Wikborg Rein

Filip Truyen

Filip is among Norway's leading experts on company law. He is also a Professor, Doctor of Laws at the University of Bergen and at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). He has published scientific work with focus on shareholder conflicts, directors' liability, corporate governance, compulsory acquisition, public ownership and enterprise valuation. He has broad experience as an Appellate Court Judge and as an arbitrator. Moreover, Filip is frequently engaged in the sale and reorganising of businesses, especially where the choice of transaction model is an important premise. He often acts as counsellor in ownership disputes, including challenges that come with generational changes. Filip was Deputy Chairman at the Appeal Board of Stock Exchanges in Norway in the period 2009-2012. Since 2015 he has served as Chairman of the Norwegian Government's Legislative Committee on Securities. The Committee has delivered nine public reports on securities law.

Finn Bjørnstad

Most of Finn's clients are Norwegian and foreign banks and shipowners, and his main areas of practice are: issues relating to newbuildings/conversion projects for ships, financing and purchase/sale/affreightment of ships and offshore vessels, project finance for different assets in Norway and abroad, as well as towards the private equity market – both for investors and brokers – in connection with establishing projects in Norway and abroad. Bjørnstad holds several board positions. Finn is recommended by Chambers and Partners as "Leaders in their field" in the categories Energy, Oil & Gas and Shipping Finance.

Ina Lutchmiah

Specialist Counsel

Jan Erik Clausen

Jan Erik is the Managing Partner at Wikborg Rein's Bergen office. He works primarily with M&A and capital market transactions, including assisting clients in connection with the purchase and sale of companies and businesses, mergers, demergers, share issue and other equity transactions. In recent years, he has advised both private and governmental parties and led a number of major transactions in various sectors, including a significant number of transactions in the fisheries/aquaculture and energy sectors. In addition, he continuously assists a number of profiled operators in Norwegian business with investments, projects and general business law. In recent years, he has held several board assignments, both in private and listed companies. In addition to working at the office in Bergen, Jan Erik has assisted in establishing Wikborg Rein's office in Singapore.

Jennifer Li

Jennifer is a dispute resolution lawyer. Her practice focuses on both wet and dry shipping litigation, as well as international trade and energy disputes. Prior to joining Wikborg Rein, Jennifer trained at Ince & Co London and gained valuable experience before relocating to Singapore in 2020. She has also spent time on a client secondment with a Lloyd's syndicate and developed significant sector expertise in marine hull and machinery claims. Jennifer has extensive experience in LMAA, SIAC, SCMA and FOSFA arbitrations and regularly acts for a range of clients across the APAC region including shipowners, charterers, and P&I Clubs. She also has admiralty experience, having worked on several high-profile groundings, fire at sea and collision claims. Aside from dispute resolution work, Jennifer also has experience in non-contentious commercial work such as reviewing and providing advice on sale and purchase agreements, charterparties and other standard term agreements. Jennifer has developed an international outlook from a young age, having grown up in Beijing and Singapore. She studied law at the University of Exeter before graduating with a Masters in Corporate Law from University College London. Jennifer is fluent in English and Mandarin.

Lesley Tan

Specialist counsel

Per Anders Sæhle

Per Anders mainly works with M&A and equity capital market transactions. He has extensive experience with listings, share offerings and acquisitions of public and private companies. Per Anders has previously worked as a lawyer at the Oslo Stock Exchange, and has particular expertise in Norwegian securities law.

Robert Joiner

Robert is an English qualified solicitor. He deals with dry shipping disputes, mainly concerning charterparties, COA's,  bills of lading, project cargo/heavy lifts, MOA's, and commission agreements. He also advises on shipbuilding and rig contracts/guarantees, salvage, wreck removal, unsafe berths, groundings, fires, collisions, and offshore supply disputes. Robert has worked on a range of insurance matters, including marine and cargo  where he advises on coverage and recovery. Additionally, he has expertise in commodities, including minerals, frozen produce, LPG and veg oils. He also has extensive experience in arbitration and litigation, and has run a large number of international arbitrations in London, Singapore and Hong Kong while based in Singapore. These range from small claims procedures to multi-million dollar disputes. Robert also has experience with drafting contracts, guarantees and insurance policies, as well as with insurance regulation, compliance and start-up issues for company, mutual and captive insurers, including marine, P&I, and property catastrophe. He is recommended by Chambers & Partners for his "considered and comprehensive" style of practice, and Legal 500 for his "prompt, detailed advice".

Sigurd Opedal

Sigurd Opedal is a Partner at Wikborg Rein's Oslo office and is head of the firm's M&A practice. He works primarily with M&A, private equity transactions and capital markets transactions. Opedal is ranked as one of Norway's leading lawyers within mergers & acquisitions by Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Legal 500, IFLR and the Norwegian Financial Daily and is among the top 3 lawyers in the Norwegian market with the most transactions reported to Mergermarket for the period comprising the last five years.

Solveig Frostad De Sousa

Solveig has a broad international transaction practice focused on shipping and offshore. She regularly assists international clients with project due diligence and negotiating and drafting project contracts including: agreements for ship sale and purchase, sale and leaseback, chartering and management of ships and offshore units. She also advises borrowers, agents, arrangers and syndicates of lenders regarding ship finance transactions. Solveig is dual qualified as a Norwegian Lawyer and a Solicitor of England & Wales and speaks Norwegian, English and French fluently.

Wole Olufunwa

Wole is an England & Wales qualified international arbitration lawyer. He predominantly specialises in the Maritime and Offshore, International Trade and Energy sectors. Wole has solid experience of handling institutionally administered arbitrations under the SIAC, ICC, LCIA, SCMA and ad hoc arbitrations including those conducted under the auspices of the LMAA Terms. He has acted as arbitrator in several disputes administered by institutional arbitral bodies and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Wole has been based and practising in Singapore since 2010 and acts for a range of clients including Ship-Owners, Charterers, Commodity Traders, Shipyards, EPC Contractors, Miners and Insurers. His clients are located across a broad geography including Singapore, Indonesia, HK, Japan, India, China, Malaysia, Nigeria, Kenya and Europe. As for career highlights, Wole has enjoyed secondment spells with Shell, London (2006), Shipowners' P&I, Singapore (2011) and Rio Tinto, Singapore (2018) and had conduct of contract and pricing review arbitrations worth over USD350m as well as other general commercial disputes in the crypto-currency space. Wole also had conduct of the well-known and reported House of Lords (as it then was) shipping case, The Achilleas [2008] UKHL 48 and is specifically highlighted for his shipping expertise in Chambers Asia-Pacific as a "Notable practitioner and key contact for clients". Wole is also the founder and President of the SALI Club (Singapore Africa Law & Investment Club): www.saliclub.com.sg