Norway 2026
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
General counsel | Saint-Gobain Distribution Norway AS and Brødrene Dahl AS
Head of legal section | Forsvarsbygg (Norwegian Defence Estates Agency NDEA)
Vice president, head of legal, privacy and security management | Intility
VP, General counsel | Adecco/Akkodis Group Nordics
General counsel, personal banking [Head of legal Norway and branch manager] | Nordea
Head of Legal Norway & Iceland | Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Group chief legal, compliance and HR officer | Viking Assistance Group AS
General counsel and Executive director for legal, compliance, risk and assurance | Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
VP, legal and compliance | LINK Mobility Group AS
VP Group legal director/general counsel | DNV AS (DNV Group)
General counsel, European and international affairs | Statnett SF
Group EVP and general counsel and chief of staff | KONGSBERG
Head of Legal Telenor Norge AS & Vice President Group Legal Telenor ASA | Telenor
Chief Legal and Compliance Officer | Torvald Klaveness
I am honoured to introduce Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Norway 2026, recognising leading in-house counsel from across the country. In association with DLA Piper, this year’s edition pays testament to the integral role that in-house counsel play within their organisations and celebrates their commitment and dedication.
Today’s legal and business landscape is characterised by economic, technological and geopolitical change. In-house counsel must guide their organisations through periods of uncertainty, while preserving commercial objectives.
The modern in-house lawyer requires an in-depth understanding of the company, its needs and priorities. ‘A core responsibility for any in-house counsel is to always be curious about the business and have the interest in the business’ success’, explains Fredrick Holm-Hansen, group legal counsel at Avinor AS.
This curiosity that forms the foundation of constructive legal advice. Frode Lillebakken, general counsel at Gelato ASA, agrees: ‘business acumen is one of the most important attributes: understanding the commercial landscape, product strategy and growth levers of the company is essential to delivering relevant, actionable legal advice’.
However, leading businesses through periods of instability often means that legal advice conflicts with commercial priorities. In-house counsel must strike a balance between the legal and the commercial: ‘the goal is rarely to eliminate risk entirely, but rather to enable informed choices that align with the company’s strategy and values’, notes Sigve Reme Sand, chief legal officer at Höegh Autoliners ASA.
It is therefore the responsibility of in-house counsel to ‘quantify, contextualise and prioritise risk in a language that resonates with commercial colleagues’, says Håvard Vikse, general counsel at EY Norge. ‘In uncertain environments, advice that helps the business understand the range of outcomes, enables the business to make risk-based decisions, and suggests alternative solutions is more valuable than just pointing out that something is risky’, he goes on to explain.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area that encapsulates this tension. While AI can drive efficiency, it also introduces associated risks: ‘the outcome can be unreliable without rigorous legal validation against trusted sources and professional judgement’, explains Ole Garborg, general counsel at Elkem ASA. ‘The general counsel’s challenge is to ensure efficiency gains do not come at the expense of quality and legal integrity’, adds Ane Løchen Johnstad, general counsel at Alliance Healthcare.
AI should be used to enhance, not replace, the legal function. It is ‘ideal for automating repetitive tasks, accelerating research and handling the straightforward work that does not require nuanced judgement’, says Annette Asper Berg, head of legal at Ringnes. In turn, this frees up ‘lawyers to focus on what only humans can do’, Berg adds, underscoring the enduring and indispensable role of in-house counsel.
Isabel Caine – Editor, corporate counsel
On July 1st, Legal 500 unveiled the fourth edition of the GC Powerlist: Portugal 2026, in partnership with PLMJ. Hosted once again on the rooftop terrace of the firm’s Lisbon office under a blazing summer sun, the event brought together many of Portugal’s most accomplished in-house lawyers to celebrate this distinguished community of legal leaders.
Returning to its individual-focused format, this year’s edition marked the reintroduction of the Rising Stars category, recognising some of the country’s most promising emerging in-house counsel. It also saw the world debut of the Transnational Leaders category, highlighting general counsel whose leadership and influence extend beyond national borders and whose responsibilities span multiple jurisdictions.
The evening commenced with a welcome address from Legal 500’s editorial lead Francisco Castro, who emphasised the importance of continuously evolving the publication to reflect the realities of Portugal’s in-house legal market. He highlighted the rigorous research and selection process behind the GC Powerlist series and congratulated the honourees for their outstanding contributions to the profession and the organisations they serve.
Following this introduction, Bruno Ferreira, Managing Partner of PLMJ, took to the stage to congratulate those recognised in this year’s edition. In his remarks, he underscored the increasingly strategic role of in-house counsel in supporting business growth, navigating complexity, and driving legal excellence. He also reflected on the transformative impact that AI is having on the legal function and the opportunities it presents for corporate legal teams.
Concluding the formal proceedings, Alexandra Reis, Senior Counsel at Tabaqueira and a recipient in the inaugural Transnational Leaders category, shared a few reflections on the significance of recognising in-house lawyers and the value of fostering a strong, connected legal community. Drawing on her own experiences, she spoke about the importance of networking, knowledge-sharing and celebrating a profession whose contributions often take place behind the scenes.
The launch of the GC Powerlist: Portugal 2026 proved to be a fitting celebration of the country’s leading in-house legal talent. The evening showcased the depth, expertise, and influence of Portugal’s corporate counsel community while reaffirming Legal 500’s commitment to recognising and championing its achievements. We extend our sincere thanks to all those who participated in this year’s research process, and to PLMJ for once again partnering with Legal 500 to provide a platform that honours these exceptional legal professionals.
