating strong knowledge and international experience as well as transparency and commercial acumen.’

‘Stefan Thor Ingimarsson is our main contact who is always available and demonstrates very strong legal and commercial skills. He is also very friendly.’

‘Stefan Thor Ingimarsson is very responsive, personable and helpful.’

‘Business minded and to-the-point advice.’

Key clients

Arion banki

Hampidjan

Advania Group

VÍS

Klappir Green Solutions

Oryggismidstodin

Brim

Valitor

N1

Work highlights

  • Advised Öryggismidstoð Íslands on its implementation of processes for Covid-19 testing in Iceland.
  • Advised Festi on its forest carbon offset project, to reduce the group’s carbon footprint.

Deloitte Legal ehf.

At Deloitte Legal ehf., managing partner Haraldur Ingi Birgisson and M&A specialist Þórdís Bjarnadóttir lead a versatile team of practitioners on a diverse range of mandates across corporate and commercial work. The team frequently collaborates with other branches of the firm’s global network to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary range of advice to clients, including handling general corporate work, M&A transactions, employment issues and benefits mandates, as well as the associated tax issues. The group counts Síminn and S4S as key clients.

Practice head(s):

Haraldur Ingi Birgisson; Þórdís Bjarnadóttir

Testimonials

‘The Deloitte legal team is both professional and knowledgeable. They are extremely fast and responsive. They just go above and beyond your expectations. The team is very quick to adjust the strategy or plan if something unforeseen comes up.’

‘The individuals in the team are very good at putting you at ease as a customer and making you feel that you’re in safe hands. Haraldur Ingi Birgisson was exceptional.’

Key clients

Solid Clouds

Marine Collagen

ÓJ&K – ISAM

Myrkur Games

Fisk Seafood

Ísey Export

S4S

ÍAV

Mannvit

Reykjafell

Síminn

Work highlights

  • Acted as key legal adviser for S4S ehf. and shareholders on the acquisition by Horn IV of a 22% shareholding in S4S.
  • Advised on the merger and restructure of ISAM and OJ&K´s wholesale operation into a new joint venture, forming OJ&K – ISAM.
  • Advised a large entity within the fishing sector regarding listing and offering of bonds on Nasdaq Iceland’s regulated market.

Lagahvoll

General corporate matters arising out of the financial industry form the bulk of the workload undertaken by the corporate and commercial team at Lagahvoll, and the team also excels in handling specialised corporate developments, start-up matters and venture agreements. In terms of core clients, the group acts for players across the real estate, retail and financial sectors, including Dohop and Iceland food. Daði Bjarnason co-leads the department alongside Jóhann Sigurðsson.

Practice head(s):

Daði Bjarnason; Jóhann Sigurðsson

Testimonials

‘The most important thing is the knowledge of the team and professionalism in their everyday work.’

‘The team stands out for its very deep knowledge about everything related to laws, legislations and the corporate world in Iceland.’

‘We have been fortunate to have Jóhann Sigurðsson as our main lawyer in all corporate issues we’ve been dealing with. He has been able to solve all of our concerns and tasks with ease, very quickly and very professionally.’

‘ Jóhann Sigurðsson has advice for every issue and calmly suggests several options that could work, consistently advancing each case to the next level. We would highly recommend Mr. Sigurdsson to anyone seeking legal advice in Iceland.’

‘Professional work practices and knowledge.’

Key clients

Dohop

Data Lab Ísland

Félagsbústaðir (Reykjavík Social Housing).

Carbon Iceland

Iceland Food

Vistbyggð (green housing)

Félag eldri borgara í Reykjavík og nágrenni

Pikkoló

Weird Pickle

Ísorka

Reon

Traveo

Landslog – Law Offices

Landslog – Law Offices remains active on complex M&A transactions, and also handles restructurings and general corporate matters. The team, headed up by M&A specialist Viðar Lúðvíksson, counts international telecoms corporations, major domestic banks and public entities as key clients, including Vodafone, Icelandic Regional Development and Islandsbanki. Grímur Sigurðsson, Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson and Jón Gunnar Ásbjörnsson are also noteworthy practitioners within the group,

Practice head(s):

Viðar Lúðvíksson

Other key lawyers:

Grímur Sigurðsson; Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson; Jón Gunnar Ásbjörnsson

Testimonials

‘Very professional and extensive knowledge in the field.’

‘Quick response and well done legal reports.’

‘Grímur Sigurðsson is one of the best lawyers in the field. Good knowledge and expertise in corporate law.’

Key clients

Hagar

Syn

Vodafone Iceland

Isavia

DeCode Genetics

Icelandic Regional Development

The National University Hospital

Kaupthing

Advania

Alvogen pharmaceuticals

Syndis

Curio

Hekla

University of Iceland Lottery

Frumtok

Umbudamidlun

Icelandic Fish Market

Islandsbanki

Icelandic Prime Contractors

Samkaup

The Icelandic National Opera

The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration

Work highlights

  • Advised Syn, a listed company, on the sale and lease-back of the company’s passive mobile phone infrastructure.
  • Advised Samkaup on various issues, including negotiating an international cooperation agreement with Co-op Denmark.
  • Advised Alma Real Estate Company on purchase agreements for large real-estate.

Réttur – Adalsteinsson & Partners

Réttur – Adalsteinsson & Partners is instructed across a range of mandates, including financial restructurings, corporate governance matters, equity financings, litigation and tax issues related to general commercial work. The commercial team often works in tandem with the firm’s dispute resolution practice to provide clients with demonstrable knowledge across both contentious and non-contentious matters. Experienced litigator Sigurður Örn Hilmarsson heads up the team, which includes Stefán Örn Stefánsson, who is a key name at associate level.

Practice head(s):

Sigurður Örn Hilmarsson

Other key lawyers:

Stefán Örn Stefánsson

Testimonials

‘A small boutique firm in Reykjavik offering personal and professional legal services. Very good communication, professional advice and quick case handling.’

‘Sigurður Örn Hilmarsson is a highly regarded Supreme Court litigator with extensive transactional experience and knowledge. He offers valuable advice on all stages of commercial negotiations and disputes. A down-to-earth, reasonable approach is his trade mark. One of Sigurður’s key strengths is his communicative skills and negotiation with other attorneys. He is one of few to master the art of being an aggressive spokesman and a good listener.’

‘What makes Réttur law firm unique is the quality of the work and work ethic of the team.’

‘Stefán Örn Stefánsson is very personable and always ready to provide valuable advice and legal documents with the highest level of competence.’

Key clients

Anchorage Capital Group

Icelandic Water Holdings

Monerium

SÍBS

Reykjalundur endurhæfing

Flux

Bitfury Group

North Ventures

Fornubúðir fasteignafélag

Work highlights

  • Advised Icelandic Water Holdings on a factoring financing and a stock option scheme.
  • Advised Monerium on a late seed equity financing.
  • Advised North Ventures on a data centre (crypto-mining) joint venture project.