Margrethe er anerkjent som en av landets ledende arbeidsrettsadvokater. Hun kom til BAHR fra NHO, hvor hun siden 2016 var avdelingsdirektør og leder for NHOs advokattjenester, et av de større arbeidsrettslige fagmiljøene i landet. Margrethe begynte som advokat i NHOs arbeidsrettsavdeling i 2008. Hun har også ført en rekke saker for Høyesterett hvor hun fikk møterett i 2017.

Tor Olav begynte sin karriere i BAHR i 2009, og returnerte i 2021 etter å ha vært henholdsvis konsernadvokat i Norsk Gjenvinning Norge AS (2016 – 2018) og juridisk direktør i Arbeidsgiverforeningen Spekter (2018 – 2021). Tor Olav har særlig fokus på individuell og kollektiv arbeidsrett, prosess, incentivordninger mv.

Arbeidslivsområdet har stor betydning i forretningslivet og har utviklet seg til et betydelig område i BAHR. Året 2022 har budt på flere interessante og omfattende endringer på arbeidslivsområdet. Videre har domstolene avsagt flere relevante dommer, og Høyesterett og Arbeidsretten har kommet med viktige avklaringer. Arbeidslivsgruppen har bidratt i flere av disse sakene.

BAHR is once again ranked amongst the leading law firms in Europe by Chambers Europe 2022 rankings. Both our practices and individual lawyers have received top-tier rankings based on their achievements over the past 12 months.

BAHR is ranked Band 1 in 10 categories and Band 2 in 5 categories:

Band 1

• Banking & Finance
• Capital Markets: Equity
• Competition/Antitrust
• Corporate/M&A
• Energy: Oil & Gas
• Intellectual Property
• Real Estate
• Restructuring/Insolvency
• Shipping
• Tax

Band 2

• Construction
• Corporate Compliance & Investigations
• Dispute Resolution
• Employment
• Energy: Electricity

Read all of BAHR’s rankings in Chambers Europe 2022 here

Chambers Europe ranks lawyers and law firms across Europe. Chambers and Partners rankings are based on in-depth analysis gathered by experienced team of researchers. We thank our clients for their trust and reviews.

Potential for growth in Norwegian aquaculture

Aquaculture is now the fastest growing food producing sector in the world and is projected to reach 109 million tonnes produced seafood in 2030, an increase of 32 percent (26 million tonnes) since 2018.^[1] According to the outlooks of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), prices in the fishery and aquaculture sector are – in nominal terms – also expected to rise towards 2030.^[2]

Norway is Europe’s largest fisheries- and aquaculture nation due to its exceptionally good natural conditions for production, good public management and skilled industry practitioners. According to the Norwegian Seafood Council, Norway exported 3.1 million tonnes of seafood with a value of NOK 120.8 billion in 2021, making this yet another record-breaking year for Norwegian seafood export.^[3]

Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout are the most common and valuable species produced in the Norwegian aquaculture industry today, with production of salmon being the most dominant and generating most value. January 2022 was a record-breaking month for salmon exports, with 96 500 tonnes of salmon worth NOK 7.2 billion exported.^[4]

To continue the strong growth and to be able to meet the increasing global demands, the aquaculture industry must respond to challenges relating to i.a.:

• limited access to new locations for production;
• fish health and fish welfare; and
• the effects on the environment (e.g. fish escapes, waste and the environmental footprint of fish feed and transport).

Development of offshore aquaculture

Technological development has traditionally been relatively slow in the aquaculture industry. This has changed significantly in recent years, and we are currently finding ourselves in what seems to be a technological revolution in the industry. A strengthened focus on technology and sustainability is now apparent across the entire aquaculture sector.

To spark innovation in the aquaculture industry, the Norwegian government introduced a temporary scheme for so-called development licenses (Nw. ”utviklingstillatelser”) in 2015, which was open for applications between November 2015 and November 2017. Such licenses were awarded to projects that met certain criteria, with the aim of facilitating innovation that could help solve some of the challenges faced by the aquaculture industry, such as those listed above. Some of the projects that were awarded development licenses were concepts for fish farms that could be utilised at more exposed locations compared to traditional aquaculture (so-called offshore aquaculture).

Offshore aquaculture, together with offshore wind, offshore carbon capture and storage, as well as exploration and extraction of deep-sea minerals, are seen as promising new maritime industries in Norway, powering the green transition and with great potential for value creation. The new government in Norway, which took office in October 2021, sees offshore aquaculture as an important future industry and has in its governmental platform stated that it will develop a specific regulatory regime for offshore aquaculture. Building on long-standing experience with salmon farming and offshore technology, together with an increasing political focus, Norway is well positioned to take lead in the development of offshore aquaculture.

Current published research shows that there is a good chance of succeeding with salmon farming in more exposed locations offshore. It is expected that offshore aquaculture may have less of a negative impact on the natural environment compared to traditional aquaculture in open net pens.^[5]

An obstacle in proceeding with moving aquaculture further offshore has been the lack of a regulatory framework specially adapted for this form of fish farming. Recent regulatory developments which could bring this new industry a step further is outlined below.

Regulatory framework

The Norwegian Aquaculture Act 2005 (the Aquaculture Act) is the main regulatory framework for aquaculture activities in Norway. The Aquaculture Act also applies for offshore aquaculture.

Aquaculture is a permit-based industry, and in order to carry out aquaculture activities, an aquaculture license is required. The aquaculture license gives the right to production of certain species within defined geographical areas (locations).

The Aquaculture Act does not, however, fully regulate all aspects relevant for aquaculture activities. Aquaculture activities concern, inter alia, the environment, pollution, water usage, live animals and food for human consumption, and additional laws and regulations therefore apply for those carrying out aquaculture activities. For offshore aquaculture, there are further interests to be aligned since the areas suitable for offshore fish farming could also be desirable areas for other industries such as fishing, oil and gas, offshore wind and mineral exploration.

By virtue of existing regulations, much of the framework for offshore aquaculture is already in place, but there will be a need for various adjustments and additions to the regulatory framework to adequately address the different aspects of offshore fish farming.

Special permit regime for offshore aquaculture

On 2 February 2022, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (the Ministry) sent a proposal for a separate permit regime for offshore aquaculture on public consultation (our newsletter is available in Norwegian here). The proposal is the first relating to the establishment of a separate regulatory framework for offshore aquaculture and is an important milestone in what could mark a new era in aquaculture. The consultation deadline is 2 May 2022.

It is proposed that the government decides whether, and in which case what parts of, an area at sea can be opened for offshore aquaculture.

A special regulation will be established for the individual licensing rounds, where pre-qualification requirements and other conditions for participating in a competition may be introduced.

Participants who win the competition will be given a pre-commitment by the Ministry, and must submit a proposal for a program for project-specific impact assessment to the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries (the Directorate). Guidelines for preparing the program are to be provided in a separate guide. The Directorate will send proposals for programs for consultation to relevant sector authorities and decides the program.

It is proposed that the operator, after carrying out a project-specific impact assessment, applies for a specific location within the area that has been impact assessed. The Directorate may grant a license for an offshore site based on the application and carry out a project-specific impact assessment, provided that the allocation conditions are met, including the allocation of sector permits from relevant authorities. An aquaculture license is granted to one specific location within the sub-area that emerges from the pre-commitment given by the Ministry.

The Norwegian government is currently working on designating suitable locations for offshore aquaculture. As per the request of the Ministry, the Directorate has invited relevant authorities and organisations to provide input to three proposed areas offshore, and the Directorate is now reviewing feedback received before submitting its recommendation to the Ministry.

The government is also working on more detailed regulations for offshore aquaculture such as environment regulations, regulations for health, environment and safety (HSE), technical requirements, fish health and fish welfare.

***

If you have questions relating to the regulatory regime for aquaculture in Norway, please contact our aquaculture team.

***

[1] The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020 (fao.org).

[2] The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020 (fao.org)

[3] Record high Norwegian seafood exports in 2021 (Norwegian Seafood Council).

[4] Record high Norwegian seafood exports in 2021 (Norwegian Seafood Council).

[5] Havbasert oppdrett – hvor mye vannstrøm tåler laks og rensefisk? | Havforskningsinstituttet (hi.no).

Søgaard er utdannet Master i rettsvitenskap ved UiO, har en LL.M. (Master of Laws) fra Harvard Law School, og har møterett for Høyesterett.

– Med partnerutnevnelsene av Simen Søgaard og Lisa Marie Opdahl, som allerede har tiltrådt partnerskapet, styrkes BAHR ytterligere innenfor viktige områder, sier Thomas K. Svensen, Managing Partner i BAHR.

– Etter interessante og faglig utviklende år hos Regjeringsadvokaten, gleder jeg meg til å returnere til BAHR. Firmaet har en sterk posisjon innenfor mine fokusområder, og jeg ser frem til å bidra til at BAHR fortsetter utviklingen innenfor tvisteløsning og skatt, sier Simen Søgaard.

BAHR mener

De fleste arbeidsgivere har avtalt en generell adgang til å korrigere feilutbetalinger ved senere lønnsutbetalinger. De fleste arbeidsgivere håndhever også klausulen når det oppstår feil. Etter dommen fra Høyesterett mener BAHR at mange arbeidsgivere bør vurdere å endre rutinene.

Arbeidsgivere bør for det første gjennomgå sine standardavtaler og vurdere om plikten til å betale tilbake for mye mottatt lønn er klart (nok) formulert, samt utarbeide rutiner som er egnet etter den presisering høyesterettsdommen innebærer.

For det andre bør arbeidsgivere avtalefeste en klar plikt for arbeidstaker til å kontrollere om mottatt lønn er riktig og varsle arbeidsgiver ved feil. Dette for å unngå å komme i en situasjon hvor arbeidstaker innretter seg etter feilutbetalinger fra arbeidsgiver.

Dommen fra Høyesterett innebærer etter vår oppfatning at arbeidsgiver i mange tilfeller må inngå en avtale med arbeidstaker for hvert tilfelle av feilutbetaling. Avtalen må være skriftlig. Etter vår vurdering er det tilstrekkelig med elektroniske løsninger, enten direkte i et system eller per epost. Avtalen om trekk i lønn må begrense seg til den del av kravet som overstiger det arbeidstaker med rimelighet trenger til underhold for seg og sin husstand. Det kan innebære at det kan være nødvendig å fordele lønnstrekket over flere måneder.

Kort om saken

Arbeidsgiver utbetalte diettgodtgjørelse etter eldre satser fordi det tok tid å implementere nye satser og regler for beskatning i sine systemer. Arbeidsgiver varslet ikke de ansatte om denne praktiske løsningen. Arbeidstaker hadde mottatt diettgodtgjørelse i samsvar med det som var gjeldende før endringene i sats og beskatning og var derfor i god tro.

I arbeidsavtalen var følgende «trekk-klausul» inntatt:

«Er det ved lønningsdag foretatt feil utlønning, kan arbeidsgiver foreta den nødvendige justeringen ved neste eller påfølgende lønningsdager.»

Det var på det rene at partene gjennom denne avtaleklausulen i ansettelsesavtalen hadde avtalt en rett for arbeidsgiver til å trekke i lønn ved feilutbetalinger. Spørsmålet i saken var om ovennevnte formulering ga arbeidsgiver en generell trekkadgang ved fremtidige feilutbetalinger, og mer spesifikt om denne klausulen kunne anvendes i et tilfelle som dette.

Nærmere om Høyesteretts rettslige vurdering

Et viktig spørsmål i saken var tolkning og forståelse av arbeidsmiljøloven § 14-15 andre ledd bokstav c om at trekk i lønn kan skje «når det på forhånd er fastsatt ved skriftlig avtale». Høyesterett oppsummerer rettskildene slik at formålet med bestemmelsen må tillegges stor vekt og at dette trekker i retning av en «restriktiv tolkning» av bestemmelsen i arbeidsmiljøloven.

Konsekvensen er ifølge Høyesterett at den avtale lønnstrekket bygger på, må konkretisere lønnstrekket på en slik måte at arbeidstakere beholder forutsigbarhet for sine lønnsutbetalinger. Videre fremhever Høyesterett at trekk for feilutbetalinger i praksis må være inngått i forbindelse med feilutbetalingen eller etterpå.

Høyesterett trekker også frem at der arbeidsgiveren feilutbetaler lønn, må arbeidsgiver gå i dialog med arbeidstakeren før lønnstrekk gjennomføres. Denne dialogen vil ifølge Høyesterett i seg selv sikre arbeidstakerens forutsigbarhet for lønnsutbetalingen.

Dersom dialogen ikke fører frem eller partene blir enige, vil arbeidsgiver i mange tilfeller være henvist til å kreve beløpet tilbakebetalt gjennom søksmål. I den konkrete saken var partene enige om at det aktuelle grunnlaget var den såkalte læren om oppgjørskorreksjon (conditctio indebiti). Spørsmålet avgjøres da etter en konkret rimelighetsvurdering der hensynet til at arbeidsgiver bør tillates å korrigere uriktige oppgjør veies mot hensynet til at arbeidstaker bør kunne anse oppgjøret avsluttet. Her er spørsmålet om arbeidstaker har mottatt utbetalingene i god tro helt sentralt.

Høyesterett åpner likevel for at det er adgang til å forhåndsavtale lønnstrekk for andre krav enn feilutbetalt lønn dersom avtalen gir arbeidstaker rimelig grad av forutsigbarhet for sine lønnsutbetalinger. Dette kan for eksempel være tilfelle for løpende husleie- eller kantinetrekk.

Les hele avgjørelsen fra Høyesterett her.

***

Regelen Høyesterett behandlet:

Arbeidsmiljøloven § 14-15: Utbetaling av lønn og feriepenger

(1) Hvis ikke annet er avtalt skal det foretas lønnsutbetaling minst to ganger i måneden. Utbetalingstiden for feriepenger reguleres av ferieloven.

(2) Trekk i lønn og feriepenger kan ikke gjøres unntatt: …

 c) når det på forhånd er fastsatt ved skriftlig avtale,

(3) Trekk i lønn eller feriepenger etter andre ledd bokstav c, e og f skal begrenses til den del av kravet som overstiger det arbeidstaker med rimelighet trenger til underhold for seg og sin husstand.

The ocean industries are key pillars of BAHR’s practice. Advising shipping clients has been a priority ever since the firm was founded in 1966. The OCEAN practice group strengthens BAHR’s focus on all ocean industries, including shipping, aquaculture and fisheries. Our new Bergen office brings us closer to clients operating from the West Coast of Norway.

Mr Meland is Bergen’s leading shipping law expert and one of Bergen’s most experienced business lawyers. He will contribute with unique knowledge and experience relevant to the ocean industries operating out of the West Coast of Norway. Mr Meland will also serve as a mentor and role model for his younger colleagues at the Bergen office.

Mr Meland is admitted to the Norwegian Supreme Court. He drafted and negotiated the Norwegian Standard Shipbuilding Contract (“Ship 2000”) and has authored a comprehensive commentary on shipbuilding contracts based on the Norwegian Standard. He is also a highly valued speaker/lecturer at international maritime conferences.

• Building a first-class team in Bergen is the crux of expanding our practice with a physical presence on the West Coast of Norway. Bringing Øystein Meland onboard is part of such thinking. Through the dedication of our shipping partners Geir Gustavsson and Anne Dahl Frisak, the recruitment of Øystein Meland and the recently announced partner appointment of Lisa Marie Opdahl, our Bergen office will provide clients in this segment with the renowned BAHR service. As talented younger lawyers also prefer to work with leading experts, we will continue to attract the best legal talents in both Oslo and Bergen, says BAHR´s Managing Partner, Thomas K. Svensen.
• I have been at the heart of the Bergen shipping community for decades. BAHR´s launch of a Bergen office recognises Bergen and the West Coast of Norway as a leading international knowledge and business hub for shipping and other ocean industries. I have over the years worked with BAHR «on the other side». BAHR’s dedication to its clients, which combines business acumen with legal excellence, has always impressed me. Developing BAHR’s Bergen office together with the BAHR partners, by mentoring first-class lawyers and serving local clients with a particular focus on the ocean industries, will be inspiring. I genuinely believe in BAHR’s values of teamwork, one firm and top-of-the range legal expertise. BAHR, as a top-tier firm with strong credentials in both shipping and aquaculture, will add value not just to clients but the whole community in Bergen, says Øystein Meland. 

***

For further information, please contact Partner Geir Gustavsson or Managing Partner Thomas K. Svensen.

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

Alongside the firm’s recognition, five of our lawyers have won accolades as Patent Star 2021, Trademark Star 2021 and Rising Star 2021:

Patent star 2021

• Are Stenvik
• Gunnar Sørlie

Trade mark star 2021

• Are Stenvik

Rising star 2021

• Anja Stensrud Elverum
• Emily K. Firing-Toften
• Eirik Basmo Ellingsen

Managing IP is the leading specialist guide to IP law firms and practitioners worldwide. The research for IP STARS covers a variety of IP practice areas jurisdictions, making it the most comprehensive and widely respected guide in the IP profession.

BAHR

BAHR er et norsk forretningsadvokatfirma, etablert i 1966, som dekker alle de sentrale forretningsjuridiske disiplinene. Firmaet bistår toneangivende norske og utenlandske industriselskaper, private investormiljøer, offentlige eiere og offentlig eide selskaper. BAHR er involvert i en betydelig andel av de større transaksjonene, restruktureringsprosessene og andre juridiske prosjekter og oppdrag. Innenfor offentlig sektor bistår BAHR departementer, offentlige instanser, etater, kommuner, statsselskap, samt selskaper helt eller delvis eid av staten. Sømløse tilnærming til store, komplekse og ofte multinasjonale/multi-jurisdiksjonelle transaksjoner og sakskomplekser er noe av det som kjennetegner BAHR. Firmaet er ansett som et av Norges ledende advokatfirmaer, og er rangert helt på topp av de største og mest anerkjente ratingbyråene i bransjen.

Hva vi ser etter

Vi ser etter deg som er opptatt både av fag og samfunnsutvikling og som ønsker å arbeide i et ledende forretningsadvokatmiljø.

Kvalifikasjoner og personlige egenskaper:

• Juridisk embetseksamen/ master i rettsvitenskap, med gode resultater
• Svært god skriftlig og muntlig fremstillingsevne på norsk og engelsk, andre fremmedspråk er et pluss
• Høy arbeidskapasitet
• Analytiske evner
• God forretningsforståelse
• Faglig dyktighet og serviceinnstilling
• Gode samarbeids- og kommunikasjonsevner
• Du er en utpreget lagspiller som bidrar til å gjøre vårt team enda bedre

Hva du kan forvente

En karriere i BAHR skal være den beste forretningsadvokatskolen du kan gå. Vi stiller krav, men kan love deg både tett oppfølging og varierte utfordringer. Du få muligheten til å utvikle deg til en topp forretningsadvokat i samarbeid med noen av landets fremste advokater i krevende og spennende oppdrag.

Vi tilbyr konkurransedyktige betingelser, bedriftshelsetjeneste, helseforsikring, og viktigst av alt; Mange hyggelige og flinke kolleger!

Søknadsfrist:

10.10.2021

Vil du vite mer?

Ta kontakt med partner Arne Torsten Andersen eller Head of People and Organisational Development Merete Williams Berge.

Initiativene fra EU er av interesse her hjemme i Norge fordi vi gjennom EØS-avtalen er forpliktet til å gjennomføre EUs reguleringer som nasjonal rett. Aksjonspunktene i EU-kommisjonens handlingsplan gir derfor en pekepinn på hvordan fremtidens regulering i Norge vil se ut på kapitalmarkedsområdet. I handlingsplanen har EU-kommisjonen foreslått 16 aksjonspunkter for å gjennomføre og styrke kapitalmarkedsunionen.

BAHR vil i en serie på 16 nyhetsbrev gi en kortfattet oversikt over hvert av de ulike aksjonspunktene.

Klikk her for å motta nyhetsbrevserien (kryss av for “Finance and Capital Markets” i skjemaet).