Landslog – Law Offices > Reykjavik, Iceland > Firm Profile
Landslog – Law Offices Offices

BORGARTÚN 26
105 REYKJAVIK
Iceland
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Landslog – Law Offices > The Legal 500 Rankings
Iceland > Dispute resolution Tier 2
Landslog – Law Offices undertakes an extensive range of contentious matters, with damage claims, shareholder disputes, administrative issues and bankruptcy proceedings constituting the core practice of the group; the team also offers more specialised advice relating to computer crimes, urgent due-diligence work and unforeseen competition charges, among others. Under the guidance of experienced and versatile practice heads Grímur Sigurðsson, Jóhannes Sveinsson and Áslaug Árnadóttir, the group leverages the firm’s depth of knowledge to provide an inter-disciplinary approach that encompasses banking, real estate, construction, securities and regulatory work.Practice head(s):
Grímur Sigurðsson; Jóhannes Sveinsson; Áslaug Árnadóttir
Other key lawyers:
Jón Gunnar Ásbjörnsson
Testimonials
‘The team the exhibits the highest level of professional competence, with integrity and experience.’
‘Jóhannes Sveinsson displays outstanding professionalism, moderation, firmness and intellectual capacity.’
‘A very professional firm.’
‘Jón Gunnar Ásbjörnsson is an excellent lawyer. He is proactive and great with his comprehensive advice. Our case involves challenging new points of law and he has come up with some good ways of doing so.’
Key clients
Central Bank of Iceland
QBE International Insurance
QBE Corporate
Hagar
Icelandic Airport and Air Traffic Management (ISAVIA)
Kaupthing
University of Iceland Lottery
Islandsbanki
Icelandic Prime Contractors – IAV
The Icelandic National Opera
Work highlights
- Acted for English insurers on significant claims made against them under D&O policies purchased by Landsbanki Islands, which entered winding-up proceedings in 2008 following the banking crisis.
- Leading a class action on behalf of a group of shareholders in the collapsed bank Landsbanki against one of the bank’s former owners for allegedly deceiving and withholding information from the bank’s shareholders.
- Representing an organisation of mackerel fisheries in Iceland in court proceedings against the Icelandic state, aiming to overturn the state’s allocation of mackerel quota.
Iceland > EEA and competition Tier 2
Iceland > Real estate and construction Tier 2
Landslog – Law Offices specialises in M&A deals, public tenders, PPP projects and the related disputes in the real estate sector. The practice group leverages the experience of key litigator and practice co-head Jóhannes Karl Sveinsson on contentious matters: he recently represented ON Power in litigation regarding the granting of concession to providers of electric car chargers. Joint co-head Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson acts as lead counsel to key client, the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, on the construction of large-scale traffic structures. Other important clients for the team include Icelandic Prime Contractors and Alma.Practice head(s):
Jóhannes Karl Sveinsson; Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson
Key clients
The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration
Icelandic Prime Contractors
Alma
Icelandic Regional Development
Work highlights
- Acting as legal counsel for the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration in connection with major traffic structures which are planned to be built on the basis of the newly approved law on Public-Private Partnerships.
- Litigated a number of cases in the field of public procurement and construction.
- Advised Syn (Vodafone Iceland) on the sale and lease-back of the company’s passive mobile phone infrastructure all around Iceland.
Iceland > Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 3
Landslog – Law Offices acts on behalf of major banks and large domestic corporations on a full-range of matters in the space, noted for a strong track-record on bond issuances, including asset-backed bond issuances. The team counts Islandsbanki, Central Bank of Iceland and Hagar as key clients. Partners Jóhannes Karl Sveinsson, Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson and Viðar Lúðvíksson jointly lead the banking, finance and capital markets practice group.Practice head(s):
Jóhannes Karl Sveinsson; Jóhannes Bjarni Björnsson; Viðar Lúðvíksson
Key clients
Hagar
Syn (Vodafone Iceland)
Vodafone Iceland
Central Bank of Iceland
Hekla
Islandsbanki
Arctic Fish
The Icelandic Housing and Construction Fund
Alma
Lifsverk Pension Fund
Work highlights
- Advised Arctic Fish in relation to the company’s successful private placement.
- Providing legal counsel to the Arctic Fish group during an initial refinancing and both amendments.
- Advised on and prepared documentation for a share capital increase for e-sports club Dusty.
Iceland > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3
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:
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.
Landslog – Law Offices > Firm Profile
The firm: Landslog – Law Offices has an extremely strong presence in Iceland and comes highly recommended. The firm provides clients with high-level one-stop legal services. The firm’s lawyers are well recognised in the Icelandic market for their fine-tuned expertise and personal services. Landslog has one of the strongest presences in Iceland in dispute resolution and has recently handled many of the largest transactions in Iceland over the past years.
The legal landscape in Iceland has slowly been emerging over the past years, shifting from legal work pertaining to insolvency, restructuring, insurance, creditor composition and other “clean-up work” following the banking crisis in 2008, over major transactions, M&A work, banking advice, industry specific transactions and corporate work.
Areas of practice
Banking and finance: In August 2019 Hagar hf. (Iceland´s largest retail chain and one of Iceland’s largest companies), a listed company, retained Vidar Ludviksson, partner at Landslog, to handle the prospectus and legal issues in relation to the company’s bond issue in the amount of 8 bn ISK, i.e. around 53 million GBP. The issue, which was completed in February 2020, was the first asset-backed bond issue in Iceland since the crash in 2008.
Landslog currently does work for all the major banks in Iceland on various assignments and the Icelandic Financial Supervisory Authority. Landslog has advised Kaupthing bank hf. on various issues relating to the bank’s winding-up, regarding bankruptcy law, derivatives, set-off and other issues. The firm represented Islandsbanki in a case regarding the legality of indexation provisions on consumer loans and numerous other cases. Landslog advised Landsbankinn in its negotiations with the ‘old’ Landsbanki Íslands hf. and on drafting the necessary agreements in relation to the compensation instruments for the assets which were transferred to Landsbankinn following the collapse of the ‘old’ Landsbanki Íslands hf. in 2008.
M&A: Grimur Sigurdsson, partner at Landslog, acted as a legal advisor for HS Orka when its largest shareholder, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. sold its entire shareholding to Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets for approx. US$305m in March 2019.
Partner Aslaug Arnadottir worked for Iceland’s third biggest retail chain Samkaup on their merger with parts of the retail chain Basko. The deal involved Samkaup buying 14 stores from Basko, all “Iceland” stores in Iceland and 7 10-11 stores. The Icelandic Competition Authority was notified of the merger in June 2018. The Icelandic Competition Authority approved Samkaup’s acquisition of 12 stores in the Reykjavik area from Basko verslanir in late 2018. In May 2019, however, the Icelandic Competition Authority annulled a merger, which concerns Samkaup’s acquisition of two stores owned by Basko verslanir in Akureyri and Reykjanesbær. Landslog also performed a Due Dilligence review in relation to the merger.
Vidar Ludviksson was sole legal advisor to FAST-1 slhf. in the signing of heads of terms for the sale to Reginn hf. (a listed company) of two real-estate companies with an enterprise value of €185m. This was the single largest real estate transaction since the banking crisis in 2008.
Vidar Ludviksson advised Vodafone Iceland (i.e. Fjarskipti hf., listed on the Icelandic Nasdaq stock exchange) on the purchase of almost all assets and operations (including TV content agreements with foreign providers) from 365 midlar hf. This is the largest telecom and broadcasting asset purchase transaction ever in Iceland, with a value of around €69m.
Vidar Ludviksson and Jona Bjork Helgadottir advised Hagar hf. (Iceland’s largest retailer – listed on the Icelandic Nasdaq stock exchange) on the purchase of all shares in the oil company Oliuverzlun Islands hf. – a landmark in M&A deals in Iceland. The value of the deal is around €133m.
Vidar Ludviksson advised SMI ehf. on the purchase of all shares in Korputorg ehf. (the owner of the 45,000m sq Korputorg Shopping Center in Reykjavík).
Bankruptcy, reconstruction, receivership and more: Landslog specialises in bankruptcy and reconstruction and the courts have repeatedly appointed Landslog’s attorneys as receivers to manage many of the largest bankruptcy and reconstruction cases in Iceland, such as Milestone, Mosaic Fashion, V&Þ and numerous others. Furthermore, one of the largest bankruptcy estates in the world, Kaupthing bank hf., hired Landslog to take around 50 rescission cases to court on behalf of the estate.
Corporate and commercial: Landslog has acted for the largest companies in Iceland. Clients include Hagar, Iceland Prime Contractors, various ministries in Iceland, the National Power Company in Iceland, the Reykjavik Power Company, Bauhaus, Norvik Group, HB Grandi and various municipalities in Iceland, including Reykjavik.
Dispute resolution: the Icelandic government instructed partner Johannes Karl Sveinsson to represent it in various disputes in the wake of the Icelandic banking crises.
English insurers hired Vidar Ludviksson to handle claims made against them under D&O policies purchased by Landsbanki Islands hf., which entered under winding-up proceedings following the banking crash in 2008. The ongoing cases (which were lodged in 2011 and 2012) are landmark cases with regard to D&O insurance practice in Iceland and are among the largest and most complex in Icelandic civil procedure. They have been followed closely by the U.K. insurance market.
Landslog successfully defended the insurance company Tryggingamidstodin hf. in several legal proceedings pertaining to D&O policies.
Landslog handles a 250-participant class action, lodged in October 2015, the first of its kind in Iceland, against the former largest owner of the Landsbanki Islands bank.
EEA, competition and state aid: Landslog represented the Icelandic government in state aid cases before the EFTA Surveillance Authority regarding the restructuring of the Icelandic banks.
Landslog represented Kortathjonustan (a card acquirer in Iceland) in the largest civil settlement relating to competition in Iceland which was reached on the payment of damages to Kortathjonustan due to Valitor‘s (VISA Iceland) and Borgun‘s (MasterCard Iceland) breaches against the Icelandic competition/antitrust rules.
Data protection and IT law: Landslog is the leading Icelandic law firm on issues pertaining to processing of personal data and the EU Data Protection Directive. One of Landslog’s partners was Iceland’s Data Protection Commissioner from 2013 to 2014. Landslog specialises in IT-related issues, including IP, telecommunications, software procurement contracts and electronic forensics. Among Landslog’s clients are Advania, Iceland Post and The Icelandic Data Protection Authority.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Banking and finance | Johannes Karl Sveinsson | jks@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Restructuring | Grimur Sigurdsson | grimur@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Corporate and commercial | Johannes B Bjornsson | jbb@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
M&A, Insurance, Dispute resolution | Vidar Ludviksson | vidar@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
EEA, competition and state aid | Aslaug Arnadottir | aslaug@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
EEA, competition and state aid | Jona Björk Helgadottir | jonabjork@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Data protection and IT | Hordur Helgi Helgason | hhh@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Construction, Development, Fisheries | Gardar Gardarsson | gardar@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Corporate, Competition | Hlynur Halldorsson | hlh@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Administrative, Zoning and Planning | Ivar Palsson | ivar@landslog.is | (+354)5202900 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Mrs Aslaug Arnadottir | Partner. | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Johannes Bjarni Bjornsson | Partner. | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Gardar Gardarsson | Partner. | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Hlynur Halldorsson | Partner. | View Profile |
![]() | Mrs Jona Bjork Helgadottir | Partner. | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Hordur Helgi Helgason | Partner. Recent work: Hörður Helgi was the Data Protection Authority’s (DPA’s) first… | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Viðar Lúðvíksson | Partner at Landslog Law Offices. Main focus on Corporate and Commercial Law,… | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Ivar Palsson | Partner. | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Grimur Sigurdsson | Partner. Recent work: Grimur acted as a legal advisor for HS Orka… | View Profile |
![]() | Mr Johannes Karl Sveinsson | Partner. | View Profile |