Bull

Firm Details:

Chairman of the Board: Cathrine Hambro

CEO: Tine Wærsten

Number of lawyers: 75

Firm Overview:

The combination of leading legal expertise and a thorough strategic and commercial understanding means that Bull’s lawyers find good solutions to complex challenges their domestic and international clients face.

At Bull, there is a focus on technology and solutions that allows lawyers to work smarter together – and with the clients where they are located. The services offered make it easy to receive legal assistance tailored to specific needs and challenges.

Besides offering legal services on an hourly or fixed price basis, Bull offers fixed price design and trademark registration (IPR), a cyberattack incident response solution, whistleblowing platform solutions, Lawyer as a Service, and Data Protection Officer as a service.

Bull’s privacy specialists also offer updated data protection information through the blog The Data Protection Factory, and the podcast Null Bull§hit addresses diversity, inclusion and equality issues.

Main Areas of Practice:

Technology and Privacy:

Software and other technology are becoming increasingly complex and important. The rewards from well formulated agreements are significant, while the road from success to failure is short.

Bull’s lawyers are concerned with both the law and the industry and follow global developments closely. Their job is to help domestic and international companies that develop and use the technology to reap the benefits. The lawyers handle the law, so their clients can concentrate on finances, delivery and their own needs.

Technology, data ownership and privacy are considered separate areas of law, but they are often closely linked. Digitalisation requires data processing, and the data is often of a personal nature.

Bull can help the clients navigate domestic and international regulations, find solutions for digitizing the business while safeguarding privacy and business-critical data. Bull is among the law firms in Norway with the largest number of specialized privacy lawyers.

Bull’s lawyers assist with, e.g.,

• purchase and sale of software licenses and services
• software development and customisation
• SaaS (Software as a Service)
• hosting and management agreements
• cybersecurity and incident management
• data processing agreements
• export and transfer of personal data to third countries (outside EEA)
• privacy statements
• data protection/transfer impact assessments
• internal privacy control systems
• data-driven marketing (profiling, cookies, use of personal data)
• Data protection officer (DPO) as a service

Contact: Stian S Schilvold Email: [email protected]

Company Law and Transactions:

Bull’s corporate group assists several sectors with M&A, equity transactions, restructuring and tax advice. Its clients are both domestic and international.

The main areas of expertise are technology, media, industry and trade, real estate and energy, and the focus is on growth companies and the SMB market. Bull assists various companies within these sectors, including investment companies and industrial purchasers.

Bull’s lawyers assist with, e.g.,

• investment, share purchase and shareholder agreements
• due diligence
• incentive and bonus schemes
• restructuring and reorganization
• tax advice
• equity transactions, including cross-border
• corporate governance
• succession cases

Contact: Erlend Balsvik Email: [email protected]

Probate and Estate Planning; Financial Family Law

The processes involved in probate and estate planning require both legal expertise and knowledge of interpersonal relationships.

Financial family law applies to securing assets before, during and at the end of marriage or cohabitation. These laws and rules can be complicated, and Bull’s lawyers help clients secure assets and clarify ownership.

When the location of the parties creates cross-border issues, Bull’s lawyers have the experience to address them.

Bull’s lawyers assist with, e.g.,

• gifts/advancements to heirs
• wills and lasting powers of attorney
• private/public probate of estates of deceased persons or marital property
• international settlements (upon divorce or death)
• management of minors' funds
• court cases and probate disputes
• marriage and civil partnership agreements
• financial settlement following the breakup of marriage or civil partnership
• securing assets and settlements with international connections

Contact: André M Carlsen Email: [email protected]

Intellectual Property and Marketing Law; Media, Entertainment and Culture

Intellectual property rights are becoming increasingly important, and technological advances are contributing to new ways of exploiting the value of intellectual property. Intellectual property law has been a pillar in Bull's business for almost 100 years, and Bull is one of the country's leading law firms in this field, for both domestic and international clients.

Specifically, Bull is particularly strong within media, entertainment and culture and its related intellectual property issues. For example, Bull is involved in many major domestic and international film and TV projects, from planning to launch.

Bull’s lawyers assist with, e.g.,

• registration and management of domestic and international trademarks, designs and patents
• protection and enforcement of copyright across the globe
• licensing and sale of rights
• trade secret protection
• disputes over Marketing Act violations
• intellectual property issues in transactions
• franchise, distribution, retailer and agent agreements
• film and television project development, production and financing
• IPR management/strategy
• union/cast/crew agreements
• distribution, marketing and sponsorship agreements
• publishing, music and visual arts agreements
• dispute resolution

Contact: Stian S Schilvold Email: [email protected]

Taxes and Duties; Auditing and Accounting

Taxation questions are often critical during the restructuring of a company, incentive schemes for employees, acquisitions, or the sale of all or parts of a company. They can also be key during succession planning. Bull’s lawyers can assist in understanding regulations and finding suitable solutions to domestic and international clients’ challenges.

At Bull, the focus is on advisory to the auditing and accounting industry and to finance and asset management consultants.

Bull’s lawyers assist with preparation of legal opinions and contracts, regulatory issues, relationships with public authorities, tax control, tax audits, handling complaints, and dispute resolution.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/taxes-and-duties; https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/auditing-and-accounting

Contact: Einar Heiberg Email: [email protected]

Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy

Bull’s lawyers assist in negotiating company restructuring, reconstruction, debt negotiations or debt restructuring in connection with bankruptcy and investigations.

Bull also assists in matters relating to the liability of directors, general managers and auditors. In such processes, Bull’s lawyers function as trustees in bankruptcy, reconstructors and heads of debt restructure committees or investigation teams.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/restructuring-insolvency-and-bankruptcy.

Contact: Kristoffer Aasebø Email: [email protected]

Employment laws and Pensions

Bull assists companies with HR and employment law issues, both in the private and public sectors – and individuals. Bull also has significant experience assisting domestic and international companies who recruit employees from other countries.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/employment-laws-and-pensions.

Contact: Anette Mellbye Email: [email protected]

Insurance and Liability

Bull’s insurance team helps solve coverage and liability cases for large domestic and global insurance companies (such as AIG, Allianz, Chubb, CNA Hardy, Gjensidige and If), insurance brokers, claims settlement companies, agencies and customers in the insurance industry. The lawyers offer general assistance and advice for cross-border issues, help establish insurance companies, handle coverage issues and claims and assist with regulatory matters and reinsurance.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/insurance-and-liability.

Contact: Runar Hansen Email: [email protected]

Construction

Bull’s lawyers take on all types of construction-related assignments, while advice on contracting, implementation and the final settlement phase is central. Several of Bull’s lawyers have been in-house counsel in some of the largest international companies in the industry.

Bull also helps international clients who are established or want to establish themselves in Norway, for example with the establishment, preparation of quality assurance systems and standard contracts, and work permits and approvals at The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/construction.

Contact: Thor Wessel Email: [email protected]

Real estate

Bull assists different actors in the real estate industry, such as property owners, developers, investors, building owners, contractors, landlords, renters, operating companies, public authorities, insurance companies, real estate agents and private individuals. The work consists of ongoing advisory, contract work and dispute resolution. Bull’s team also assists in the preparation for and implementation of real estate transactions, conflicts under the Alienation Act and with property law and expropriation.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/real-estate.

Contact: Anders Evjenth Email: [email protected]

Procurement

Bull’s team is highly competent, with long-term experience and a good business understanding. Bull’s lawyers assist domestic and international clients and suppliers in the classic sectors, the supply sector, and procurement subject to special security requirements. The goal is to help Bull’s clients achieve the purpose of the procurement or contract while keeping transaction costs as low as possible.

For details, please see https://www.bull.no/en/expertise/procurement.

Contact: Andreas C Wahl Email: [email protected]