Wikborg Rein
Wikborg Rein’s offering runs the gamut of maritime, shipping and offshore work, handling the full spectrum of dry and wet shipping mandates, disputes, and cross-border transactions. Øyvind Axe oversees the global team from the firm’s Bergen office, while Andreas Fjærvoll-Larsen, praised for his ‘exceptional industry knowledge’, co-heads the group from Oslo. Also based in Oslo is Herman Steen, who heads up the shipping and offshore disputes subgroup and is described by clients as ‘unquestionably the leading light for casualty work’. Oddbjørn Slinning handles marine insurance litigation and casualty mandates, while Morten Lund Mathisen attracts praise for his expertise in wreck removal contracts. At associate level, the ‘up-and-coming’ Mari Berg Rindahl is also recommended for cross-border transactional work.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Broad knowledge of shipping, offshore and sector-related financing. High quality across the board.’
‘Wikborg Rein is a longstanding market leader within maritime law in Norway. They have a unique understanding of all legal aspects related to the shipping and offshore industry, and combine thorough legal knowledge with outstanding industry knowledge.’
‘Andreas Fjærvoll-Larsen combines first-class knowledge of corporate, finance and contract law with exceptional industry knowledge to provide practical and solid advice. He is keenly involved in all aspects of our business, and we engage him as our trusted adviser on all important business decisions.'
- 'Mari Berg Rindahl is an up-and-coming star, and has a unique ability to handle large and complex finance and transaction processes.’
‘Extraordinarily engaged and competent team. Very good at being proactive themselves and at the same time listening carefully to our input and instructions. They understand our business fully. Our cooperation is productive and educating, with a suitable amount of humour and personal touch included.’
‘Morten Lund Mathisen's expertise within wreck removal contracts in particular is among the very best internationally. His experience with offshore wreck removals is unique.'
'Oddbjørn Slinning is friendly, level-headed and gives honest advice. He has a broad skill set ranging from transactional work to disputes.'
‘Herman Steen is unquestionably the leading light for casualty work. Supremely experienced.’
Key clients
- Assuranceforeningen Gard
- Gard Marine & Energy Ltd
- DNB Bank
- Floatel International
- Fred. Olsen Windcarriers
- Gram Car Carriers
- Norwegian Hull Club
- Odfjell Drilling
- The Swedish Club
- Solstad Offshore
- Transocean Services AS
- Skuld
- Yara International ASA
- DFDS
- Hydro
- Fearnleys
- Codan Insurance
- Hydor AS
- Norgesgruppen
- Norwegian Royal Navy
- London P&I Club
- BW Offshore
- Pareto
- Fjord1 AS
- COSL Drilling
- Macro Offshore
Work highlights
- Acted as global lead counsel to the Solstad Offshore ASA group in connection with the sale of the group's PSV fleet, comprising 37 vessels in operation along with related charterparties and onshore and offshore employees, to Tidewater Inc.
- Successfully defended Gard Marine & Energy Limited and co-insurers as the H&M insurers against a claim for total loss compensation of $20m in a Constructive Total Loss decision.
- Acted for Base Marine Norway AS, a joint venture between P&O Maritime FZE in Dubai and some Norwegian investors, in an arbitration with Kuehne + Nagel AS under a seven-year time charterparty.
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.
Leading individuals
Wikborg Rein
Oddbjørn is part of the firm's Shipping Offshore group. He mainly assist clients within the field of maritime law and marine insurance, including litigation, casualty work and shipping/offshore transactions. Oddbjørn has assisted in numerous newbuilding and conversion projects; sale/purchase/affreightment projects; and project financing of ships, rigs and similar assets. He has extensive litigation experience and was admitted to the Norwegian Supreme Court in 2017. He also has extensive international experience, particularly from Wikborg Rein's office in Kobe, Japan, where he lived and worked as a maritime lawyer for several years, and though large projects in in East-Asia, North-Africa and Brazil. Oddbjørn is ranked by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. Client testimonials in Legal 500 has described him as "is service-minded, available, mild-mannered but tough when needed." The Norwegian financial daily newspaper "Finansavisen" annual lawyer survey has ranked him as winner of the "Shipping" category three times.
Next Generation Partners
Wikborg Rein
Andreas has a broad international transaction practice focused on strategic advice and implementation of investments, joint ventures, bank-, bond- and project financings and restructurings within the maritime industries. He is heading the department for shipping- and offshore projects Andreas regularly assists Norwegian and international clients with negotiations of agreements for construction and conversion, sale and purchase, chartering, management and operation of ships, offshore units and ocean infrastructure. Andreas is dual qualified as a Norwegian Lawyer and a Solicitor of England & Wales.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Øyvind Axe, Andreas Fjærvoll-Larsen, Herman Steen