Member Article

The Chambers Global Guide ranks law firms and lawyers in more than 200 jurisdictions in selected disciplines. All subject areas are part of Chambers Europe, published in March.

SVW is ranked within Banking and Finance, Corporate M&A, Oil and Gas, Dispute Resolution, and International & Cross Border Capabilities. SVW has two new lawyers entering the rankings, Sunniva Kinsella and Mathias Teir, as up and coming, as well as defending last year’s placements.

The Chambers Global Guide writes as follows:

Banking and Finance

Robust banking and finance practice with a strong reputation in loan and refinancing mandates in the shipping sector. The team acts for borrowers and lenders on bilateral and syndicated facilities, and has additional knowledge in project, aviation and acquisition finance transactions. The team also regularly advises the Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency.

Halvor Klingenberg, Peter Aall Simonsen and Sunniva Kinsella have been ranked within Banking and Finance:

Halvor Klingenberg frequently handles acquisition finance mandates as well as project finance deals, specifically in the energy sector. Sources highlight his proactive and efficient approach.

Peter Aall Simonsen is noted for his experience in ship finance mandates and project finance matters connected to the renewable energy sphere. He regularly advises lenders on bilateral and syndicated loans as well as refinancing mandates. «He can bring people together,» a source says, adding: «His experience and presence gives him a different weight.» The source also adds: «He knows shipping inside out.»

Sunniva Kinsella enters the rankings as a result of positive market feedback. She focuses on project and shipping financing. Sources highlight her commercial approach.

Corporate M&A

Assists clients with a range of M&A and corporate matters. The law firm has notable experience acting for private equity and venture capital entities. It has particular expertise concerning deals in the energy and TMT sectors.

Amund Fougner Bugge, Christoffer Bjerknes and Mathias Teir have been ranked within Corporate M&A:

Amund Fougner Bugge (Capital Markets: Equity) has particular strength in listings, private placements and rights issues. According to clients, he is an «experienced transaction lawyer who is good at problem-solving and works in a highly efficient manner.»

Christoffer Bjerknes often acts on corporate and M&A mandates involving private equity and venture capital investment. One client particularly praises his «fast turnaround time on all requests.»

Mathias Teir joins the rankings following noteworthy market endorsements. He has experience advising private equity firms on acquisitions. One client lauds him as «extremely proactive, efficient, diligent and hard-working.»

Dispute Resolution

Assists clients with contractual disputes and also represents clients in contentious procurement and construction cases. The legal practice is popular with clients from the transport industry, frequently acting on post-transactional disputes. The team also handles litigation concerning regulatory issues.

Christian Reusch and Tage Brigt A. Skoghøy have been ranked within Dispute Resolution:

Christian Reusch advises public and private clients on contractual and public procurement disputes. One client enthuses: «I have always found Christian’s work, dedication, legal knowledge and commercial pragmatism to be exemplary.»

Tage Brigt A. Skoghøy is praised for his «high problem-solving skills and strong communication.» He advises on contractual and regulatory disputes. Another client notes his «his ability to see the legal issues quickly and put forward a good strategy on how to proceed with the case and put our arguments before the courts.»

Energy: Oil and Gas

Highly regarded practice, well known for its expertise in international oil and gas projects, particularly in emerging markets. The law firm frequently acts for domestic and foreign governmental bodies and state enterprises, advising on regulatory frameworks and compliance in connection with exploration and production matters. Its lawyers also have experience in local and cross-border transactions and contractual agreements, as well as energy-related dispute resolution mandates.

Bjørn-Erik Leerberg is ranked within Oil and Gas;

Bjørn-Erik Leerberg often assists domestic and foreign companies as well as state entities with regulatory matters and transactional mandates. Clients note his «strong skills in oil and gas law, on both an international and national level.»

International & Cross-Border Capabilities

Simonsen Vogt Wiig is an active law firm internationally, frequently advising on cross-border issues across M&A, disputes, regulatory matters and financing. The law firm is well known for having a high proportion of companies based in foreign jurisdictions as well as states among its clients, typically acting on matters involving the TMT and energy sectors. The law firm is also active in international shipping, with an office in Singapore helping to build relationships with clients in the Asian markets in need of advice on maritime law issues.

The law firm also has an exceptional reputation for its long history of working on the development of regulatory frameworks for overseas oil and gas exploration in emerging economies and international law issues related to the oil industry. It has been particularly active in North and West Africa during recent years, working with overseas governments and energy companies to apply industry expertise to project development in countries such as Mozambique.

«We get great support from SVW for multiple jurisdictions; the biggest strength relating to this is their ability to present as one integrated analysis – and not the combination of several law firms’ recommendations divided per country.»

«SVW were excellent at managing the legal input and expert advice coming from numerous jurisdictions.»