Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS has ‘a strong team in fisheries and aquaculture, especially in regulatory matters – they are well versed in handling matters regarding public authorities, and have very good knowledge of the industry.’ Contentious work is another key pillar of the practice, and the group is equally strong at handling IP matters, competition law issues, corporate-related instructions, tax and international trade work. Practice co-heads Bjørn Sørgård and Ida Espolin Johnson are the names to note.

Working across the full spectrum of the fishing and aquaculture industry, Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig is well-versed in advising on a broad range of disputes, transactions and regulatory work. The ‘always well-prepared‘ Arthur Duus has established strength in handling aquaculture-related cases, particularly in relation to corporate, regulatory and contractual work in the space. Duus jointly heads up the practice with Kenneth Mikkelsen, who is highly regarded for his specialist expertise in fishing-related litigation.

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS‘ fisheries and aquaculture practice is distinguished in the market for its ‘unique understanding of the industry‘. High-value M&A deals and regulatory issues have been prominent in the team’s recent workload, alongside complex litigation, patent matters and capital markets-related work. The client base includes banks, fish farmers and producers, and seafood companies. Practice head Mons Alfred Paulsen ‘has a very broad and deep understanding of the legal framework‘. The ‘very client-oriented and hands-on‘ Rune Ulriksen Steinsland regularly advises on capital markets transactions, contractual issues and M&A matters.

Wikborg Rein‘s team ‘has an impressive breadth of experience, and in-depth knowledge of the aquaculture industry in Norway - they are always quick to provide clear, complete and pragmatic advice‘. Complex regulatory work forms the backbone of the practice, although the group frequently works in tandem with the litigation and M&A departments. Practice head Grunde Bruland stands out for his ‘exceptional knowledge of the aquaculture industry‘, and Martin Bryde has established expertise in advising on legislative processes within the sector. Associate Heidi Ann Vestvik-Bruknapp is a name to note. All named individuals are based in the firm’s Bergen office.

The fishing and aquaculture team at BAHR is led by newly promoted partner Lisa Marie Opdahl, who is noted for her expertise in M&A, contractual and financing matters within the sector. Transactional and construction mandates are key areas of instruction for the group; it has also seen increased volume of offshore construction matters. Stig Engelhart is a key name in the team for regulatory work.

Regulatory expert Halfdan Mellbye heads up the practice at SANDS, where he is particularly active in advising fish farming and fishery clients on administrative regulatory matters. Ole-Martin Lund Andreassen is a highly regarded practitioner in the space, with an established track record in handling aquaculture concessions, coastal zone planning matters and the transfer of fishing concessions. Lars Alsaker is a key name in the practice for administrative and public law matters.

Arntzen de Besche leverages the strength of the firm’s capital markets, transactional and dispute resolution practices to assist with a broad range of fishing and aquaculture matters. The team’s recent workload includes capital markets transactions, large-scale construction projects and M&A matters. Real estate expert Anders Dyrseth heads up the department, and brings experience in corporate matters and contentious issues to the group. Jon Martin Atkinson is a key contact for M&A mandates, and has particular experience advising producer and supplier-side clients in the aquaculture industry. Ole Skeidsvoll Moe has expertise in litigation, construction and licensing matters. All named individuals are based in Trondheim.

Tord Fondevik and Tore Fjørtoft head up the ‘very efficient‘ team at Advokatfirmaet Schjødt. The practice is well known for its established strength in handling a wide range of fishing and aquaculture matters with a significant overlap in the capital markets, M&A, disputes, financial and regulatory arenas. Fondevik has an excellent reputation for his expertise in advising on large M&A transactions in the fishing sector, while Fjørtoft is well known for his strength in regulatory work. Ålesund office head Stian Tennfjord assists financial sector clients with contractual and corporate law issues.

At Wiersholm, the practice is led by Tone Østensen, who is highly regarded for her expertise in the capital markets space. The client roster features a substantial number of seafood companies, private investment entities, private equity houses and fishing companies. Sverre Sandvik is well versed in advising seafood corporations on stock exchange listings, among other capital markets transactions. Managing associate Svein-Helge Hanken stands out for his ‘good understanding‘ of the aquaculture industry.