BAHR’s leading and full-service maritime practice runs the gamut of ship finance issues, dry shipping matters, marine insurance work, and contentious mandates. Acting for leading domestic and international shipping companies as well as broker firms and insurers, the team has notable strength in cross-border matters. Henrik Aadnesen and Rebecca Lund Nakkim now co-lead the group after joining from Advokatfirmaet Schjødt AS in June 2023. Aadnesen takes point on shipping finance matters and transactional mandates, while Nakkim handles shipbuilding work, the sale and purchase of rigs and vessels, and charter contracts. Geir Gustavsson and Anne Dahl Frisak remain with the practice; the ‘high-calibre‘ Gustavsson has a broad practice spanning shipbuilding, project finance, and contentious mandates, while Frisak is the key contact for sale and leaseback projects and shipbuilding contracts.

Advokatfirmaet Simonsen Vogt Wiig leverages the firm’s domestic network of offices to advise on the full range of shipping and maritime issues, fielding a ‘very experienced‘ team with a solid presence along the Norwegian coast. The full-service offering spans corporate and commercial mandates, ship finance work, offshore matters, as well as casualty work and litigation. Erlend Lous attracts praise for his ‘encyclopaedic knowledge of maritime law’ and takes point on complex financing issues in the shipping and offshore sectors, while Yannis Litinas specialises in cross-border transactions. The ‘extremely talented‘ Christine Rødsæther handles the full range of transactional shipping mandates, including bareboat charters, shipbuilding contracts, sale and leasebacks, and ship financings. ‘Fantastic tactician‘ Hågen Hansen rounds out the team and is a key name for shipboard investigations, casualty work, and contentious matters; expert litigator Lars Inge Ørstavik is another individual to note here.

Drawing on the firm’s notable strength in banking and finance, the ‘extremely hardworking and responsive‘ maritime practice at Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS stands out for its expertise across the full range of transactional shipping and maritime work. Acting for owners, banks and syndicates, the team is especially active on Norwegian shipping transactions as well as refinancings and restructurings in the offshore supply sector. ‘Excellent partners’ Mads Haavardsholm and Henrik Hagberg jointly lead the team; Haavardsholm has a broad corporate shipping practice spanning vessel sales and purchases, shipbuilding contracts and charterparty negotiations, while Hagberg is the key name for cross-border transactions and dispute resolution in the space. Casualty work and marine insurance issues are handled by Andreas Meidell, and Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl is recommended for her ‘one-of-a-kind’ ship finance expertise.

Karl Even Rygh and Kristine Hasle jointly lead Wiersholm’s ‘excellent’ maritime team, which is routinely instructed by domestic and international ship and rig owners, service companies, and financial advisers on the full range of contentious and non-contentious mandates. On the transactional side, Rygh handles newbuilding and conversion projects and sale and leaseback work, while Hasle takes point on shipping and offshore-related restructuring work. Marine insurance is a notable area of expertise for the group, with ‘strategically sound’ litigator Christian Hauge acts for shipowners, insurers, and classification societies in major litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Wikborg Rein’s offering runs the gamut of maritime, shipping and offshore work, handling the full spectrum of dry and wet shipping mandates, disputes, and cross-border transactions. Øyvind Axe oversees the global team from the firm’s Bergen office, while Andreas Fjærvoll-Larsen, praised for his ‘exceptional industry knowledge‘, co-heads the group from Oslo. Also based in Oslo is Herman Steen, who heads up the shipping and offshore disputes subgroup and is described by clients as ‘unquestionably the leading light for casualty work‘. Oddbjørn Slinning handles marine insurance litigation and casualty mandates, while Morten Lund Mathisen attracts praise for his expertise in wreck removal contracts. At associate level, the ‘up-and-coming’ Mari Berg Rindahl is also recommended for cross-border transactional work.

Kvale Advokatfirma DA advises domestic and international clients in the offshore, oil and marine insurance industries on the full spectrum of shipping issues, spanning charterparties, casualties, marine insurance, and contentious work. The ‘excellent‘ Kristian Lindhartsen leads the team and has a focus on marine insurance work, including coverage disputes, direct-action matters, and various marine casualties. Jostein Moen is the name to note for transactions and restructurings in the shipping sector, while ‘master tactician’ Lilly Kathrin Relling handles charterparties, building contracts, and contentious work.

Marit Kirkhusmo heads up the dedicated shipping and offshore offering at SANDS, which spans all aspects of shipping-related work, including construction, shipbuilding and charter work, and contentious mandates. Kirkhusmo specialises in financing work in the shipping and offshore sectors and handles sale and leaseback issues, vessel constructions, and dispute resolution mandates for shipowners, brokers, insurance companies, and agents. Guy Leonard, dual-qualified in Norway and England and Wales, has extensive experience advising on project development and vessel chartering issues, with a notable emphasis on LNG floating storage and regasification projects. At associate level, Hallvard Janbu Høyem assists shipowners and shipyards with marine insurance and contractual matters.

The shipping and offshore team at Selmer stands out for its strong track record in advising on shipbuilding and vessel finance work. Seated within the firm’s broader energy department, the group has notable expertise in charterparties, management agreements, and drilling contracts, particularly for clients in the oil services industry. Preben Berge Helverschou and Nicolai Myren oversee the team from Oslo and Stavanger, respectively; the ‘superb’ Helverschou joined the team from Kvale Advokatfirma DA in July 2023 and has expertise in wet shipping issues, contracts, and transactional work, while Myren takes point on contract negotiations, disputes, and project follow-up mandates. Also in the core team is Christian Steen Eriksen, who is recommended for contentious mandates in the shipping industry.

Jon Andersen leads the maritime offering at Ræder Bing, which has notable expertise in cargo-related matters, handling liability claims, and marine insurance matters, as well as claims and disputes following collisions and groundings. Charterparty issues and commercial agreements also feature in the group’s workload. Andersen works alongside Kristian Østberg, who handles arrests, insurance matters, and charterparties.

Advokatfirmaet Schjødt AS’s full-service maritime practice sits within the firm’s broader shipping and oil services team, handling acquisitions, divestments, and restructurings for a diverse group of clients. Shipbuilding, ship conversion, and repair contracts are other key areas of expertise for the group. Erlend Bakken now leads the team, which also includes Norman Hansen Meyer, who assists ship owners, charterers, and managers with charterparties, management contracts, and marine insurance matters. Trond Sollund takes point on litigation and arbitration proceedings in the oil and gas sector, while the ‘wise and experienced‘ Stian Tennfjord has a focus on shipyard-side mandates. The ‘astute, assiduous and accessible‘ Camilla Bråfelt handles contractual work, including charterparties. Henrik Aadnesen and Rebecca Lund Nakkim left the team in 2023 and are now at BAHR.