BAHR

Chairman: Peter Hammerich

Managing Partner: Thomas K. Svensen

Number of partners: 44

Number of lawyers: 170

Languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Scandinavian languages

Firm Overview:

BAHR is a Norwegian firm of commercial lawyers and has since 1966 served as external counsel and legal advisor to Norwegian and international businesses and government bodies. Our practice encompasses all key areas of commercial law. One of the hallmarks of BAHR is our seamless approach to large, complex and often multijurisdictional transactions.

We are a team of experienced generalists and specialists who work closely together. We are committed to having in-depth knowledge of, and close involvement with, key industries, and are focused on offering market-leading expertise in addressing the legal challenges facing these industries. Many leading Norwegian and international clients turn to us for assistance in domestic and cross-border matters, knowing that our team possesses the broad international experience, knowledge and business acumen they require.

Main Areas of Practice:

Asset Management & Private Equity

BAHR’s asset management and private equity group consists of 25+ specialized lawyers, with the partners having an average of 20 years’ experience with the sector. The group serves a broad base of asset management clients spanning all major asset classes and strategies and continuously carries out domestic and cross border work for clients based in Norway and abroad. Consistently recognized as the leading team of asset management lawyers in Norway, the group provides legal advice and solutions which are both cutting edge and pragmatic.

Key Contacts: Peter Hammerich, Camilla Jøtun, Jonathan Uggedal

Email: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected]

Aquaculture & Fisheries:

As a leading transactional firm in Norway, BAHR has a strong track record in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, which is a testament to our capabilities across the nation's key economic areas. Our firm has been actively involved in several significant transactions that have contributed to the development of the Norwegian seafood industry.

Clients turn to BAHR for our comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in such transactions, including navigating the extensive regulatory framework that governs this sector. We are committed to providing our clients with the necessary expertise and support to ensure their transactions are conducted efficiently and in compliance with industry regulations.

Key Contact: Lisa Marie Opdahl

Email: [email protected]

Banking & Finance:

BAHR’s Banking & Finance team delivers first-class business-oriented advice and support to institutions and companies navigating the complexities of the banking and lending markets, and are renowned for crafting innovative financing solutions. BAHR advises on traditional lending options, such as asset-, project- and acquisition financing, as well as direct lending and combined bank- and bond structures, and have deep expertise within structured finance and financial regulatory issues.

Key Contacts: Richard Sjøqvist, Ida Marie Windrup

Email: [email protected] , [email protected]

Debt Capital Markets:

BAHR’s DCM team serves as an experienced top tier advisor, problem solver and strategic discussion partner to all debt capital market actors, including debtors, issuers, arrangers/investment banks, lease providers, investors, agents and trustees, providing high quality legal and strategic advice.

BAHR advises on all forms of debt-related transactions including Nordic corporate bonds, combined bank and bond financings, combined equity and debt financings, covered bonds, direct lending, hybrid instruments and other debt capital markets instruments.

Key Contacts: Richard Sjøqvist, Ida Marie Windrup

Email: [email protected] , [email protected]

Compliance, Risk Management & Privacy:

BAHR assists clients in a number of sectors in Norway and internationally. It advises on risk assessments, compliance reviews and audits, manages internal investigations and enforcement actions, and assists with developing and testing compliance policies and procedures and risk management programmes. It also conducts transactional and institutional due diligence reviews of compliance. It also advises on ESG, the European Green Deal and sustainability reporting. The firm’s Compliance and Risk Management team consists of specialists from a wide spectrum of practice areas, and cooperates closely with the firm’s range of specialists. The firm therefore offers advice in other areas which companies need to consider in connection with regulatory compliance, such as sanctions and export control, money laundering, corruption and bribery, human and working rights, sustainable finance, investigation of potential infringements, personal data protection and other licensing issues.

Key Contact: Morten P. Smørdal

Email: [email protected]

Corporate M&A:

Corporate M&A has been at the core of BAHR’s practice since its inception. Handling anything from bolt-on acquisition up to the very largest cross-border, transformational corporate transactions, BAHR brings together appropriately sized teams with the right skills to guide clients smoothly through all stages of the deal. The team draws on expertise from across the firm to bring clients a comprehensive service with a commercial and tailored outlook, combining first class legal knowledge with deep understanding of the clients’ industries and goals.

Key Contact: Øystein Guvåg

Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution:

BAHR’s dedicated Dispute Resolution group is highly experienced with litigation and arbitration in all commercial areas, such as contract law, company law, liability and negligence, and includes several of the most respected and sought-after litigators in Norway. We also team up with our colleagues from across the firm to assist our clients with complex disputes within specialist areas, such as energy, IP, TMT, competition, M&A, employment, construction, shipping, insurance, insolvency, and tax. By combining in-depth expertise on dispute resolution and relevant industries, our Dispute Resolution group tailors the best teams to solve all types of corporate disputes and to provide the most dynamic and efficient cooperation with our clients.

Key Contact: Atle Skaldebø-Rød

Email: [email protected]

Employment, Benefits and Pensions:

BAHR’s employment group has a unique composition with the three partners of the group having more than 60 years of experience with all areas of employment law, headed by Norway’s heavyweight and no 1 employment lawyer Tarjei Thorkildsen. Other partners are Margrethe Meder (former Head of Legal of Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)) and Tor Olav Carlsen (former Head of Legal in Employers Association Spekter). BAHR’s employment law services is full range and includes ongoing advice on contracts and various employment issues (incl. GDPR), handling court cases (individual and collective bargaining disputes) and all employment law issues related to acquisitions, mergers and restructuring. Furthermore, the group assists management and boards in matters related to handling employee representation, employment related sustainability requirements (incl. CSRD), corporate governance, incentive schemes as well as preparing relevant documentation.

Key Contact: Tarjei Thorkildsen

Email: [email protected]

Energy & Renewables:

BAHR’s legal team has vast experience of working closely with a number of major players in the energy sector. The firm has a thorough understanding of the legal framework governing the industry, and advises on day-to-day administration, as well as handling transactions and acting as counsel in disputes. BAHR also offers an exceptionally strong and experienced tax team, which is fully integrated in the group and has represented oil companies in many of the most notable tax disputes in Norway.

Our experienced team provides practical advice on all areas of everyday concern to energy companies, including commercial agreements and regulatory compliance, while also being a first choice for their largest mandates – multi-billion financings, international acquisitions or major disputes. Widely valued for our advice on Norway’s complex energy tax regimes, we are also respected for procurement and competition work.

Key Contact: Jon Christian Thaulow

Email: [email protected]

Equity Capital Markets

BAHR's Equity Capital Markets group stands as a market leader in Norway's capital market, renowned for expertise in large, complex, and multi-jurisdictional transactions. With a comprehensive suite of services, BAHR delivers exceptional service and navigates regulatory challenges with efficiency, providing a holistic approach from initial consultation to final transaction. Highlighting their prowess, BAHR has advised on significant deals, including recently the NOK 141bn takeover offer on Adevinta, Aker BP's cross-border merger with Lundin Energy, the major take-private of Kahoot! and the IPO of Norconsult, showcasing their ability to support major transactions across various industries.

Key Contact: Lars Knem Christie

Email: lkc@bahr .no

Oil Services:

BAHR offers profound legal expertise in the oil and gas sector, forged over decades of dedicated service. Our esteemed clientele includes state-owned enterprises, private equity funds, multinational majors, and a diverse range of industry players from medium-sized firms to ambitious newcomers.

What sets us apart is our deep understanding of the legal and regulatory framework specific to upstream and downstream oil and gas activities, backed by our commercial acumen and knowledge of the industry. We offer holistic legal support across all aspects and phases of our clients' business operations in the oil and gas sector, such as in corporate or licence transactions, exploration, development and cessation projects, infrastructure, strategy and new energy ventures, all types of industry specific contracts, tax matters, dispute resolution and governmental relations.

We are consistently top ranked in all relevant major practice areas relevant for the oil and gas industry. Our specialist knowledge is matched by a collaborative spirit and unique ability to bring together cross-disciplinary teams to address this important sector's most complex deals, projects, contracts, disputes, and regulatory challenges.

Key Contacts: Thomas K. Svensen, Stig Klausen Engelhart

Email: [email protected] , [email protected]

Real Estate & Construction:

Our dedicated real estate experts advise on everything from major transactions, innovative real estate financing or structuring and complex development agreements, to construction or real estate disputes. In all of these areas we provide our clients with first-class, business-focused legal advice in line with industry best practice – best practice that we have often helped to define.

The BAHR team handles a large number of very substantial and significant transactions every year, illustrating our leading market position.

Our success is, to a large extent, due to the team’s highly visible position, which has helped us to take a large share of the activity in the Norwegian real estate market. We are often the first choice counsel for foreign investors investing in Norway due to our strong international reputation and good ratings, as well as our expert knowledge of transaction structuring work and cross-border tax issues.

Key Contact: Anne Sofie Bjørkholt

Email: [email protected]

Shipping and Offshore:

BAHR has a dedicated team with extensive expertise in the shipping and offshore industries, serving a variety of clients from large, established players to smaller entities and those new to the fields. Our team's proficiency in maritime, finance, contractual, and corporate law is complemented by a thorough grasp of the legal and regulatory framework that governs the shipping and offshore industry. Working in close coordination with our tax, competition law and finance teams (equity and debt), we are well-equipped to support our clients in every facet of their business. This includes strategy development, conducting contract negotiations, closing transactions, implementing decisions, and effectively resolving disputes within the shipping and offshore domains.

BAHR’s leading position in the offshore construction and energy sector has proved of enormous benefit in the aquaculture sector, as the sectors have been converging as traditional fish farming companies are taking a growing interest in what they can learn from the offshore energy sector in terms of working in harsh or deep water environments. This development has been encouraged by a strong political will to utilise the knowledge and competence of the offshore sector to further develop the aquaculture industry.

Shipping and insurance have also formed important elements of BAHR’s work since our foundation. We act for Norwegian and foreign shipowners and operators, insurers and brokers, shipyards, banks, leasing companies, logistics companies, charterers and others, and are recognised as a first port of call for key instructions.

Key Contact: Henrik Aadnesen

Email: [email protected]

TMT & Intellectual Property:

BAHR’s multi-disciplinary Technology group is committed to having in-depth knowledge of, and close involvement with, industries at the forefront of technological development, and is focused on offering market-leading expertise in addressing the regulatory framework and other legal challenges facing these industries. The group’s intellectual property practice covers all areas of intellectual property law and is at any given time involved in some of the highest profile and most complex IP matters in Norway, including before the Norwegian Supreme Court. We also regularly advise on transactions where technology is a key value driver.

Key Contact: Jacob Møller, Eirik Basmo Ellingsen

Email: [email protected] , [email protected]

Competition & EU Law:

BAHR is regularly involved in complex mergers cases before the Norwegian Competition Authority and managing multijurisdictional filings around the globe. From preventing the abuse of dominance to investigating cartel claims and striking out anti-competitive agreements, the Norwegian Competition Authorities are very active. And companies falling foul of Norway’s antitrust rules can expect heavy fines.

Key Contact: Helge Stemshaug

Email: [email protected]