With offices in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø, Tønsberg, and Ålesund, SANDS is active across the full spectrum of employment issues, from day-to-day HR matters to board-level matters. Espen Johannessen, who oversees the group, regularly counsels employers and public bodies on a varied stream of work, including whistleblowing and collective bargaining. Henning Heitmann is a key practitioner in change processes, whereas Maria Elena Kvalen is an expert in labour law, assisting with downsizing, restructuring, and compliance work.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Espen Johannessen is professional, friendly, and approachable. He gives good advice and is receptive to the expertise we already have in the company. Yet, he is not afraid to speak up when he disagrees with us. This is reassuring for us as customers.’
- ‘The company has a friendly yet professional approach to its clients.’
- ‘The individual who assisted me possesses very high expertise in the field, appears highly professional, and is humble yet clear and confident. Most of all, he is a person of great integrity who makes others feel assured that matters will be resolved in the best possible way.’
- ‘The team appears highly professional. I believe it is important to highlight their expertise in HR and collaboration. I have not encountered a more competent labour law attorney at any other law firm.'
- ‘Henning Heitmann consistently stands out. What we value most is his efficiency and responsiveness. He comes across as proactive, handling our needs quickly and effectively.’
- ‘The team is highly efficient, consistently providing clear and timely answers to our questions, which allows us to move forward with confidence.’
Key clients
- I.K. Lykke Drift AS
- Eramet SA
- Bolsønes Verft AS
- Skytanking Holding GmbH
- Fjord1 AS
- Solstad Offshore
- Asplan Viak
- OTB AS
- AS3
- I.K. Lykke Drift AS
- Eramet SA
- Bolsønes Verft AS
Work highlights
Advised Asplan Viak on a major restructuring and redundancy process in Norway.
Advised Skytanking Holding GmbH on ongoing employment law issues relating to its Norwegian operations.
Advised Solstad Offshore on multiple large-scale restructuring and the redundancy processes.
Practice head
Espen Johannessen
Other key lawyers
Henning Heitmann; Maria Elena Kvalen