Jørgen has prosecuted cases before the Courts his whole career and has an extensive background from working at the Attorney General's office. He has also worked as deputy judge and legal counsel at the Prime Minister's office. He also teaches civil law at the University in Oslo and has written a book on the subject. Now, he is looking forward to continuing his career within dispute resolution with us.

Expertise within IT and technology

As a Partner in Wikborg Rein, Jørgen will, among other things, be working with contract law focusing on IT and technology related contracts.

– Knowing the procedural rules and the way things are done in the Court is important and an advantage when working as a litigator. Eventually you get more experience within some areas rather than others and you become specialised within those areas, Jørgen says.

Partner and Head of Jørgen’s practice group, Kaare Andreas Shetelig, is happy to have Jørgen on the team:

– We are very proud that Jørgen chose to work with Wikborg Rein and our litigation team. We consider Jørgen to be his generation's greatest talent in litigation. With his extensive legal experience from the Attorney General's office, he will be a solid addition to our team. He will specifically be responsible for handling technology and intellectual property related disputes, but his sharp intellect and solid experience also enable him to handle disputes of any kind, says Kaare. 

Background from the Attorney General and the Prime Minister's office

– Proceedings before the Courts are initially about quantity, Jørgen says. He mainly worked with dispute resolution at the Attorney General and he has litigated cases before all the instances in Norway – the District Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

During his nine years at the Attorney General, Jørgen has also had two periods other places, something which has contributed to his strong professional competence.

– I worked as a deputy judge for a year and a half, and I have worked two periods at the Prime Minister's office. At first I was a short period in the interior department and when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in full in March 2020 I returned to work there for a period, Jørgen says.

He continues: - A lot of new issues arose when Covid-19 broke out in Norway. In such circumstances it is the officials duty to prepare and give advice on the best way to implement the government's policies. It was rewarding to be at a place where one could contribute like that. For me, it was about various forms of legislation as a result of the outbreak, but being a counsel at the Prime Minister's office is just as much law as it is politics. The key to understanding the law is to understand the relation between the rules of law and society. I hope to be able to take this with me when counselling of commercial clients.

Focus area for the firm

Dispute resolution is one of Wikborg Rein's focus areas. The past five years this environment has emerged as one of the country's foremost legal areas. Ours is the only Norwegian law firm that has been awarded as one of the world's best law firms in international arbitration by the renowned Global Arbitration Review (GAR).

– Our litigators are especially equipped to handle heavy and complex commercial disputes. And since technology is a very important area for us, it is excellent that Jørgen also wishes to focus on disputes within this area, Kaare Andreas Shetelig says.

For Jørgen, the people and the professional expertise have been decisive for his transition to the private business sector.

– It was important for me to work in a place with such high professional level as the litigation team has. After many years within the public sector I thought it was time to see the world from a slightly different angle, where the values are created, Jørgen says.

Familiar with the people in the firm

Jørgen knows Wikborg Rein from the time he was a student and he was a trainee with us in 2009. He also worked with our litigator and partner Ola Ø. Nisja, when he started his career at Attorney General's office in 2011.

– I liked working with Ola and learned a lot from him when I was new. It is fun working together again now, Jørgen says.

He elaborates that the knowledge of the firm and the people were a direct cause for wanting to work in Wikborg Rein.

– I am familiar with the people that work with litigation and dispute resolution, and I like how they think and how they work. I know they solve issues in a way I myself find to be reasonable and right. We have the same opinion of what it takes to represent the client in the best possible way. In addition we often use a wider team on cases and bring in all the expertise the firm has when needed. As a litigator it is clearly very valuable to work at a full-scale law firm where you can discuss and get advice from specialists when needed, Jørgen says.

– We have already had some cases this autumn where the clients have needed a fast response towards the Courts. In such cases it is positive to be able to push the button and mobilise the great expertise this firm has, Jørgen concludes.

We welcome Jørgen Vangsnes as a partner in the firm!