Thommessen

Thommessen
Name	Thommessen
Headquarters	Oslo, Norway
Founded	1856
Key people	Morten Lie (CEO), Per H. Thommessen (Chair)
Practice areas	Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Markets, Litigation
Website	thommessen.no

Thommessen

Thommessen is a Norwegian law firm based in Oslo with a long history in Scandinavian corporate law and international transactions. The firm advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, banking and finance, litigation and arbitration, and regulatory matters across Norway, Sweden, and the wider European market. Thommessen acts for major corporations, financial institutions, state-owned enterprises and investment funds involved in cross-border deals, public offerings and disputes.

History

Thommessen traces its origins to 19th-century legal practitioners in Oslo and evolved through mergers and partner successions in the late 20th century to become one of Norway's prominent commercial firms. The firm's development intersected with major Norwegian industrial and financial milestones, advising entities during the expansion of the Norwegian petroleum industry, the privatization waves involving Statoil, and the growth of the Oslo Børs securities market. Thommessen expanded its practice in response to regulatory reforms influenced by the European Union's single market initiatives and played advisory roles in transactions connected to the European Economic Area framework and cross-border restructurings after the Treaty of Lisbon. During periods of market volatility such as the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent regulatory shifts shaped by Basel Committee on Banking Supervision guidelines, the firm adapted its transactional and compliance capabilities to serve clients active in the Nordic and global arenas.

Services and Practice Areas

Thommessen provides corporate transactional advice spanning Mergers and Acquisitions and private equity buyouts, capital markets work tied to initial public offerings on the Oslo Børs and bond issuances for issuers listed in Nordic Bond Market. The firm handles banking and finance mandates involving syndicated lending with counterparties like DNB ASA and Nordea, and regulatory compliance work connected to Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority. In dispute resolution, Thommessen represents clients in commercial litigation and international arbitration under rules of the International Chamber of Commerce and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. The firm also advises on competition and antitrust matters with respect to the European Commission, and on energy and natural resources projects involving actors such as Equinor and offshore contractors. Other practice areas include tax planning in relation to mandates with Skatteetaten, employment and labor law disputes involving unions like LO (Norway), intellectual property counseling relevant to clients engaged with the European Patent Office, and maritime law matters connected to the Norwegian Maritime Authority.

Notable Cases and Clients

Thommessen's client roster has included major Norwegian and international corporates, investment banks and private equity houses engaged in headline transactions on the Oslo Stock Exchange and cross-border M&A with counterparties in Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States. The firm has acted in high-profile public tender offers and hostile bid defenses involving companies listed on Oslo Børs and has advised underwriters in equity offerings managed by global banks such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Thommessen has represented issuers and bondholders in restructuring matters influenced by insolvency procedures under Norwegian law and creditor negotiations applying principles from the Insolvency Act. The firm has also been involved in arbitration proceedings administered by the International Chamber of Commerce and ad hoc tribunals concerning construction and maritime contracts with parties from Germany and Netherlands jurisdictions.

Organization and Leadership

Thommessen operates as a partnership with a governance structure common to large Nordic law firms, featuring an executive board and practice group heads overseeing transactional, contentious and regulatory teams. Senior partners and managing directors coordinate cross-border work involving Nordic desks for Sweden, Denmark and Finland and maintain relationships with international law firm networks and alliances including global referral platforms used by leading firms such as Clifford Chance and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Leadership has included figures with prior roles in public administration or corporate boards, facilitating interaction with regulatory bodies like the Norwegian Ministry of Finance and institutional investors including Folketrygdfondet. The firm invests in professional development and recruitment from institutions such as the University of Oslo Faculty of Law and Norwegian School of Economics.

Offices and International Presence

Thommessen's principal office is in Oslo, complemented by additional offices in key Norwegian commercial centers and a physical presence in Bergen and Stavanger to service energy and maritime clients. The firm maintains cross-border capabilities through satellite offices or cooperative arrangements in Stockholm and strategic cooperation with firms in London and New York for transatlantic mandates. Its international footprint supports work involving multijurisdictional securities law filings, cross-border insolvency proceedings, and arbitration seated in venues like London and Stockholm.

Recognition and Rankings

Thommessen is routinely ranked by legal directories and industry publications among top-tier Norwegian firms for corporate, capital markets and litigation practices. The firm has received recognition in rankings published by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and national business press such as Dagens Næringsliv for deal work and client service. Individual partners have been highlighted in lists compiled by Euromoney and IFLR1000 for expertise in M&A and capital markets, and the firm has been acknowledged in awards relating to cross-border transactions and Norwegian corporate practice.

Category:Law firms of Norway