Firm Profile > Advokatfirmaet Grette AS > Oslo, Norway
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS Offices
FILIPSTAD BRYGGE 2
PO BOX 1397 VIKA
0114 OSLO
Norway
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS > The Legal 500 Rankings
Construction Tier 2
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS focuses its efforts on its contractor client base, which encompasses private and state-owned companies including Hent, Nye Veier and Bravida Norge. The practice is particularly noted for its infrastructure construction and road project expertise and also handles contentious construction work, procurement issues, and matters in the real estate, energy and offshore sectors. Newly promoted partner Line Wefald heads up the group, which also fields contract law and procurement specialist Harald Fosse, litigator Rolf Markussen, road and infrastructure expert Jørgen Aardalsbakke, Marius Svendsvoll Langnes, procurement partner Marie Braadland and Torgeir Myrstad. Anders Myhre joined from Advokatfirmaet Hjort in 2020.
Practice head(s):
Line Wefald
Testimonials
‘Dedicated and competent lawyers with great focus on the commercial aspect. Provides sufficient legal advice.‘
‘Line Wefald has unique industry knowledge.‘
‘Competent attorneys who possess exceptional social skills as well as professional competence. In addition, they are available if needed.’
Key clients
HENT AS
Moelven Industrier ASA and subsidiaries
Nye Veier AS
Norwegian Public Road Administration
Adolfsen Group
Leonhard Nilsen & Sønner AS (LNS)
Roadworks AS
Hordaland County Council (Hordaland Fylkeskommune) – Bybanen in Bergen
Bravida Norge AS
Olav Thon Gruppen ASA
Public procurement Tier 2
Marie Braadland leads the department at Advokatfirmaet Grette AS, which focuses on public authority clients with notable experience in public infrastructure projects including road building contracts; the group counts the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Nye Veier as key clients. Other key names on the client roster include the Norwegian Tax Administration, the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and Norske Tog. Braadland is also singled out for her expertise in the procurement of IT platforms, construction services, and research and medical supply issues; Harald Fosse focuses on construction clients, and Jørgen Aardalsbakke is a key name for infrastructure.
Practice head(s):
Marie Braadland
Key clients
Norwegian Tax Administration
Norwegian Public Roads Administration
The Central Norway Regional Health Authority
OsloMet
Entur AS
Norske Tog
LFV
Buskerud fylkeskommune
Nye Veier
The Airport Express train
Bravida AS
Ministry of Transport
IKOMM
Directorate for Education and Training
Banking and finance (including shipping finance) Tier 3
The ‘dedicated’ team at Advokatfirmaet Grette AS is singled out in the market for its expertise in handling the SMB financing of real estate via bonds and bank loans, public private partnership financing work and payment services issues. The practice is also a notable contact for government-owned infrastructure companies and counts Avinor, Statens Vegvesen and Norske Tog as key clients. The team also has expertise in bilateral and syndicated lending, bond and derivatives work. Erik Alsvik Skogsbakken and Johan Christian Kongsli were both promoted to associate partner in 2019 and focus on real estate finance issues and regulatory work, respectively. Karl Rosén departed to Arntzen de Besche in 2019 and Børge A Grøttjord departed to DLA Piper in 2020.
Testimonials
‘The Grette team I work with have a deep understanding of clients in the Norwegian infrastructure market. As such, they give pragmatic, commercial advice that recognises the need to combine Norwegian legal requirements with international market standards. Grette work well with international counsel. They are very accessible as a firm – I can always just pick up the phone to speak with them which makes it much easier to resolve the inevitable complex issue that has to be dealt with on deals. In short, they’re a great team to work with.‘
‘Grette did an excellent job for us. Their professionalism was also appreciated by lawyers and others involved in the client side.‘
‘The team has strong competency within banking and finance, and provides solid advice of great value to us.‘
‘This practice has the expertise and knowledge required for our business. The team is as complete as the whole practice, giving us the certainty of the best advice at all times. The flexibility and ability to include other parties within the practice is outstanding.‘
‘I have worked directly with Børge Grøttjord and Erik Skogsbakken on debt capital markets work for a client operating in the transport sector. Both showed a deep understanding of our joint client’s business that they used to ensure the transaction was run in a way that worked for the client. They are both highly professional and very responsive to client demands. They are very personable and work well as part of a multi-counsel team.‘
‘Erik Skogsbakken has strong legal capabilities within banking and finance, and his deliveries holds high quality.‘
‘They are dedicated. They always deliver on time. They are always available. If they need extra time and resources they are informing and explaining prior to action, putting us as their client in the leading position at all times.‘
Key clients
Avinor AS
Pareto Bank ASA
HSBC Bank Plc
Ing Bank N.V.
Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Limited
JOOL Markets AS
Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Gjensidig Forsikringsselskap (KLP)
Norske tog AS
BN Bank
Danske Bank
Goldman Sachs International
Capital markets Tier 3
Andreas Myrstad leads the capital markets and M&A group at Advokatfirmaet Grette AS, which is ’very responsive with great deal management skills’. The team handles a wide range of equity and debt mandates and has notable expertise in the technology, life sciences, financial services, renewable energy, infrastructure, real estate and construction sectors. Thomas J. Fjell is a key name for restructurings, equity issues and financial workouts; Thomas Borch-Nielsen, who joined from Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS, focuses on the renewable energy sector. Børge A Grøttjord joined DLA Piper.
Practice head(s):
Andreas Myrstad
Testimonials
‘The availability and engagement separates the firm from the competitors I have interacted with.‘
‘The Grette team are very responsive with great deal management skills.‘
‘The attention you get as a client is superior to what I’ve experienced from competitors. This carries on through to the work which is performed well with quick responses, and the feedback makes me feel appreciated as a client, and enhances the trust I have in the lawyer.‘
Key clients
Danske Bank
DNB Markets
Sparebank 1 Markets
Avinor
Norske Tog
Jool Markets
Oceanteam ASA
TargetEveryOne AB
Intertrust
AspIT
Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3
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.
Practice head(s):
Andreas Myrstad
Testimonials
‘Andreas Myrstad is very hands-on in the project, and is a competent and likeable partner to work with.‘
Key clients
AspIT AS
ReCore
BKW Group
Danske Bank
Moelven Industrier
Nemetschek
Mutares AG
Halcyon Capital Management LP
Hove Medical Systems
KMT Gjenvinning
Dispute resolution Tier 3
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS is a key name in the market for construction, employment, professional liability and procurement disputes with notable expertise in the oil and gas sector. The group fields several practitioners admitted to the Supreme Court. Managing partner Jacob S. Bjønness-Jacobsen leads the practice, which also include procurement specialist Jørgen Aardalsbakke , construction expert Rolf W. Markussen and construction practice head Line Wefald , who was promoted to the partnership in 2019. Anders Myhre joined from Advokatfirmaet Hjort in 2020.Practice head(s):
Jacob S. Bjønness-Jacobsen
Testimonials
‘Ability to “think outside the box” in the initial phases of situational analysis. This, combined with deep subject matter knowledge, constitutes a framework for creative solutions.‘
‘Dedication to the client’s interests, combined with skilled litigation qualities.‘
‘Line Wefald understood what we are doing, and put her self in a position to talk about our product in a good way. This has made it a good case for us.‘
‘Anders Myhre is an outstanding counsel with excellent oral and written statements in court as well as in settlement negotiations. He is strict, to the point and has a rational approach to both facts and law.‘
Key clients
The Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS)
The Norwegian Maritime Officers’ Association (Norsk Sjøoffisersforbund)
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen)
Alento AS
Unisport Scandinavia AS
Henrik Kristoffersen
Olav Thon Eiendomsselskap ASA, a part of the Olav Thon Group
If Skadeforsikring NUF
EU and competition Tier 3
The ‘very knowledgeable and service-minded’ practice at Advokatfirmaet Grette AS ‘has a practical approach’, which it leverages across competition disputes, cartel work, state aid matters, EU and EEA law, and antitrust issues. Odd Stemsrud leads the group and is praised as ‘a truly passionate lawyer who has a unique ability to understand the client’s needs’; he recently represented alpine skier Henrik Kristoffersen in the EFTA Court and Norwegian courts in a dispute against the Norwegian Ski Federation relating to the rights for athletes to enter into sponsorship agreements.
Practice head(s):
Odd Stemsrud
Testimonials
‘Grette has a professional and fast way of handling the different requests that we require. The firm has a practical approach and understands we are operating in a non-academic environment.‘
‘Odd Stemsrud is a truly passionate lawyer who has a unique ability to understand a client’s needs. To the point counselling, which always covers all the essential details. Odd has an openness and willingness to understand our business in a truly detailed way, and this secures valuable advice from his side.‘
Key clients
Henrik Kristoffersen
UK – Her Majesty’s government
Höegh Autoliners Holdings AS
GSK/GlaxoSmithKline
Norske Tog
Entur AS
The Central Norway Regional Health Authority
LFV
Airport Express Train
OsloMET
Statens Vegvesen
Norrøna
Moelven Industrier ASA
Bayer AS
Gilead Sciences
The Norwegian Tax Administration
Avinor
Celsa
Real estate Tier 3
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS’ real estate practice focuses on commercial and residential developments, real estate transactions, lease agreements and infrastructure-related work; clients include Olav Thon Group, Construction City, The Selvaag Group, Tine and The Port Authority of Drammen. Dag Henden Torsteinsen leads the department and handles transactions and development work. Other key practitioners include Rolf Markussen, who specialises in development issues, and Ole-Jacob Farstad, who is experienced in the retail sector. Anders Myhre joined from Advokatfirmaet Hjort in 2020.
Practice head(s):
Dag Henden Torsteinsen
Testimonials
‘Grette is a smaller company than some of the competitors but provides excellent service, and market and business understanding.’
‘Dag Henden Torsteinsen has a genuine interest for commercial real estate and makes a great effort to understand our business. He not only provides excellent legal advice but also great business and strategic advice.’
Key clients
Olav Thon Group
Construction City Eiendom AS
Selvaag Group (Dronningens gate 13 AS)
Harald Lyche Holding AS
Drammensregionens Interkommunale Havnevesen (Drammen Port Authority).
Norsk Rikskringkasting AS
TINE SA
Sisterne Drift DA (Uno-X, Esso, ST1 Circle K)
Husebyplatået AS
Sparebanken Øst Eiendom AS
Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 4
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS assists borrowers in financial distress and lenders with restructuring and insolvency mandates and is notably active in contentious work including liability claims; it recently acted for If Skadeforsikring NUF as D&O insurer in a series of D&O proceedings relating to the bankruptcy of Reinertsen. Group head Thomas J. Fjell and managing partner Jacob S. Bjønness-Jacobsen focus on financial work-outs and restructuring issues. Associate partner Erik Alsvik Skogsbakken also contributes to the practice. Børge A Grøttjord joined DLA Piper in 2020.
Practice head(s):
Thomas J. Fjell
Testimonials
‘Hands-on, dedicated, competent and efficient.‘
‘Able to respond quickly and precisely.‘
Key clients
Halcyon Capital Management LP
Oceanteam ASA
Adolfsen Gruppen AS
Sparebanken Øst
If Skadeforsikring NUF
Danske Bank
Bohus AS
Rana Gruber AS
Norwegian Institute for Water research
NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research
Recore Norway AS
Tax Tier 4
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS is a key name in the real estate, construction, financial services, technology, life sciences, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors handling a range of mandates including VAT matters, special tax regime issues and cross-border transactions. Following the departure of former team head Marius Sollund to Advokatfirmaet Schjødt, associate partner Cecilie Tollefsen now leads the corporate tax group and associate partner Kari-Ann Mosti heads up the indirect tax practice. Thomas Alnæs is now at Advokatfirmaet Hjort.
Practice head(s):
Cecilie Tollefsen; Kari-Ann Mosti
Testimonials
‘My experience is that Cecile Tollefsen is a well experienced tax and corporate law lawyer who had in-depth knowledge of many different aspects of Norwegian tax Law. She was good with client relationships and established good connections with her clients.‘
Key clients
Styrbjørn AS
VN Norge AS (Visa)
Moelven
Momek Group
Fjordland AS (partly owned by Tine SA)
ISS
Olav Thon Gruppen
KMT Gjenvinning AS
Hove Invest AS
Advokatfirmaet Grette AS > Firm Profile
The firm: Grette is a dynamic law firm dating back to 1887 and covers the full spectrum of business law. Grette has a flat organisational structure with lean and highly competent teams. This makes Grette able to solve each case in the best interest of the customer, professionally as well as commercially.
Banking and finance: The expertise of Grette’s banking and finance team includes acquisition and leveraged financings and re-financings, debt capital markets and high yield, syndicated and bilateral lending, project finance and financial derivative. The firm also advises banks and lenders, and other market participants that operate in heavily regulated environments, on finance regulatory matters.
Capital markets: The firm’s capital markets team assist issuers and underwriters with equity and debt capital market transactions, such as IPO’s, follow-on offerings and private placements, rights offerings and related transaction types.
Corporate M&A: Grette’s corporate M&A team advice across the full range of transaction types, including private M&A, public-to-privates, carve-outs, distressed M&A and joint ventures. The firm focuses on providing practicable risk assessments and solutions in its transactional work.
EU and competition, public procurement: Grette advises private and public customers in complex negotiations across all sectors on all competition issues, including: national and international cartel investigations, abuse of dominance, merger control, compliance, state aid and market access/internal market issues. Grette has one of the largest public procurement department in Norway.
Construction: Grette’s construction team has long traditions in advising on construction, including infrastructure, matters. The firm advises contractors, private developers and major state owned entities. Its expertise includes complex construction contracts, both on- and offshore, public-private partnerships, joint ventures and litigation.
Employment and pensions: Grette’s employment law practice has a particular focus on individual and collective employment law advice to corporations. The team provides customers with strategic advise and representation in employment law related litigation and advise on, among other things, downsizings, pension law matters, employment of leading personnel and incentive schemes.
Dispute resolution: Grette represents customers before all Norwegian courts and in arbitration. The litigation work the firm does for its customers is usually led by specialist litigators, in cooperation with lawyers that are industry or sector experts.
Electricity and renewable energy: Grette’s electricity and renewable energy team advise energy companies, investors, banks, landowners and contractors on matters relating to development of hydroelectric power plants, development on windmill projects, regulatory matters, intellectual property rights matters, as well as litigation within this space together with the firm’s dispute resolution team.
Marketing: Our clients are multinationals, SMEs and start-ups within the life sciences, biotechnology and aquaculture, the food industry, oil and gas, the design industry, energy companies and the processing industry, etc. Our clients include associations representing holders of IP rights, as well as individual holders of IP rights, such as authors, photographers and other artists, music and film producers, broadcasting enterprises and ICT enterprises. R&D-intensive businesses and industrial enterprises can always be assured of meeting professionally updated and industry-oriented lawyers at Grette.
IT, E-commerce and telecommunications: Grette advises some of the biggest players in the Norwegian IT market, in privacy matters, contract negotiations and corporate M&A.
Oil services and shipping: Grette’s team regularly assists actors in the entire value chain of the Norwegian oil and gas industry, including, seismic, E&P, offshore, and service providers. Grette has expertise within all relevant legal areas of the oil and gas industry including petroleum law, petroleum tax, corporate finance, M&A, regulatory, employment, construction contracts, rig and drilling, shipbuilding contracts and charter parties.
Real estate: Grette’s real estate team assists property investors, landlords and leaseholders, estate agents, real estate corporations and planners with the full range of transaction-related work: real estate sales and acquisitions, negotiations and due diligence, disputes and legal processes, the development of building plots for commercial purposes, property and property portfolio management in cooperation with public authorities, architects and developers.
Restructuring and insolvency: Grette’s restructuring and insolvency team focuses primarily on financial work outs and litigation. Grette’s restructuring and insolvency team distinguishes itself by its attorneys having operational experience from in-house positions from both the creditor and debtor side.
Tax: Grette’s tax practice covers all areas of transactional and advisory tax and VAT (direct and indirect), including corporate and acquisition structures (national and cross-border) as well as all types of employee share or incentive schemes, procedural assistance and litigation.
German desk: Grette’s German desk, which consists of one German lawyer and various Norwegian lawyers who are fluent in German, advises German-speaking businesses in Norway in all of the above practice areas. Grette’s German Desk provides legal services with the added benefit of thorough first-hand knowledge of the relevant German speaking legal and cultural environment. Grette also has extensive contacts and working relationships with renowned advisors in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including law firms, accountants, financial advisors, and patent attorney firms.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Markets | Andreas Myrstad | anmy@grette.no | +47 464 16 206 |
| Construction | Line Wefald | liwe@grette.no | +47 970 30 407 |
| Corporate M&A | Andreas O. Myrstad | anmy@grette.no | +47 464 16 206 |
| Dispute Resolution | Line Wefald | liwe@grette.no | +47 970 30 407 |
| Electricity & Renewable energy | Marius Svendsvoll Langnes | mala@grette.no | +47 970 34 175 |
| EU and competition, Public Procurement | Odd Stemsrud | odst@grette.no | +47 480 12 194 |
| EU and competition, Public Procurement | Marie Braadland | mabr@grette.no | +47 970 45 301 |
| Oil Services & Shipping | Marius Svendsvoll Langnes | mala@grette.no | +47 970 34 175 |
| Real Estate | Dag Henden Torsteinsen | dato@grette.no | +47 936 06 211 |
| Restructuring & Insolvency | Thomas J Fjell | thfj@grette.no | +47 958 15 300 |
| Renewables | Thomas Borch-Nielsen | thbn@grette.no | +47 905 75 864 |
| German Desk | Dr Roland Mörsdorf | romo@grette.no | +47 941 76 530 |
| Employment | Thorkil H. Aschehoug | thas@grette.no | +47 908 09 877 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mr Jørgen Aardalsbakke | View Profile | |
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Mr Erik Alsvik Skogsbakken | View Profile | |
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Mr Thorkil Aschehoug | View Profile | |
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Mr Thomas Borch-Nielsen | View Profile | |
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Mr Ole-Jacob Farstad | View Profile | |
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Mrs Hege Grønsberg Abrahamsen | View Profile | |
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Mr Johan Christian Kongsli | View Profile | |
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Mr Kristian Korsrud | View Profile | |
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Kari-Ann Mosti | View Profile | |
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Mr Anders Myhre | Partner | View Profile |
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Mr Stig Walle | View Profile | |
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Mrs Line Wefald | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 75Languages
English French German the Scandinavian languagesOther
Contact : Jacob S Bjønness-JacobsenDiversity/Community
A Responsible Legal Partner
How we do business at Grette reflects who we are and what we stand for. We are a responsible, honest, and forward thinking law firm, committed to deliver value to society by the way we manage our business. We are committed to support and enact the core values of anti-corruption, human rights, and equal opportunities, and we adhere to the ethical code of conduct as set out by the Norwegian Bar Association.
As responsible legal advisers, we assist our customers in making sustainable decisions, helping them to achieve their own ambitions, and those set out by society. Our customers include public and private organisations committed to formal and informal sustainability goals, to which we want to contribute.
Grette is an equal opportunity organisation that actively promotes the role of female lawyers. It is our objective that assignments, opportunities and resources are distributed evenly and that this principle is exercised throughout our company.
Reaching our goal of equality is achieved by unveiling and openly discussing unintended discriminatory behaviour and prejudices, ensure objective performance targets, and to facilitate for a balanced work life.
It is our aim that our workforce reflects the diversity seen in our society, and we wish to promote a culture that respects opposing views, keeping an open door policy for suggestions that can improve our working environment and the way we work.
We value diversity in age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, abilities and ethnicity, and equality means that we treat everyone equally regardless of such differences.