The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Norway > Employment

‘We work with several external law firms within different fields and are used to high professional standards and high levels of service. However, we find that the labour law team in Arntzen de Besche is in a class of its own. In our experience they are a highly competent and skilled team who not only have deep insight into the legal issues at hand, but also have in-depth knowledge of our industry and our company. Through many years as a client, we also experience an unrivalled availability. We are always offered access to every resource, often on very short notice and at any time, day or night. This is for us a telling hallmark of a culture with strong customer orientation, something we put in high regard and appreciate. All of this makes Arntzen de Besche a particularly valued business partner for us.‘

‘The team is knowledgeable and gives practical and realistic advice.‘

‘Good at grasping the challenge and core of the situation and provide well-weighted legal advice which is easy to understand and implement.’

‘We would specifically like to highlight partner Knut Marius Sture. When he handles our cases we always feel confident that the matter is in the hands of someone we know will explore every possibility and go the extra mile to get the best result possible. He always delivers excellent work and consistently achieves results that are above and beyond our expectations. His insights, drive and contributions have on many occasions been invaluable for our company.’

‘Håvard Sandnes has good availability and gives initial feedback the same day. He works hands-on together with his senior associate.‘

‘Frode Martin Toftevåg has outstanding knowledge of the regulations regarding transfer of undertakings. This, combined with the fact that he quickly gets a good understanding of the business, gives him the ability to give swift and to the point advice and the necessary clarifications. This also means that we can proceed without any delay.‘

‘I have mostly worked with Håvard Sandnes and find him very professional (quick and to the point). He also has a sense of humour which makes it more fun to work with employment law.’

‘Excellent legal skills and knowledge with a unique, pragmatic and solution-oriented approach. Always available and trustworthy regarding cost sufficient and transparent billing.‘

‘The legal team is highly professional, efficient, thorough and pleasant. They strive to find the good solutions which allow for further cooperation rather than conflict. They respond quickly and always provide adequate expertise.‘

‘We are pleased with every member of their team due to on-point advice, great response times, their knowledge, experience and professional approach. The collaboration has been great, also due to the personalities in the team and how they understand our company culture. Overall Haavind has a very professional and strong employment law team.‘

‘Haavind provides professional, expert service of top quality, quickly and accurately. I feel secure when working with Haavind that they have the competence to provide me and my company with expert advice on all legal issues related to employment and feel secure that they have our best interests at heart when offering us that advice.‘

‘Gaute Krokann provides high-quality service, he is efficient, thorough, understands our needs and knows when to challenge our judgement. He is a brilliant lawyer and combines that brilliance with sound wisdom and a pleasant approach.‘

‘Sten Foyn is a very accomplished and experienced lawyer, with great expertise in all employment law issues. He handles each case with high professionalism, and gives strong and reliable advice.‘

‘Kari Gimmingsrund is a very accomplished and experienced lawyer, professional and efficient. Gimmingsrud has great knowledge of GDPR and employment law, giving her unique knowledge in cases where both of these aspects needs consideration. We are impressed with her to-the-point advice, high capacity and swift feedback when needed.‘

‘I work with partner Pål Kvernaas and value his business understanding, strategic advice and industry knowledge.‘

‘For me, there is one lawyer that singles himself out and that is Lars Kokkvold. It is Kokkvold’s overall customer service and client focus that stands him apart from others I am in contact with. He is not only an expert legal adviser and business adviser, but he is also solution-oriented, extremely quick to respond, thorough and correct. He communicates clearly and openly and has proven to be highly knowledgeable in all matters related to labour law and commercial issues. It is also his outstanding dedication to finding the right solutions for my particular issues as early as possible that singles him out for me.‘

‘They have unique competence in difference legal directions, and they understand the political frames for our branches.‘

‘Well-oiled machine with no hiccups. Everyone “speaks the same language” and, overall, it is very client-orientated firm.’

‘The law firm Hjort does a professional, thorough and brilliant job for our business.‘

‘Claude Lenth has worked with us for several years. He understands the complexity of our business and has great skills in laws regarding GDPR and the working environment.‘

‘For our part, our legal-rep was outstanding in every matter, always accessible, always responsive, not afraid to show “the lay of the land” and extremely good value for the money. Recommended!‘

‘Claude Lenth is an excellent lawyer who does not only guide clients on the legal requirements in Norway but also gives pragmatic and solution-oriented advice, which is what the client wants.‘

‘Our impression of the team is that they are aligned and coordinated. They always give quick and clear feedback on requests, and we experienced that clear guidance was given at all times throughout our project.‘

‘We worked closely with both Ingrid Cathrine Nielsen and Stein Kimsås-Otterbech. We especially appreciate the availability and timeliness of their responses.‘

‘Wiersholm always have a short response time. Their feedback and advice is to the point and I trust them. They have the ability to explain and give advice in an understandable way. I have used Wiersholm in several different cases and I always feel that they have enough knowledge or will ask someone else in the office with enough knowledge.’

‘The powerhouse employment team at Wiersholm consistently provides high-quality advice and first-class service. Even with an hourly rate at the upper end, we find this team delivering the best value legal advice we find in Norway. The team, and especially partner Christel Søreide, has provided our business with input and guidance beyond our expectations.‘

‘The employment law team in Wiersholm are exceptional both when it comes to quality of the legal advice they provide, and with regards to efficiency and its pragmatic approach.‘

‘The team is just fantastic and the collaboration between in-house peers functions seamlessly.’

‘Bright, clever and client-focused Christel Søreide is our go-to partner. Highly inventive and responsive and always on top of her game. She is thorough and very pleasant to work with. Always delivers on time, with a unique understanding of our business and our needs. Great ability to delegate the legal work within the team so that our needs are met efficiently and cost-effectively – but always to the highest standard. We would not exchange her for anyone.‘

‘Eli Aasheim is just outstanding. Both her and her diligent and skilful team can be trusted any time with all kinds of matters.‘

‘They deliver consistent high service levels to their clients and put thought into the smallest details. They appear as a united front. It seems like they want to succeed together, not to emphasise the individual accomplishments.’

‘High availability, and consistently going the extra mile to get the job done with high quality. Open for feedback and input, they really listen to their clients.‘

‘Kluge provides high quality and cost efficient advice.‘

‘Kluge and Johan Krabbe-Knudsen stood out as a true expert in labour law. We have been through three court cases and won all. All cases were complex, huge cases but Krabbe-Knudsen was calm and drove the process for a whole year.‘

‘Marco Lilli combines well reasoned and prescient advice with a pleasant and easy-going personality.‘

‘Johan Krabbe-Knudsen – professionally: highly competent, willing to share knowledge and perspectives. Personality: He had authority within his profession and at the same had a humble approach to all our questions and the continuous new issues that were raised. Skills: He demonstrated ability to listen, thus understood the addressed problems and challenges which led to speedy and appropriate solutions. He demonstrated humour and a good laugh which can ease tension in a room.‘

‘The team at Advokatfirma Selmer AS is well versed in different legal topics and many of the lawyers there have specialised themselves in more than one subject. With this each one of them are able to advise on different topics, but with a point of view from different angles. And you always know that the answer is well thought through and all aspects of the situation has been taken into account.‘

‘In addition to being very strong in the employment area the team is also very commercially oriented.‘

‘Selmer is an extraordinary provider for us. We get the full attention and help we need at any time of the day 7 days a week. Their areas of expertise are broad and cover the needs we have in our business. Compared to other firms, we are treated as an important customer, even when we only utilise their services to a minor extent.‘

‘Balance. Balance between being proactive and too pushy. Balance between commercial growth and the humans affected. Balance between solution orientation and legal integrity.‘

‘Hans Jørgen Bender is the go-to guy in any situation. He has the ability to be hard when needed, but is also an adviser that gives you the right advice either legally or business-wise. Andre Istad Johansen is also a great lawyer and adviser. I think the use of both Hans Jørgen and Andre makes the perfect team in any situation.‘

‘Andre Istad Johansen is very experienced and highly skilled. He understands our business and mind-set. He has very quick response times and is also very service minded.’

‘I have mostly worked with Are Fagerhaug and he is very competent in his field. He has knowledge in all the employment matters that I have raised with him and he is very good at understanding our point of view. Even though he understands our point of view, he always gives us the correct legal advice, even though this might not be the advice we want. To explain; he always provides advice based on the laws and regulations, and doesn’t try to accommodate us to make us happy.’

‘True experts. Humble and interested in the client’s view and understanding of the matter. Listens to understand, not to respond. Still comes across as super confident. I have worked with them for +10 years, on quite complex matters, with extreme time pressure and their advice and our agreed way forward always worked out as assumed or better.‘

‘Everyone we meet at Selmer is “on”. They give us legal advice and help us to achieve what we want/need. We feel that we are in good hands when we cooperate with the team at Selmer.‘

‘The team is highly skilled in solving disputes and other matters with a practical approach.‘

‘Well-rounded and competent.‘

‘Lill Egeland is excellent in giving advice in a very usable manner.‘

‘Lill Egeland is very strong in all parts of employment law and also has an excellent strategic way of thinking. Pure and simple advice in complex situations makes her a very valuable legal adviser to our group of companies.‘

‘I find that there is a lot of knowledge among the team members in Wikborg Rein. When I have a question, there is always someone who can give me the answer quickly. I always feel they listen to me and give me the answers in a way that I understand, not being a lawyer myself.‘

‘They deliver a variety of employment work ranging from litigation to restructuring and transfer of undertakings. The overall level of service is excellent, with quick response times and strong industry knowledge. The team is very good at providing advice when the position is unclear. Compared to other firms I have experienced, Wikborg Rein delivers with quick response times. The lawyers communicate very well with our HR-department, and explain things clearly.‘

‘The Wikborg team is there when you need them! They are always available and respond within a few minutes whether you reach out during business hours, at night or during the weekend. They are always positive and make me feel like I have an extended network of colleagues to rely on. They are all very professional and down to earth.‘

‘Simen Lium has got a solution oriented approach. Simen is service minded and has an enormous knowledge of employment law. He is very efficient, always extremely well prepared and ready to help out.’

‘Simen Lium is an experienced employment/labour law partner who takes control of every situation and gives our company the confidence needed to stand tall in employment issues. He treats everyone with respect during the process, which I find particularly important when we are dealing with employees. Simen fits in perfectly with my colleagues and is able to ease up on the legal language and make everyone comfortable.‘

‘I have worked mostly with Jan Backer who is very senior and has given me valuable input and helped me a lot especially with restructuring projects and difficult employee cases.‘

‘They are very professional and solution-oriented. Their legal reviews are very good, and useful for our work – clear and to the point in their written work. Their responses are quick and concrete.’

‘My absolute favourite team member to work with is Thomas Talén. He is a good partner for discussion and an excellent adviser. You can trust that he always takes the work seriously, and his advice is based on good legal work.‘

‘I have worked with DLA for more than 15 years, and I love working with them. The service is excellent, they know our business, the quality of the delivery is excellent and the support we get is of a high standard. Smart people who are academically strong.‘

‘Per Benonisen stands out with extremely good skill in labour law. He is well prepared and looks into all details that could create difficulties in the HR area. He is also willing to share his knowledge, so I’m well prepared in difficult situations. Per is the first person I call if I don’t know the answer.‘

‘The team is really available and proactive for its clients which is important especially in an international environment. It is also business oriented and has good comprehension of what is at stake for each of its clients.‘

‘They listen to the case and are problem-solvers. They are easy to get in touch. Prompt feedback. Deliver as agreed upon.‘

‘They know our kind of business and have expertise in areas we ask for. If our main contact is not available, they always have someone else that can respond quickly. They are thorough without being too much.‘

‘Preben Haugmoen Mo is really business oriented and tries to find the best solutions even if it is quite difficult to solve. Preben is an excellent specialist in employment law in Norway.‘

‘Homble Olsby has established themselves as the No 1 boutique employment law firm in Norway. Good quality partners.‘

‘They are service minded, pragmatic and respond quickly.’

‘The team is highly experienced in all aspects of employment law and related disputes. They deliver successful results due to significant expertise, experience and thorough dedicated attention.‘

‘The strength of this team is its dedication to provide a personalised service. They combine strong legal and technical skills with a hands-on approach and a desire to help you solve your problems. They are able to guide you through complex issues and clearly see the commercial aspects of matters they work on.‘

‘Tore Lerheim stands out. Through credibility and super fast feedback day and night, you have, as the customer, peace of mind – from the first minute until the agreement’s closed.’

‘Tore Lerheim is both very knowledgable on law, case law and practice in Norway and extremely dedicated. He is very responsive and available.‘

‘Trond Erik Solheim: Very good employment lawyer, outstanding general legal skills, and particularly within pension and employment law. Also a very good litigator. Impressive analytical skills.‘

‘Runar Homble and Ole Kristian Olsby stand out because they have in-depth knowledge of employment law, and they are very pragmatic in their problem solving.‘

‘Merethe Furusund is always extremely hands-on and has extraordinary knowledge.‘

‘Flexible and high-quality advice, high engagement levels, accessible advice at every step of any case. Truly acts like a good adviser, and includes the client in the “team”. Good information on the status and progress during the processes.‘

‘Nicolay Skarning’s strategic advice and legal knowledge is extremely valuable, and makes for good solutions and good processes, especially with early involvement. Flexible approach to what the client can contribute and available at any time. One also feels included in a “community” as part of the client-lawyer relationship.’

‘Henning Heitmann is skilled, thorough and always responds quickly. Finds creative solutions and is excellent when negotiating with the counterparty. Friendly attitude and solution-oriented. He also works with our HR-department to increase internal legal competence, which has given great results for the past two years. Excellent discussion partner.‘

‘Espen Johannessen is one of the most professional individuals I have worked with.‘

‘Brækhus Advokatfirma proactively provided helpful advice and were always prompt in answering any requests or questions, in a very practical, understandable manner.‘

‘Johan Hveding proactively provides helpful advice and is willing to go the extra mile.’

‘Good advice and also ready to discuss and advise over the phone, which is very useful.‘

‘The team has great competence and delivers high quality advice and assessments at a high speed. Reliable.‘

‘High level of competence regarding labour law. Availability, quick and accurate responses. Analytical and to the point discussions. Precise and structured answers.‘

‘Kåre Bjørlo is always available and gives very good advice in every case.’

‘Anette Mellbye is reliable and highly competent. She delivers with high quality, at a high speed and with a very relaxed yet impressive approach to both people and issues.‘