BAHR establishes new OCEAN practice group and promotes Lisa Marie Opdahl as new partner

The OCEAN industries have formed important elements of BAHR’s work since our foundation – and are also important and integrated parts of our international work and presence.

The OCEAN industries are fundamental areas of our national economy. Norway is among the leading maritime nations, and fisheries and aquaculture is our second largest export industry. These industries will continue to be fundamental for Norway the next decades.

In additional to our legal advice on areas such as transactions, contracts, regulatory matters and disputes, important elements of our legal advice within the OCEAN industries also covers advice related to new regulatory framework of relevance to the green shift, decarbonization, emissions and reduced climate footprint. The new complex regulatory framework will require specialised legal advise for each industry.

The establishment of OCEAN as a new practice group is an important and integrated part of our new presence in Bergen. Bergen and Western Norway are important locations for the OCEAN industries, and several businesses with focus on the OCEAN segments are located in Bergen and Western Norway. Bergen’s ambition to be not only Norway’s, but Europe’s OCEAN capital, makes it important for BAHR to have a presence in Bergen.

We are therefore very excited for Lisa Marie Opdahl to join the new OCEAN group as a partner, as well as being an important part of the Bergen establishment. Lisa Marie Opdahl has worked in BAHR since 2011, with a main focus on shipping, offshore, fisheries and aquaculture. Together with already established partners such as Anne Dahl Frisak and Geir Gustavsson, she will lead BAHR’s new OCEAN practice group.

Establishing OCEAN as a new practice group, opening offices in Bergen and the promotion of Lisa Marie Opdahl will strengthen our offering and position within the Ocean industries.

We are therefore specifically looking for lawyers to our Bergen offices with experience within these business areas, as well as associates with a particular interest for the OCEAN industries. BAHR is already well recognised in these areas of law:

“BAHR has a strong shipping department with a local and global reputation, with clients including leading Norwegian and international shipping companies, owners and operators, banks and marine insurers.”

“Clients highlight ‘their ability to be very result-oriented and provide focused legal advice that is exactly what was requested. They also have a very good commercial understanding.’ Another client appreciates the lawyers’ ‘quick responses,’ adding that they are ‘highly commercial.”

• Legal 500, Maritime Law

“BAHR particularly stands out for expertise in transactional mandates; the practice also fields a strong regulatory team, which recently advised on the government’s ‘traffic light system’ and development licensing issues. Other key areas of work include aquaculture construction projects and equity growth investments.”

• Legal 500, Fishing and Aquaculture