LEGAL ADVISORY

Providing high quality legal advice to our principals on an ongoing basis is a mainstay of our business. In our view, the ability to combine legal expertise with commercial understanding is a prerequisite to succeed as a business law firm.

For us, this implies that our main objective when providing legal services is always to help ensure that our principals achieve the best commercial solutions available to them. For several of our principals we provide strategic advice in addition to more traditional legal advice.

In addition to providing high quality advisory services that meet the demands of professional investors and corporations, we place great emphasis on efficient delivery and excellent service for the benefit of those we represent.

TRANSACTIONS

We have extensive experience and knowledge from our lawyers' work as legal advisors in national and international transactions within a wide range of businesses, including real property and construction, oil and gas, renewable energy, retail, the aviation industry, information technology, fishery and aquaculture and private equity deals.

Our firm advises industrial and institutional players in all phases of acquisitions and divestures of shares and assets, as well as for all types of equity transactions. We also assist with restructuring, merger and demerger of companies.

CONTRACTS

To conclude, adhere to and enforce more or less complex contracts form a central part of the day-to-day business of most corporations. Thus, for a business law firm such as us it is essential to have the legal and commercial expertise and experience required to provide practical advice through the lifetime of a contractual relationship.

We have extensive experience with assisting investors and corporations with negotiations, assessment, advice and enforcement of contracts within a wide range of areas.

REAL PROPERTY AND CONSTRUCTION

Projects relating to real estate development and –transactions are a central part of the region's private sector. To successfully complete such projects one normally requires business law expertise pertaining to regulatory and commercial issues.

We assist local, national and international property developers and other players in all phases of housing- and commercial projects. In addition to having the required legal expertise and experience to assist with such projects we have local knowledge and a network of contacts that enable us to give practical advice for the benefit of our principals.

FISHERY AND AQUACULTURE

Seafood is Norway's second largest export after oil and gas. For our firm it has been regarded as important to gain considerable experience and expertise within an industry viewed by many as essential for Norway and in particular for the region. We believe we have been successful in achieving this, something that is recognized by the fact that we are considered by some to have among Norway's leading lawyers within the business of fishery and aquaculture.

We assist corporations within fishery and aquaculture in all parts of their business, including advice pertaining to regulatory and contractual issues.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Through innovation and business creation several of our principals have established intellectual property in the form of knowledge and competence ("know-how"), brand-building as well as developing unique products. Intellectual property often constitutes the most important asset of the business and the value of such rights may be substantial. Such values must be maintained in an appropriate manner both in relation to business partners, customers and competitors. It is therefore essential for many of our principals to ensure that their intellectual property is adequately protected against the exploitation by others, but at the same time not limiting its own business' freedom to operate.

We advise our principals on all aspects of intellectual property law, ranging from the establishment, protection and exploitation of intellectual property, through to preparing a wide range of contracts and agreements relating to the exploitation of intellectual property rights, such as licence agreements, franchise agreements and distribution agreements.

ENERGY

We provide advisory services and assist in disputes related to production, transmission, distribution and trading of energy, including district heating.

The Energy Act, the Industrial Licensing Act and the Act relating to regulations of watercourses constitute the central legal framework. We also provide services relating to line development, property acquisition, grid connection conditions and water rights.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

For many of our principals public procurement constitutes an important part of their business. Public procurement is subject to a strict legal framework that all parties involved must comply with.

We assist our principals in all phases of processes involving public procurement, including in the preparation of offers and negotiation and closing of contracts.

EMPLOYMENT

We assist corporations with advice, negotiations and dispute resolution relating to labor law. Our services include preparation and assessment of employment agreements, assessment of employment issues in connection with acquisitions and divestures of businesses, preparation of all forms of incentive schemes for employees (co-investment, bonus- and options schemes), non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, personnel manuals and all issues arising in connection with the termination of employment.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

We assist our principals when they are involved in disputes. When providing such assistance our main objective is to help ensure that our principals achieve the best result available to them under the prevailing commercial and legal circumstances.

It is our experience that in most cases our principal should try to seek an amicable solution outside the courts. The reason for this is that a legal process before the courts or a tribunal ties up resources for the parties – resources that more often than not could have been used more appropriately.

If negotiations are unsuccessful or not an option at all, we assist our principals with litigation before the ordinary courts and tribunals.