Kvale Advokatfirma DA

Firm Details: 

Head of Office Managing Partner: Marius L. Andresen

Number of partners: 42

Number of fee earners: 93

Languages: English, French, German and the Scandinavian languages

Firm Overview: 

Kvale is a business law firm dating back to 1985. Throughout the years Kvale has shown consistent organic growth and today counts 93 lawyers. Kvale advises on most aspects of business law and is an acknowledged specialist in a number of practice areas. The firm’s growth is driven by pursuit of quality combined with a keen attention to its clients’ businesses. Kvale’s clients appreciate this, whether they are small or medium sized businesses or large national and international corporations. In addition to the fields of practice listed in table above Kvale has respected boutique practices within renewable energy, competition law, employment law, tax and shipping. Kvale is active within dispute resolution across all the aforementioned fields and is consistently involved in very major complex arbitration and litigation cases.

Main Areas of Practice: 

■ Oil & Gas/Offshore Construction

■ Corporate & M&A

■ Dispute Resolution

■ TMT/IP

Banking & Finance: The financing team supplies services that cover all aspects of financial transactions, from the initial structuring, to drafting of finance documents and finally closing of financial transactions. The firm is particularly recognised for restructuring of debt and enforcement of security work, ship finance and specialist competence within the savings bank field. Builiding on the firm’s leading position within technology, we have also developed strong Fintech competence. Clients are major integrated banks, savings banks, bond trustees and export credit institutions as well as major and SMB borrowers.

Contacts: Stine Dalenhag Snertingdalen, Hillevi Torngren Myhre

Competition & EU: 

Kvale’s EU/competition law group has expertise in national and EC competition law and related disciplines as well as public procurement law. The group’s work includes merger notifications to the European Commission and the Norwegian Competition Authority, appeals, cartel investigations, compliance programmes, public procurement and general advice on all aspects of national and EC competition law. Kvale is regularly involved in major high profile competition law cases.

Contact: Kristin Hjelmaas Valla

Corporate & M&A: Kvale has a strong focus on its corporate and M&A practice. The experienced team of lawyers advise national and international companies within all areas of corporate law and M&A. Kvale has experience from some of the largest multinational M&A cases in Norway.

Contacts: Thomas Farhang, Marius Lysell Andresen

Dispute Resolution:  

Kvale has a heavy caseload within dispute resolution. Most fee earners litigate and a number of the firm’s partners are acclaimed litigation specialists. The firm handles cases of all sizes, but its strength lies in its vast experience in handling very major and complex cases, whether relating to the oil and gas industry, corporate matters, tax or other fields. Kvale’s lawyers have earned a reputation as highly competent and effective litigators, with an excellent track record.

Contacts: Andreas Stang Lund, Per Conradi Andersen

TMT: 

Within the telecom sector, the team has worked closely with mobile and broadband operators and suppliers since the 1998 fall of the telecom monopoly. Kvale supplies a high volume of top tier advice to key telecom and other sector companies with regulatory issues, sector-specific market regulation, data protection, contracts, transactions and interaction with the authorities. In the IT sector, Kvale provides high end advice with IT agreements, including those relating to the development and purchase of software and software based systems, outsourcing- and operating agreements and consultancy agreements. Building on this longstanding position within technology, Kvale has in recent years taken a lead on digitalisation, Industry 4.0 and GDPR. The team of lawyers possesses in-depth knowledge of the media industry. The firm assists media houses and production companies with copyrights management and licensing, production issues and distribution agreements.

Contacts: Per-Kaare Svendsen, Lars Trygve Jenssen

Intellectual Property:  

Kvale’s top team advises on all contentious and non-contentious areas of IP; copyright, patent, trademark, design and within the supplementary field of good business practices/unfair competition and marketing law. The firm also assists in cases related to art and entertainment, and clients include major museums and art collectors, record companies, artists and entertainers.

Contacts: Marie Vaale-Hallberg, Ingvild Hanssen-Bauer

Labour Law & Pensions: 

Kvale’s comprehensive and high profile practice covers all questions related to employment laws and regulations. The firm’s lawyers have extensive experience in court proceedings within this field. The firm’s advice and assistance includes matters such as restructuring, workforce reductions, company acquisition or handling of individual conflicts. The firm also works closely with clients on a day to day basis with agreements/regulations, pension schemes, incentive schemes and other labour and employment cases.

Contacts: Jan-Erik Sverre

Oil & Gas/Offshore Construction:  

Kvale’s oil and gas practice is top tier. The firm works within a wide range of issues such as regulatory matters/licensing/concessions, joint ventures/ joint operating matters, partnering contracts, drilling contracts, oil and gas sales, storage and transportation, construction and oil field service contracts, power purchase agreements, distribution, connection and interface contracts.

Contacts: Gry Bratvold, Yngve Bustnesli

Restructuring, Insolvency Proceedings & Credit Security:  

Kvale is one of the most sought after Norwegian law firms in the fields of corporate reorganisation, debt restructuring proceedings and insolvency proceedings. The firm represents banks, financial institutions and other creditors in issues related to insolvency and credit security. Kvale’s team of experienced bankruptcy trustees are frequently appointed by the Probate Courts in major bankruptcies.

Contacts: Tom Hugo Ottesen, Thomas Piro, Stine Snertingdalen

Tax:  

Kvale is well respected for its boutique tax dispute and litigation practice. The firm’s tax practice is comprehensive and can offer high quality advice covering most sectors.

Contacts: Steinar Nundal, Christian Wahl

Shipping: 

Kvale’s three partner team provides a full scope of legal services to the shipping industry, including advice related to chartering, financing, insurance, operation, construction, operation and management of vessels and offshore units.

Contact: Kristian Lindhartsen

Renewable Energy:  

Kvale advises a number of businesses linked to hydro and wind power and other renewable energy sources. The firm’s work covers the whole value chain from land and property acquisitions, development and production to trade and distribution. The firm also has extensive experience with restructuring, transactions and financing related to power and grid enterprises. In addition, the firm’s lawyers are regularly engaged in litigating civil disputes.

Contacts: Christian Poulsson, Per Conradi Andersen, Yngve Bustnesli

Clients: 

ABB, Coca-Cola, Danske Bank, Dixons Carphone/ Elkjøp, Dong Energy, Equinor, Jaguar Land Rover, Kongsberg, L’Occitane, Orkla, Pfizer, Siemens, Telia, Unilever.