Nordics - Norway

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS

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Praised by clients for its ‘very strong, commercially minded’ team, Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS’ banking and finance offering spans the full range of financial matters, with a recent highlight showcasing its advice to Danske Bank regarding the sale of its Norwegian personal banking business to Nordea. Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl heads up the firm’s banking and finance practice, working alongside Tore Mydske, who leads the financial regulatory sub-group, another core area of expertise for the firm. Hans Haugstad has a particular focus on cross-border financings and acquisition finance, while Kristoffer Hegdahl takes point on debt restructuring and corporate insolvency work. At associate level, Hedda Leikvang is also recommended for her acquisition financing expertise.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Thommessen has a very strong financing team that covers all aspects of our business needs, from regulatory issues to transaction work.’

  • ‘Hans Haugstad is a natural go-to guy for most kinds of financings. He is very pleasant to work with and good at project management and keeping a transaction going.'

  • 'Hedda Leikvang is an up and coming star from Thommessen, highly regarded for her skills and effective way of leading transactions in a positive way.’

  • ‘Excellent project management expertise for complex problems. Strong legal competence with a "can do" attitude.’

  • ‘The team handles without problem everything from the most complicated syndicated financing structure case to a plain vanilla bilateral bank financing transaction. The composition of the team is also well balanced and fits together efficiently.’

  • ‘The partners Ellen Heyerdahl, Hans Haugstad, and Kristoffer Hegdahl, and managing associate Faraz Ahmed Ali are hard working, well experienced and top qualified lawyers in different roles of the team. They deliver expert advice both individually and as a team that stands out.’

  • ‘A very strong, commercially minded team with excellent legal knowledge.’

  • ‘Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl is very knowledgeable and very good at seeing and explaining the bigger picture, to assist clients with decision-making.’

Key clients

  • DNB Bank ASA
  • Nordea Bank Abp
  • Danske Bank A/S
  • Svenska Handelsbanken
  • Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB
  • Eksfin (ECA)
  • Pareto Securities AS
  • ABG Sundal Collier ASA
  • Nordic Corporate Bank ASA
  • Euronext Oslo Børs
  • Pareto Alternative Investments AS
  • Storebrand ASA
  • Swedbank AB
  • Sparebank1 Gruppen AS
  • Seadrill Limited
  • Sparebank 1 SR-Bank
  • Finance Norway
  • Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP)
  • Gabler Investments AS
  • Pareto Bank AS
  • Oaktree Capital
  • Elkem ASA
  • B2Holding ASA
  • XXL ASA
  • Havfram
  • Seatankers

Work highlights

  • Advised Danske Bank A/S with the sale of Danske Bank's personal banking business in Norway to Nordea.
  • Advised Goldman Sachs Asset Management on its NOK6.6bn acquisition of Frøy ASA, including in the financing of the acquisition with a syndicate of banks.
  • Advised Swedbank AB on the asset sale of (i) a loan portfolio to Sparebank 1 SR Bank ASA and (ii) investment banking business related to M&A and high-yield bonds to Sparebank 1 Markets AS in 2022.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame

The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.

Hans Haugstad

Hans Haugstad

Hall of fameAdvokatfirmaet Thommessen AS

Mr Hans Haugstad predominantly works with financing transactions and assists both banks/financial institutions, investors and borrowers/issuers. He has been a member of the Norwegian Bar Association's law committee for banking and finance, and he regularly lectures on this topic. He is ranked among Norway’s leading banking and finance lawyers by international rating agencies. He heads the firm's practice area of Debt Financing.

Leading individuals

Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl

Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl

Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS

Partner. Mrs Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl has extensive experience with financing. She assists borrowers, lenders and arrangers with bilateral and syndicated facilities, bond loans and debt programs. Her main focus is on financing of vessels, aircrafts and offshore installations, as well as project and acquisition financing.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Ellen Teresa Heyerdahl, Tore Mydske

Other key lawyers

Hans Haugstad, Faraz Ahmed Ali, Kristoffer Hegdahl, Hedda Leikvang