Team size: 6

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

Over the past twelve months, the legal team has supported the business through a period of increased activity and complexity, with the aim of delivering tangible impact on business outcomes. We have supported management in several high‑risk matters, helping to protect the Group’s position and preserve project outcomes in sensitive situations within an increasingly stricter regulatory framework.

As an example, we have played a central role in complex international shipbuilding contracts and tender processes, where early legal involvement prepared for solid bid/no‑bid decisions and strengthened risk allocation. We supported commercially viable contract structures in a returning oil and gas market. A key focus has been advising solutions for the legal consequences of inflation, supply‑chain disruption, and geopolitical uncertainty, all which can have a big influence on the execution and final margin on long‑term, fixed‑price shipbuilding projects, where the project lifecycle can be as long as two to three years.

At the same time, we have focused on building a larger legal department to deliver sustained value to a wider part of the business. This has included a targeted expansion of the legal team to meet increased demands and a reinforcement of legal expertise as a proactive commercial tool closely integrated with sales, procurement, business development and project management. We have also started a project to improve efficiency and scalability through the review of legal document‑handling systems and AI‑based tools, with the aim of reducing manual work and turnaround times and enabling the team to focus on higher‑value strategic advice. Together, these efforts will strengthen decision‑making, improve risk management, and ensured that legal support contributes directly to successful project execution and long‑term value creation.

What key trends – and challenges – should in-house lawyers be monitoring over the next year?

In‑house lawyers should closely monitor how geopolitical instability, compliance restrictions, inflation and supply‑chain disruption are reshaping risk in long‑term, fixed‑price contracts. As markets recover, particularly in cyclical sectors such as oil and gas, legal teams are increasingly expected to be involved in a broader range of matters, acting as close commercial partners rather than reactive advisors.

Regulatory expectations continue to rise across compliance, ESG, and third‑party risk, while businesses are recognising the value of having legal resources embedded close to the business, both to lower risk and protect margins, and as a more cost‑efficient alternative to extensive use of external counsel.

There is also an increased focus on the standardisation of contracts, documents and processes, combined with responsible use of AI to improve efficiency and scalability.

Finally, and for the Norwegian companies in the maritime industry in particular, 2026 will mark the start of one of the largest naval ship acquisition programmes in Norway’s history. The government is contracting to build 28 new vessels for the Norwegian navy, placing additional demands on in‑house legal teams to support complex, long‑term defence and shipbuilding projects.