The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Norway > Commercial, corporate and M&A

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt stands out in the market for its presence in the private equity field and counts multiple national and international private equity houses as clients; examples include Blackstone and Norvestor. The group also recently advised Euronext on its acquisition of Oslo Børs VPS Holding, the holding company for the Oslo Stock Exchange. Knut Smith-Erichsen and Tord Fondevik jointly lead the M&A department, which also fields Stavanger-based technology and energy sector specialist Dag Sigvart Kaada and Jon Kristian Sjåtil, who handles cross-border transactions. Senior lawyer Jan Martin Rostveit is also a key name to note. The practice has strengthened its oil and gas sector offering through its merger with boutique firm Michelet & Co in 2019.

BAHR’s ‘first-class legal knowledge’ makes it a powerhouse in the market for domestic and international M&A, regularly handling high-profile mandates with notable expertise in the private equity, energy, real estate and infrastructure sectors. The team also has substantial fund formation experience and counts multiple international investors as clients. In a recent highlight, the group advised DNB Bank on the sale of its majority stake in Luminor Bank to a consortium managed by Blackstone. Practice head Øystein Guvåg specialises in M&A and private equity transactions, and deputy head Lars Kristian Sande is experienced in the telecoms industry. Other key practitioners include Bjørn Gabriel Reed, Svein Gerhard Simonnæs, offshore specialists Rune Svoren and Thomas Svensen, energy expert Jon Christian Thaulow and Peter Hammerich, who leads the asset management and private equity industry group. Charlotte Håkonsen joined from an in-house role in 2018 and shipping specialist Anne Dahl Frisak was promoted to the partnership.

Leveraging its notable M&A strength, Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is singled out for its project management expertise and is regularly instructed on high-profile transactions involving multiple jurisdictions. The practice is also active in the energy, oil and gas, shipping, telecoms, financial services and aquaculture sectors with a client roster including Altor Equity Partners, EQT, Odfjell Drilling, Ineos and HitecVision. Group head Christian Grüner Sagstad is a key contact for private equity work, Anders Arnkværn ‘keeps the main priorities in sight’ and Hans Cappelen Arnesen regularly handles ECM work. Other key practitioners include Baard Bale, Ervin Auren, Solveig Fagerheim Bugge , managing associate Øyvind Mork Karlsen and corporate governance expert Stig Berge. The practice also notably strengthened its oil and gas focus through its new Stavanger team with the recruitment of Thomas Abrahamsen, Audun Stornes and newly promoted partner Jone Stakkestad from Kluge Advokatfirma AS in 2020.

The ‘highly accessible and commercial’ department at Wiersholm handles some of the markets top M&A and private equity work and regularly advises on international deals at a Nordic and global level. The team is led by Harald Hellebust, and also counts transactional specialist Jarle Kvam, cross-border focused Ståle Gjengset and Kai Thøgersen, who focuses on the technology and telecoms sectors, as key practitioners. Clients also praise Andreas Mellbye, Sverre Sandvik and Gunhild Dugstad. Erik Thyness is now a Supreme Court judge.

At Wikborg Rein, Kaare Christian Tapper leads the corporate, finance and tax department while Ole Henrik Wille heads up the M&A practice group. The full-service group counts international and domestic companies as clients and is increasingly active for private equity firms; Sigurd Opedal is a key name for private equity work. The practice also utilises the firm’s London, Singapore and Shanghai offices to assist with cross-border transactions. Other key individuals include Ketil E Bøe, who handles DCM work; Bergen-based Jan Erik Clausen and newly promoted partner Ingeborg Aavatsmark, who specialises in private M&A.

Arntzen de Besche leverages its firm-wide sector strength in the oil and gas, energy, fishing and aquaculture, and life sciences sectors to handle transactions at a domestic and international level. The group’s cross-border strength is also evident in its recent work for private equity investors involved in Norwegian acquisitions. Marianne Sahl Sveen heads up the practice, which was recently bolstered by the recruitment of Karl Rosén from Advokatfirmaet Grette AS, Jens Baumann Melberg from Kyllingstad Kleveland Advokatfirma DA, Per Kristian Ramsland from Kluge Advokatfirma AS, Susanne Munch Thore from Wikborg Rein and Knut Martinsen from an in-house position at Evry. Other key names include Per A Dagslet, Lars Horgen Hinze, Trondheim-based Jon Martin Atkinson and newly promoted partner Henrik Braavold Johansen.

Lars Gunnar Aas leads the department at Advokatfirmaet CLP DA, which has the ‘ability to easily gain the client’s trust’ thanks to a ‘commercially insightful’ approach. The group is singled out for its private equity expertise and fund work and counts private equity firms, funds, investors and financial institutions as clients; notable examples include Ferd, Viking Venture and SpareBank 1 Gruppen. Alexander Lund is a key name for private equity and fund issues, Jakob Villum focuses on M&A work, and Edvard Cock also handles capital markets transactions. Amund Erdal was promoted to the partnership in 2019.

At Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS, the practice has built on its traditional sector specialisms in the technology, energy, oil, offshore and real estate sectors with the recruitment of fishing and aquaculture specialists Ida Espolin Johnson and Bjørn Sørgård from Arntzen de Besche. The team is also highly regarded for its cross-border expertise and private equity work; BlackRock, FSN and Broodstock Capital Partners are clients. Group head Bjørn Olav Torpp is a key contact for M&A mandates, Kjetil Hardeng regularly handles cross-border transactions, and Preben Brecke leads the private equity team. Other key names include oil and offshore specialist Bård Sandstad, technology expert Andreas Vik and Bjørn Brevik.

Advokatfirmaet Selmer AS’ sector expertise encompasses the energy, fishing, retail and healthcare industries alongside the group’s notable private equity and financial services strength; the group recently advised Ekornes on its acquisition by China-based private equity firm, Huatai Zijin Investment. Camilla Magnus leads the practice, which also fields corporate finance expert Ingar Solheim, Are Herrem, who regularly acts for private equity funds; and Robert Sveen, who is co-head of the firm’s equity capital markets team. Remi Dramstad was promoted to the partnership in 2019.

Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig fields ‘a solid team of young and energetic lawyers’, which is led by Christoffer Bjerknes, who specialises in private equity mandates - a growing area of focus for the firm. Other noteworthy individuals include private equity group head Mathias Teir and senior lawyer Kristoffer Birkeland, who joined from Kluge Advokatfirma AS in early 2019. Alongside the group’s private equity expertise, the team also has notable strength in the TMT, shipping, oil and gas, and financial services sectors, and counts FSN Capital, Telia and MVI Advisors as clients.

Boutique M&A firm Aabø-Evensen & Co Advokatfirma fields an ‘always reliable team’, which is ‘business-oriented with a strong commercial approach’. Name partner Ole Kristian Aabø-Evensen’s broad practice encompasses assisting investors, financial advisers, corporates and private equity funds with M&A and other corporate work. The group also regularly handles large cross-border M&A for a client roster including StormGeo, Cxense and SAR Gruppen. Lars André Gjerdrum, Gard A. Skogstrøm, Hege Dahl and Nils Olav Årseth departed to AGP Advokater in 2020.

DLA Piper continues to leverage its pan-Nordic and global presence to be a key name in the market for cross-border mandates. The practice is also expanding its private equity presence and expertise in the energy and natural resources sectors, with clients including Herkules Private Equity and Abry Partners. Sveinung Mjaugedal heads up the team and specialises in the construction, healthcare and technology sectors; Fredrik Lykke handles M&A and corporate finance issues, private equity expert Christian Fenner is ‘extraordinarily well prepared’ and managing partner Kaare Oftedal is ‘smart, business savvy and practical’. Clients also praise Magnus Brox as ‘incredibly responsive and efficient’.

Andreas Myrstad leads the department at Advokatfirmaet Grette AS, which also fields M&A specialist Thomas J. Fjell, who focuses on the oil and oil services sector; newly promoted partner Thomas Borch-Nielsen, who handles matters in the renewable energy sector; and Roland Mörsdorf, who leads the firm’s German desk and assists with international M&A. The group also has notable expertise in the technology, life sciences, financial services and infrastructure sectors, particularly in larger and mid-market transactions. Thomas Alnæs departed to Advokatfirmaet Hjort and Karl Rosén is now at Arntzen de Besche.

The practice at Kluge Advokatfirma AS has seen notable change in 2019 with Frode Olsen taking over as practice head following Per Kristian Ramsland’s move to Arntzen de Besche and Thomas Abrahamsen's departure to Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS; Andreas Wulff was also recruited from BAHR and Dag Thomas Hansson joined from DLA Piper. The group, which fields a notably strong Stavanger offering, excels in the firm’s core areas of energy, oil services, construction, real estate and the public sector, and is expanding its presence in the technology and private equity fields. Snorre Haukali leads the Stavanger practice, while Stig Even Jakobsen is based in Oslo.

Jostein Moen heads up the department at Kvale Advokatfirma DA, which handles domestic and cross-border mandates for a roster of clients spanning the technology, financial, industrial, energy and pharmaceuticals sectors; notable examples include Danske Bank, Compsoft, Telia and Pandion Energy. Moen also has substantial expertise in the shipping sector, Marius L Andresen focuses on cross-border work and Thomas S Farhang is a key name for technology clients. Other key names include maritime, technology and fintech specialist Susanne Schneider, oil and gas expert Yngve Bustnesli and Trygve Norum, who regularly acts for Norwegian and international investors. Carl Christian Marthinussen made partner in 2019, and the group recruited Anne Kjølseth Ekerholt, Henrik Grung, Kristin Nyhus Halvorsen and Sverre Tysland from SANDS in 2020.

SANDS’ ‘highly competent and professional’ practice leverages its substantial growth in recent years to assist a broad range of clients with domestic and international work with particular expertise at a Nordic level. The team is also singled out for its sector expertise and handles matters across the healthcare, energy and natural resources, fishing, insurance and technology sectors. The group is also increasingly active in the private equity field, with expertise led by Espen Furuholt, who joined from Wikborg Rein in 2019. Terje Gulbrandsen  and healthcare specialist Erik Lind  are also key names to note. In 2020, former practice head Anne Kjølseth Ekerholt and Sverre Tysland joined Kvale Advokatfirma DA.

Christoph Morck leads the department at Brækhus Advokatfirma DA, which is notably active in the TMT, real estate and construction sectors and regularly handles cross-border transactions - enhanced by the firm’s involvement in several international networks. The practice also fields managing partner and former practice head Frank Aase, John Sveinsvold, tax expert Toralv Follestad and corporate governance specialist Stein E Hove. Associate partner Audun Kleppestø joined from SANDS and Johan Mølbach-Thellefsen departed to new firm Advokatfirmaet Dehn DA.

Bull & Co Advokatfirma AS’ practice ‘combines business acumen and a pragmatic legal focus’ for its client roster of small to medium-sized business. The group is particularly active in the technology, finance, oil and gas, and renewables sectors with clients including YX Norge, Bryan, Garnier & Co and Norgesnett Holding. Eivind Bergo-Eriksen leads the team, which also includes industrial technology and biotech specialist Bjarte Bogstad, M&A expert Erlend Balsvik and Saloume Djoudat, who regularly acts for clients in the oil and gas industry.

At Advokatfirmaet Hjort, the practice has substantial experience in the energy and real estate sectors and assists with investigations, professional liability work and white-collar crime mandates alongside its traditional corporate and M&A advice. The group is also a key name in the market for public sector clients. Rolf Chr. Trolle Andersen and Jørn Uggerud jointly lead the group, and Morten Fjermeros and Sigve Braaten specialise in tax-related work. Thomas Alnæs joined in 2019 from Advokatfirmaet Grette AS.