Acquisition financing, corporate financing, and regulatory guidance form the cornerstones of the banking and finance practice at Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS. Under the joint leadership of Hans-Christian Donjem and Ellen Schult Ulriksen, the practice has recently strategically grown its presence in lender-side mandates. Donjem is a reference for acquisition financing and corporate financing, while Ulriksen heads the corporate department and regularly acts on financial restructuring. Kasper Formo Asplin is a key contact for financial regulatory assistance. Christoffer Baisgård, who is adept at restructuring, while Helen Xu is another key name for AML.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘We are very satisfied with Haavind's bank and finance team. They consistently deliver on time and within expectations, and stand out for their attentiveness to client needs. The team combines strong legal expertise with a pragmatic approach, making collaboration efficient and reliable. Overall, we are happy with their service and value their client-centric focus.’
- ‘Hans-Christian Donjem has been our go-to partner for years. He is extremely detail-oriented, has an impressive memory, and combines deep legal knowledge with a practical, solution-oriented approach. Always attentive and reliable, he is a pleasure to work with and stands out clearly from competitors.’
- ‘We use Haavind because they genuinely “get” our sectors—especially offshore shipping and aquaculture—so we spend less time explaining and more time executing. They’re proactive, pragmatic, and easy to work with. With major regulatory changes in aquaculture and plenty of cross-border uncertainty, they stay current and leverage deep know-how to help us navigate risk and keep transactions moving—always with a forward-leaning, solution-first mindset.’
- ‘We’ve worked with Lene Kristin Hennø at Haavind on some of our most complex matters—cross-border structures with moving parts, novel technologies, potential restructurings, and the added intricacies of governmental financing institutions.’
- ‘The team brings together lawyers with many years of experience in different aspects of banking and finance law, carefully composed to provide a breadth of complementary skills and knowledge. They combine strong industry insight and commercial understanding with a consistently pleasant and collaborative working style.’
- ‘Hans-Christian Donjem possesses a strategic mindset, exceptional legal knowledge, strong attention to detail, and a hands-on approach.’
Key clients
- Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB
- Norwegian Offshore Rental AS
- Clydesdale Bank PLC
- Argie Holdings Pte. Ltd
- Axactor ASA
- Aider Konsern AS
- Santander Consumer Bank ASA
- Aprila Bank ASA
- Nordic Corporate Bank ASA
- BlackRock Inc
Work highlights
Advised Norwegian Offshore Rental AS on a NOK 173 million cross-border secured credit and leasing facilities agreement with Sparebank1 Sør-Norge ASA.
Advised Axactor ASA on the complex two-year extension of its €545 million cross-border borrowing base credit facility with DNB Bank ASA and Nordea Bank Abp.
Advised Argie Holdings Pte. Ltd (CredAble) on the establishment of an off-balance sheet term loan facility.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Hans-Christian Donjem; Ellen Schult Ulriksen
Other key lawyers
Kasper Formo Asplin; Christoffer Baisgård; Helen Xu; Lene Kristin Hennø