Competition/Antitrust: Norway

This highly acclaimed team upholds its position as one of the foremost in the market. Siri Teigum heads the practice and is widely regarded as a leading competition lawyer. Her excellent organisational skills earn her much admiration from clients. She led a team which represented the collecting society TONO in its appeal against the EC's decision in the CISAC case. She also continued to act as external legal counsel for Telenor. The "extremely knowledgeable" Eivind Saeveraas "has a brilliant understanding of the rules and regulations," clients say. They also appreciate Eivind Vesterkjaer's dedication and ability to balance legal knowledge with business acumen: "He is a thorough and skilful lawyer with a superb understanding of complex legal issues and their commercial context. He has an obvious personal commitment to the matters we give him." Senior associate Kristin Hjelmaas Valla is the rising star of the department. The team was strengthened with the recent addition of litigation specialist Frode Elgesem.

This powerhouse is renowned for its merger control work and benefits from its considerable strength in M&A, acting for clients such as Statkraft, MTG, Viasat and T4. Managing partner Helge Stemshaug lends his experience to the competition team, where his work has earned him the highest acclaim. Practice head Beret Sundet's expertise in merger control is vital to the team's success. Clients praise her extensive knowledge of regulations within the pharmaceutical industry. She led a team which advised Veritas on a dawn raid on its offices by the Norwegian Competition Authority, as part of a Europe-wide antitrust investigation.

The ten lawyers on Schjødt's renowned EU and competition team advise on a wide range of issues, including cartel work, mergers, state aid and public procurement. Its reputation has helped attract such high-profile clients as ExxonMobil, Ladbrokes and Yara International. Head of the group Jan Magne Juuhl-Langseth wins acclaim from clients for his efficiency and commercial approach. "He truly impresses me," one client said. The well-versed Knut Almestad is a well-known name in Norwegian competition circles. On the EU and regulatory side, Peter Dyrberg earns plaudits for his thorough implementation of legal strategy.

This team prides itself on its ability to offer high-quality assistance across the broad spectrum of competition law and public procurement. It recently represented public games company Norsk Tipping in a number of public procurement cases. The practice is headed by Stein Ove Solberg, who is noted for his expertise in merger control. He led a team which acted for Ticketmaster on its merger with Live Nation. He also advises Norwegian and foreign clients on anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position. Public procurement and state aid specialist Thomas Nordby is praised for his ability to look beyond the legal details: "He sees things in a broader context, which is very helpful for us," say clients. Also recommended is Thea Susanne Skaug, who advises domestic and international clients on merger clearance procedures, anti-competitive behaviour and cartel investigations.

This dedicated and proactive team continues to make its mark on the Norwegian competition scene. It confirmed its strong reputation for work in the energy sector recently, when it advised GE Energy on its acquisition of ScanWind. State aid is another focus, with the team assisting Vålerenga Fotballklub on regulations in connection with the development and construction of its new stadium. Harald Evensen heads the department and impresses clients with his knowledge and committed approach. He is ably assisted by Katinka Mahieu, who specialises in the competition aspects of domestic and international M&A. Clients praised talented associate Karin Rekkerdal for her responsiveness and dedication.

With its size, international focus and strength in litigation, this competition team is a notable presence in the market. Practice head Anders Ryssdal is widely admired by peers for his litigation prowess. He recently acted for Norwegian Air Shuttle in a NOK132 million damages case against SAS about competition-sensitive information. Stephan Jervell is another highly active litigator, with expertise in state aid and public procurement. He advised Statoil on the state financing of the capture of carbon dioxide at natural gas power plants. Also recommended is senior associate Kari Lunde, who is rapidly gaining the respect and admiration of peers.

This strong group is "professional and easy to work with, and the quality of the work is excellent," say clients. It acts for a diverse range of clients, including TeliaSonera and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence. It represented Validus in the competition authorities' investigation into its merger with health food company Sunkost. Practice head Mads Magnussen is "an outstanding lawyer, with strong analytical skills and a great strategic mind." He is singled out by clients for the speed and quality of his work. Morten Goller is recommended for public procurement, competition litigation and state aid. The team also includes emerging talent Linda Dragvoll.

Strengthened considerably by the arrival of Olav Kolstad, a former professor at Olso University, this widely admired team moves up a tier in the rankings. The talented lawyers acted for Alliance Boots in an investigation into Norwegian pharmacy wholesalers and chains. Henrik Svane continues to lead the team and is regarded by his clients as one of the foremost experts on Norwegian competition law.

While this group advises on the full range of competition law issues, it focuses particularly on the pharmaceutical and food industries. Recent highlights include assisting Pharmaq with its request for a compulsory licence to the Norwegian Competition Authority. Nina Melandsø heads the department. Her competition expertise is complemented by her substantial knowledge of IP law.

This firm handles merger control cases, abuse of dominance, state aid and public procurement. It also assists clients with negotiations, drafting of agreements, compliance programmes and dawn raid manuals. One of the main players in the team, Heddy Ludvigsen "delivers on time and is always to the point," say clients. Peers recognise Monica Syrdal's talent and experience in competition law. She was recently made partner and is considered an asset to the department.