Gaute Gjelsten

Partner

About Gaute Gjelsten

Gaute Gjelsten is a Partner at Wikborg Rein's Oslo office and Global Head of the firm's Shipping Offshore practice. Gjelsten specializes in international shipping and offshore law, including maritime, energy, insurance and conflict of laws. He has extensive litigation experience before Norwegian courts and in arbitration proceedings. Gjelsten has worked at Wikborg Rein's office in London and managed the firm's office in Kobe, Japan for three years. Gjelsten is i.a. recommended as "Leading Individual" by Legal 500 in Maritime Law and ranked in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners in the category: Shipping, dispute resolution.

Work experience

  • 2005 -

    Partner, Wikborg Rein, Oslo

  • 2003 - 2004

    Senior Associate, Wikborg Rein, Oslo

  • 2000 - 2002

    Norwegian Consul-General, Kobe/Osaka, Japan

  • 2000 - 2002

    Japan Representative, Wikborg Rein, Kobe, Japan

  • 1998 - 1999

    Associate, Wikborg Rein, Oslo

  • 1995 - 1997

    Lecturer on sale of goods law, contract law and administrative law, University of Oslo, University of Oslo

  • 1994 - 1995

    Assistant Lecturer, Institute of Civil Law, University of Oslo

Education

  • 2000

    Practising certificate

  • 1997

    Cand.jur., University of Oslo

Directorships
Selected projects

  • Litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution, emergency responses and claims handling; in particular in relation to shipping and offshore matters, insurance law, public and private international law and conflicts of law, including i.a.

  • "Server" – bulk carrier grounding off Bergen, Norway; oil pollution and wreck removal. Litigation regarding oil clean-up operation, wreck removal, public procurement, VAT claims etc.

  • "Njord Bravo" – shuttle tanker c/w FSO in North Sea: litigation on i.a. collision liability, knock-for-knock, limitation of liability

  • Supreme Court case (Rt. 2012 s. 1486) on the enforcement of an Italian "decreto inguintino" under the Lugano Convention, hereunder successfully distinguished C-474/93 Hengst, and repelled enforcement

  • "Fjord Champion" – oil tanker grounding off Søgne, Norway; fire and salvage. Litigation regarding authorities right to claim compensation.

  • "Nordlys" – fire on coastal steamer with following flooding at Ålesund, Norway; salvage and claims handling towards authorities.

  • "Bourbon Dolphin" – anchor handling tug supply vessel capsizing off Shetland; sinking, total loss and casualties

  • "Rocknes" – laden bulk carrier grounding and capsizing off Bergen, Norway; oil pollution, sinking, re-floating and casualties. Litigation regarding limitation of liability. Litigation regarding governments liability for mistakes made by Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Norwegian Chart Authorities

Publications

  • 2021

    The European Arbitration Review 2021

  • 2018

    "The arbitration exemption in the Lugano Convention – what rules govern which issues?" in Borgar H. Berg and Ola Ø. Nisja (red.), "Avtalt prosess - Voldgift i praksis ("Agreed Process - Arbitration in practice"), Universitetsforlaget 2015

  • 2014

    "Getting the deal through" for Ship Finance 2014. Co-author with Henrik Hagberg and Solveig Frostad De Sousa

  • 2008

    Norway's contribution of Le Droit Maritime Marocain et comparé, 2014.

  • 2005

    Norway's National Summary in William Tetley's Marine Cargo Claims, Fourth Edition, 2008

  • 1997

    Norway's contribution to Limitation of Liabilities for Maritime Claims, Fourth Edition, 2005. Co-author with Haakon Stang Lund

  • Books:

  • International jurisdiction clauses and formal requirements under the Lugano Convention and the Norwegian Civil Procedure Act, 1997