Gjelsten Herlofsen Advokatfirma AS

Lawyer & team qualitySector knowledge

Børge Alsvik

Børge has held key positions in private practice as well as public service. He has extensive experience as a lawyer specializing in transport and shipping law (including insurance, cover disputes, P&I, LOH, H&M, bills of lading, cargo claims, marine incidents, ship arrests, charter party and contract disputes etc.). Børge has successfully represented clients in a number of reported cases. His practice does in addition to maritime law also include cases arising in relation to Road, Air and Multimodal Transport. Børge has served as acting Judge in the Court of Appeal. He has been senior legal advisor at the County Governor and legal advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Section for Treaty Law, Environmental Law and the Law of the Seas. During his studies, Børge was research assistant at the Department of Public and International law, University of Oslo.

Christian Bjørtuft Ellingsen

Christian Bjørtuft Ellingsen has over two decades of specialization in maritime and transport law, including marine insurance (H&M, P&I, LOH, Builder's risk etc.), charter party disputes, cargo claims, shipbuilding and repair contracts, marine supply contracts and ship arrests. His expertise notably extends to both contentious and non-contentious aspects of shipbuilding contracts, offshore construction and equipment- and machinery supply contracts, including innovative and autonomous ship projects. Ellingsen regularly argues cases in arbitration and before the Norwegian courts, covering both maritime law, insurance and other tort and contract disputes in the transport and energy sector.

Gaute Gjelsten

Gaute Gjelsten has more than 25 years of experience specialising in international shipping and offshore law, including marine and energy, insurance law. Gjelsten has handled significant claims arising out of marine and offshore casualties, including i.a. jurisdiction, choice of laws, limitation and limitation fund proceedings. He represents the private sector against the Norwegian State in relation to major marine recourse actions. Gjelsten for Nordic and international insurers concerning H&M, War, LOH, cargo, charterers' liability, general liability and P&I. Gjelsten has experience acting on complex offshore and onshore claims concerning CAR and operational policies, reinsurance and coverage disputes in the energy sector. He has extensive litigation experience before the Norwegian courts and in arbitration proceedings, and is admitted to the Norwegian Supreme Court. In June 2025, Gjelsten was appointed by the Norwegian Government to head a Law Committee with the mandate to review existing maritime legislation and propose amendments reflecting developments in the industry, including digitalisation, green transition, and evolving safety standards. Gaute is recognised as a market leading Norwegian offshore and shipping lawyer and is top ranked in Legal 500 ("Recommended Individual") and Chambers and Partners (ranked in Band 1).

Frithjof Herlofsen

Frithjof Herlofsen is a leading specialist in arbitration and litigation, focusing on shipping, offshore and marine insurance disputes. Frithjof has more than 25 years of experience specialising in all aspects of shipping and transport law, including salvage, GA settlements, cargo claims, charter party disputes, bills of lading, MOAs, shipbuilding and repair contracts, marine insurance (cover disputes, P&I, FDD, H&M, cargo insurance etc), marine incidents, arrest, forced use and sales as well as tort and contract disputes. Frithjof is admitted to the Norwegian Supreme Court and heads the Norwegian Bar Association's Committee on Insurance Law. Herlofsen has argued more than 100 cases in arbitrations and before the Norwegian courts, including seven cases before the Norwegian Supreme Court. Herlofsen is also frequently appointed as arbitrator, both in ad hoc arbitrations as well as under the NOMA Procedural Rules.