Advokatfirmaet Hjort

Real Estate

Liv Zimmermann specializes in planning and construction law.

Liv has over thirty years of experience with real estate matters.  Before she began practicing real estate law in 2005, she spent 15 years working with development and construction cases in the public sector, including as head of department and assistant director at Oslo Planning and Building Authority.

Liv has been appointed to several legislative committees, contributing proposals for amendments to the construction portion of the current Planning and Building Act and the Ownership of Property Units Act. She currently chairs the Norwegian Bar Association’s building and zoning law committee.

Liv advises construction clients and contractors on a wide range of planning and construction issues, including the implementation of planning processes, negotiation of development agreements, land acquisition, reimbursement claims, building permits, completion certificates and post-sale issues. She frequently collaborates with architects, engineers, real estate agents and other consultants to secure the best possible outcome for her clients. 

Her in-depth knowledge of the public administration and political decision processes enable Liv to contribute both professionally and strategically to planning and construction processes. She advises municipalities and other public sector clients on a broad range of property law matters, including on-going consultancy, quality assurance of administrative decisions, investigation of complicated issues and litigation. She also assists private clients.

Liv is regularly invited to lecture on planning and building law. Since 2013, Liv has lectured her fellow market colleagues on updates in case law at the annual planning and building law conference organized by the Center for Continuing Legal Education. In recent years, she has also given several lectures on environmental law, including on the EU’s taxonomy and climate and environmental requirements in land-use plans.

Together with fellow Hjort partner Frode A. Innjord, Liv has co-edited and co-authored Gyldendal’s commentary on the Planning and Building Act (2nd edition).

2018     Head of the real estate and construction law practice area,                 Advokatfirmaet Hjort

2013     Partner, Advokatfirmaet Hjort

2010 – 2012      Partner, Bull & Co.

2005 – 2010       Partner, Advokatfirmaet Vodal Zimmermann & Co. AS

2005      Attorney, Bull & Co.

2004 – 2005       Drafting member of the Building Law Commission, the Ministry of                     Local Government and Regional Development/Building Law                   Commission

1995 – 2004      Deputy Director/Departmental Director/Head of Section/Special Advisor, Oslo City Council, Planning and Building Authority

1994 – 1995     Deputy Judge, the Office of the District Judge in Vinger and Odal

1989 – 1992   Senior Executive Officer/Consultant, County Governor of Oslo and               Akershus

2015 – Leader, The Norwegian Bar Association’s Committee for Building and Zoning Law

2013 – 2014 Member, Owner’s Association Committee

2007 – Board member, Skaara Arkitekter AS

2008 – 2010 Board member, Filmparken AS

1989   Candidate in Jurisprudence, The University of Oslo

1988    Project forum for organisation and management, The University of Oslo