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The comprehensive guide to the world's leading tax firms

One of the top tax teams in Norway, Deloitte is led by Tore Paulshus, working in all service areas for clients such as Schlumberger, Nexans and Eltek. With 160 professionals, the firm also has a particular strength in indirect tax work, and clients mention ... [more]

One of the top tax teams in Norway, Deloitte is led by Tore Paulshus, working in all service areas for clients such as Schlumberger, Nexans and Eltek. With 160 professionals, the firm also has a particular strength in indirect tax work, and clients mention that the Deloitte uses its network well on complex cross-border matters.

"Excellent work. The coordination of execution in 11 countries impressed me," comments one corporate client.

The aforementioned indirect specialism has been a source of a lot of work this year, with Alexander With active on a number of matters. Most notably he is at the moment providing daily advice to Avinor, the Norwegian Aviation Authority, with regards to the VAT implications of enlarging Norway's main Oslo airport Gardermoen, an investment valued at $2.1 billion.

In the corporate area, a good representative piece of work was partner Rolf Saastad advising SD Standard Drilling on the structuring of a new listed rig company, entailing work in both Norway and Cyprus and the setting up of headquarters in Singapore. This all completed in June 2011 for a figure of $500 million.

As a full service practice, Deloitte has also been active in contentious matters. One highlight case is still awaiting judgment, and features partner Finn Eide advising a global energy client on a dispute arising from the treatment of intercompany loans and their interest rates. This case is worth around $20 million, and is expected to conclude during 2012.

Ernst & Young is one of the leading tax practices in Norway, with 170 professionals in its tax department led by country managing partner Christin Bøsterud. The firm works across five main tax service lines: transactional, business, international, indirect ... [more]

Ernst & Young is one of the leading tax practices in Norway, with 170 professionals in its tax department led by country managing partner Christin Bøsterud. The firm works across five main tax service lines: transactional, business, international, indirect and human capital, with legal services offered through Ernst & Young law, an affiliated firm.

Peers acknowledge the firm's lofty standing in the market, as one comments: "Ernst & Young stand out as the premier firm in Norway."

"I am more impressed, more often, by firms like Ernst & Young. They are more active in academic circles and visible on the quality work," says another competitor.

Transfer pricing was one of Ernst & Young's most active areas this year, including value based pricing and bare boat pricing, which deals with a form of boat chartering agreement that does not include crew or provisions.The firm has devised a new method for these deals that is now seen as best practice.

In corporate work, the team has advised on a Norwegian acquisition of a UK business, in addition to establishing an intra-group Dutch bank for the financing of group companies and potential new acquisitions.

Thommessen is a Norwegian law firm with a highly respected tax team of nine partners and 14 fee earners. The team also boosted its numbers this year with the hire of Morten Platou, who joined from DLA Piper in August 2012."The ability to render practical ... [more]

Thommessen is a Norwegian law firm with a highly respected tax team of nine partners and 14 fee earners. The team also boosted its numbers this year with the hire of Morten Platou, who joined from DLA Piper in August 2012.

"The ability to render practical advice is impressive. Furthermore, the combination of seeing tax legislation in respect of business implementation and other legal and accounting legislation is also good," comments a client on the firm's work.

Competitors in Norway also speak to the firm's standing: "Thommessen is good and they have partners that have been at the top for years," says one.

A lot of work for the firm this year has come in contentious matters. In one case, Ståle Kristiansen is acting for Dell in a Supreme Court case with regards to the interpretation of agency private equity provision, a case that concluded in November 2011. Henning Naas was also before the Supreme Court this year, acting for Grasmo on a dispute about the use of substance over form doctrine in Norwegian VAT law.

Elsewhere, the firm has been conducting confidential structuring work for, among others, a number of shipping clients, as well as working on transfer pricing disputes for multinationals from the banking, consultancy and healthcare sectors.

Bugge Arentz-Hansen & Rasmussen (BA-HR) is a law firm with a full service tax team of six partners and 10 fee earners. Led by Joachim Bjerke, the firm has a number of big name clients and is seen as a leading authority on the energy sector, its clients ... [more]

Bugge Arentz-Hansen & Rasmussen (BA-HR) is a law firm with a full service tax team of six partners and 10 fee earners. Led by Joachim Bjerke, the firm has a number of big name clients and is seen as a leading authority on the energy sector, its clients including Statoil and ExxonMobil.

"BA-HR has a good reputation and an excellent client base. Very pleasant, very hands-on. I like them, we talk the same language," comments one client, while another singles out a partner for particular praise: "Njaal Arne Høyland, especially on tax – good, timely advice, strong formal basis for practicable solutions. He delivers both on a running basis and in specific projects. Excellent services."

One big energy case was Jan Jansen's continuing representation of Statoil, ExxonMobil and Total in a case over the issue of whether income derived from the operation of Kårstø, an industrial facility that carries out refining, should be treated with a special regime tax rate for petroleum, at 78%, or as ordinary tax, at 28%. The taxpayer won the first skirmishes, though this case is going to appeal.

Elsewhere, Frode Talmo has been leading a team advising a client on a $2 million liability on the VAT and customs duties on the provisioning of ships, while in the corporate area Anne Sofie Bjørkholt, Eirik Rogn and Bjerke have completed the restructuring and advised on the sale of Selvaag Eiendom.

Ole Morten Huseby leads the tax team at Advokatfirmaet Haavind, a full service practice of five partners and five fee earners. One source of work for the firm is the Norwegian Tax Authority itself, in addition to names such as Colliers International ... [more]

Ole Morten Huseby leads the tax team at Advokatfirmaet Haavind, a full service practice of five partners and five fee earners. One source of work for the firm is the Norwegian Tax Authority itself, in addition to names such as Colliers International and Aleris Group. Haavind also has a very active litigation practice, and works closely with its internal corporate and real estate teams too.

"We are very satisfied. Solid knowledge and pleasant to work with," is one client's verdict on the firm.

A good representative deal for the practice this year was Espen Nordbø's advising of a committee of bondholders holding senior secured notes from Trico Shipping in connection with a tax efficient debt to equity takeover of the large multinational group. The work, which included devising a new holding structure, completed in May 2011 for $400 million.

Grette is a tax team renowned for its VAT and customs expertise. The team is led by the recommended indirect practitioner Nils Eriksen, who oversees four partners and five fee earners from the single office in Oslo."Grette has a very strong VAT team," ... [more]

Grette is a tax team renowned for its VAT and customs expertise. The team is led by the recommended indirect practitioner Nils Eriksen, who oversees four partners and five fee earners from the single office in Oslo.

"Grette has a very strong VAT team," comments a peer on the firm, whose clients include DnB Bank, National Oilwell, Girteka Logistics and Kverneland.

Despite its indirect specialism, Grette also does corporate work led by Thomas Alnæs. High net-worth individual work is handled by Tore Karlsson.

Selmer – Taxand is a full service tax group comprised of six partners and eight fee earners led by Morten Sandli. The team does both transactional and advisory work, and is seen as particularly strong in corporate matters as well as in transfer pricing ... [more]

Selmer – Taxand is a full service tax group comprised of six partners and eight fee earners led by Morten Sandli. The team does both transactional and advisory work, and is seen as particularly strong in corporate matters as well as in transfer pricing and VAT.

"Selmer is strong in the corporate area. They could go up perhaps," said one peer.

Although the firm's work remains under confidentiality, clients report most favourably on Selmer: "We were very satisfied with their work, their insight in the matter and their clarity of mind," said one client.

"Selmer has provided us with an excellent level of service with regards to response times, business knowledge, strength-in-depth of team, very high quality with regards to the advice, and value for money. We may call them at any time 24 hours a day, late at night, and they are able to deliver very soon if we need that," commented another satisfied finance client.

"We have worked with several different law firms on tax in Norway but Selmer is the law firm I prefer because of high quality work and [because] they combine being theoretically excellent with being practical. In my experience Selmer is able to see solutions where many other firms only see problems, while you get concrete advice from Selmer. In addition all the members of the tax group in Selmer are very pleasant, knowledgeable and thoroughly professional," explained another.