Nordics - Norway

1

EU and competition

Wikborg Rein

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The ‘extremely knowledgeable and pragmatic’ team at Wikborg Rein acts for large private companies and public bodies in Norway, including major energy, telecoms, aquaculture, and transport players. Handling a high volume of infringement cases before Norwegian competition authorities, the team is also routinely instructed to act on antitrust investigations, follow-on claims and cartel mandates. Mads Magnussen heads up the team and is hailed by clients as a ’fantastic adviser’. Preben Milde Thorbjørnsen is another core member of the team and handles both contentious and non-contentious competition mandates, including transactions and infringement litigation. Specialist counsel Stuart Stock, who is dual-qualified in Norway and England, takes point on cross-border and international matters, with an emphasis on merger control work. Hanne Camilla Zimmer departed the team in 2023.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team from Wikborg Rein has been led by partner Preben Milde Thorbjørnsen. He is very knowledgeable and experienced, despite his young age, and has the rare ability to put complex matters into understandable and clear language.’

  • ‘The Wikborg Rein team combines deep knowledge of EU and Norway competition law with a very practical approach to giving advice.’

  • ‘They have a deep understanding of the law and regulations that they manage to apply in a pragmatic and commercial manner.’

  • ‘We are very impressed with the competition law team as they are extremely knowledgeable and pragmatic, solution oriented and great to work with.’

  • ‘The team is knowledgeable and provides sound legal advice in a clear and pragmatic way. The team is diverse. They know our business and goals, and support us to reach our goals whilst ensuring we comply with competition law risks.’

  • ‘Stuart Stock has vast experience and knowledge of competition law. He is efficient, a problem solver and communicates clearly. I trust his advice.’

  • ‘In my opinion, Wikborg Rein's team deliver exceptional quality, are service-minded and very pleasant to work with. But above all, they really know what they are doing and are first class advisers.’

  • ‘I have used Mads Magnussen in Wikborg Rein as legal adviser for many years, in a number of different cases. He is a fantastic adviser. He is efficient, extremely knowledgeable and pleasant to work with. I have worked with several other good lawyers too, but Mads Magnussen stands out as my first choice.’

Key clients

  • Telenor
  • Norsk Hydro
  • AB Volvo
  • Aschehoug
  • NorgesGruppen
  • Jotun
  • Amedia
  • Verisure
  • Lerøy Seafood Group
  • Vygruppen
  • Elkem
  • Kesko
  • Naftogaz
  • Transocean
  • Norsk Gjenvinning
  • DFDS
  • Altor
  • Odfjel
  • Bertel O. Steen Power Solutions
  • Statkraft
  • FSN Capital
  • Solstad Offshore

Work highlights

  • Representing Telenor in connection with a large follow-on damages claims, made by its competitor Telia, based on decisions of the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the Norwegian Competition Authority imposing large fines on Telenor for abuses of a dominant position in the Norwegian market.
  • Representing Aschehoug in relation to a large investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour in the Norwegian publishing market, where the Norwegian Competition Authority imposed a total of NOK545m in fines on the four large Norwegian publishers.
  • Advised Kesko, and in particular its subsidiary Onninen AS, on the acquisition of its competitor Elektroskandia Norge AS (previously a part of the Rexel Group).

Lawyers

Rising stars

Stuart Stock

Stuart Stock

Wikborg Rein

Stuart is an experienced competition lawyer, used to handling large and complex competition law matters. Stuart advises on all aspects of EU, UK and Norwegian competition law, with a particular focus on multi-jurisdictional merger control and investigations where he has significant experience and expertise. Stuart is a qualified solicitor of England and Wales as well as a Norwegian qualified lawyer, and has previously worked in the competition law team at a major international law firm in London as well as for the UK competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority. He has also spent time working in Brussels during his 10 + years of experience in working exclusively with competition law. Stuart is recognised as one of Norway's leading competition lawyers, and has been ranked as a "Rising Star" in the field by Legal 500 since 2021. He speaks at conferences and has written several articles on topical competition law issues, in particular on the application of competition law to the energy sector.

Leading individuals

Mads Magnussen

Mads Magnussen

Wikborg Rein

Mads is a team leader in Wikborg Rein and he advises Norwegian and foreign companies within areas of business law, in their contact with public authorities and in negotiations and dispute resolution. He also has legal assignments for and advices public entities and authorities. Mads has been a judge for many years, during which he mediated and presided in several hundred cases within a broad spectre of legal areas, and he has an expertise within civil litigation and dispute resolution. Mads' main area of expertise is EU/EEA and competition law and he is also team leader for our legal practice group for Competition and Procurement. Mads has previously worked as Legal Director of the Norwegian Competition Authority, and in his years as a judge also been appointed Acting Director General of the Competition Authority in infringement cases. Mads is experienced in handling large and complex competition cases and has advised in many cases before Norwegian and international competition authorities and courts within different business areas. He also has experience from investigations and compliance work, advising in the establishment of various forms of cooperation between companies, conducting legal review of companies' agreements and business conduct and handling competition notifications of mergers and acquisitions. Wikborg Rein's Competition and Procurement team is top ranked in Legal 500 (2023) and Global Competition Review's GCR 100 (2023). Mads is also ranked as one of the leading EU and competition lawyers in Norway in Legal 500 (2023) and Chambers (2023).

Next Generation Partners

Preben Milde Thorbjørnsen

Preben Milde Thorbjørnsen

Wikborg Rein

Preben is specialized within competition law, and has extensive experience in handling large and complex competition cases within a wide range of industries, both as a lawyer and as a public servant. Preben advises Norwegian and international clients on all aspects of competition law, with a particular focus on merger control. He has also been lead lawyer on some of the biggest infringement cases in Norway in the recent years. Preben is ranked as "Next Generation Partner" in Legal 500 and "Rising Star" in Chambers & Partners. Preben Milde Thorbjørnsen "is able to see the case from different perspectives and find solutions. He shares his views and gives good advice. He is very dedicated, thorough and a pleasant lawyer to work with, in addition to cost efficient." (Chambers & Partners Europe Guide 2022).

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Mads Magnussen

Other key lawyers

Stuart Stock, Preben Milde Thorbjørnsen

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