- With this move we establish Norway's largest specialist legal team within the wider energy sector with more than 45 team members, says Selmer's CEO Atle H. Carlsen
Selmer Energy will cover oil and gas, oil service, shipping, hydropower, wind power and solar energy.
- Selmer is well represented within renewables, and offshore industries are a strategic priority area for us. With the lawyers in Kyllingstad Kleveland on board, the team will take a substantial step in realising this strategy, Carlsen says.
Value-added combination
The development in the energy market makes the combination beneficial to our customers. Renewables and oil and gas are no longer separate industries. They increasingly interweave and integrate. The combination makes Selmer Energy better equipped to offer specialised expertise to the entire energy sector.
Norway is amongst the world's leader within offshore and oil services and we see strategic changes in the industry including inter alia the development of new business opportunities in aquaculture and renewable energy.
- The changes in the industry also imply that we need to evolve in order to provide relevant advice to our customers across the established sectors, Carlsen emphasises.
- The combination comes at an ideal time. There is considerable activity in the renewable energy both on land and offshore. At the same time, we expect a significant recovery in activity on the Norwegian continental shelf in the coming years, with several major construction projects. Now that we are bringing together some of Norway's leading oil services and offshore specialists into what will be the market's largest legal advisory team in energy, we get the expertise and capacity to take advantage of the opportunities we expect in the coming years, says partner Odd-Arne Kleveland in Kyllingstad Kleveland.
Customer orientation and industry expertise
Commercial experience, industry knowledge and enthusiasm for the customers' business characterise both combining companies. Both companies believe that skilled advisers must have in-depth industrial expertise, project understanding and insight into commercial frameworks.
- Selmer's culture and approach to the advisory service is a very good match for us, Kleveland says.
The establishment of Kyllingstad Kleveland in 2007 responded to a growing need for legal expertise, industry knowledge and experience in particular to handling complex and demanding processes. Selmer was established in 1985 as a challenger to the already established law firms.
- Selmer's customer orientation, with a culture that cultivates the ability and willingness to a new way of thinking, I recognise very well in Kyllingstad Kleveland. They have quickly grown to become the leading law firm in Norway's largest and most international industry. That fits well in with us, Atle H. Carlsen says.
Selmer takes Stavanger
The combination means that Selmer takes Stavanger with a strong and integrated team.
- In Selmer, we can continue developing the expertise that we have built up and keep evolving further. At the same time, as a part of Selmer we will be able to offer a much wider range of advisory services. This is positive for our customers and for Stavanger, Odd-Arne Kleveland says.
After the combination, the companies will continue under the name of Advokatfirmet Selmer AS and have offices in Oslo and Stavanger. The company will have 190 employees, of which 45 belonging to Selmer Energy. After the combination Advokatfirmaet Selmer AS will have 55 partners.
About the companies
Selmer
Established in 1985, currently has 165 employees, of which 110 lawyers and 10 advisers. Selmer has expertise within all the key business law disciplines, in addition to extensive industry knowledge. The company has an international orientation and cooperates with law firms throughout the world.
Kyllingstad Kleveland
Kyllingstad Kleveland Advokatfirma was established in 2007. They have offices in Oslo and Stavanger with 21 employees. Kyllingstad Kleveland provides specialised advice to clients within oil and gas, offshore and oil services, shipping, offshore wind and marine industries. Kyllingstad Kleveland is ranked as Norway's leading company within offshore and oil service.
Contact:
Atle Carlsen, CEO, Advokatfirmaet Selmer AS, 902 39 243
Odd-Arne Kleveland, Partner Kyllingstad Kleveland Advokatfirma DA, 91 51 81 40