Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS‘s comprehensive labour and employment offering focuses on the employer side of the market, including litigation, dispute resolution, data protection, and pension matters. Spearheading the team, Gaute Krokann has over twenty-five experience in employment law, having previously acted as a lawyer, deputy judge, and head of legal proceedings at an employer organisation. Lars Kokkvold is a leading name for both domestic and international large and medium-sized businesses on cross-border related employment issues. With a similar client base, Pål Kvernaas acts on their dispute resolution and litigation mandates. Sten Foyn is an established advisor on investigations relating to employment law and work environment, and Kari Sigurdsen has acted before Norwegian courts on employment cases, including on matters of resignation and temporary employment.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘We have worked most closely with Lars Kokkvold and Therese Ljosdal. Lars is highly competent, available, and an excellent sparring partner on strategy and risk. Therese is thorough, communicates clearly, and follows up impeccably—her process discipline keeps complex matters moving.’
- ‘Haavind stands out for its professionalism and the time and engagement the team invests in every matter. They combine deep employment law expertise with pragmatic, business-oriented advice—particularly in personnel matters—so decisions are actionable rather than theoretical. Compared with other firms we’ve used, Haavind is consistently more solution-driven and quicker to understand our context and risk profile, which shortens decision cycles.’
- ‘Pål Kvernaas is our main contact. We have collaborated for many years and developed a strong working relationship, as he knows both our business and our people and quickly understands our needs.’
- ‘Their approach is highly practical, offering advice that is both straightforward and directly applicable to our specific situation.’
- ‘Partner Lars Kokkvold is an exceptional employment lawyer and the cornerstone of Haavind’s practice. What makes him stand out is his rare ability to combine deep legal expertise with practical business understanding and empathy for the human side of employment law. He consistently provides advice that is clear, actionable, and balanced — safeguarding both legal compliance and organisational needs.’
- ‘Haavind’s employment law team combines deep legal expertise with a pragmatic, business-focused approach. The practice is particularly strong in organisational changes, restructurings, downsizings, trade union negotiations, and adjustments to pension and compensation schemes.’
Key clients
- Norgesgruppen
- The Norwegian Armed Forces
- The Norwegian Police
- The National Police Directorate
- NRC Group ASA
- Handelsbanken
- Telenor Group
- Equinor
- Hurtigruten Group
- Lyreco Norge AS
- Posten Norge
- ISS Facility Service
Work highlights
Assisted Adecco and Manpower in filing a complaint to Efta Surveillance Authority (ESA) challenging the restrictive new hiring regulations in the Norwegian Working Environment Act. Following Haavind's complaint, ESA has opened a case towards Norway for possible breach on the EEA agreement.
Assisted Hurtigruten in a major reorganisation from 2020-2025 involving significant restructuring measures, dividing the group into Norwegian/coastal and Expedition/Cruise sections, personnel transfers, sales outsourcing, TUPE concerns, and rightsizing.
Advised Aider on all employment and labour law aspects of the transaction with Castik Capital.
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Practice head
Gaute Krokann
Other key lawyers
Lars Kokkvold; Pål Kvernaas; Sten Foyn; Kari Sigurdsen; Therese Ljosdal