Geir Sviggum

Partner

About Geir Sviggum

Geir is the Chairman of the firm's board of directors. He headed the firm's Shanghai office from 2008 to 2013 and was Managing Partner International with overall responsibility for Wikborg Rein's international practice from 2012 to 2016. Geir has on a number of occasions, as late as 2022, been named International Lawyer of the Year in the Norwegian Financial Daily's annual lawyers survey. Legal 500 points to Geir as a Leading Individual within the Regulatory, Compliance and Investigations category, describing him as "the rock that you need in a crisis". Geir is also ranked Band 1 by Chambers Europe within the Compliance category.

Geir's specialities are threefold:

- Compliance with a particular focus on anti-bribery and crisis management, hereunder criminal law consequences and civil disputes triggered by potential misconduct. Geir's experience spans from a role as public defender in Norwegian courts to crisis management on behalf of listed Norwegian companies following suspected misconduct, preventive advisory work for Norwegian companies and public authorities in their anti-bribery work and lecturing on anti-bribery legislation at universities in several countries;

- Dispute resolution focusing on larger disputes of international nature. Geir has significant experience from Norwegian courts as well as arbitration- and court processes in several countries;

- Advisory work to medium-sized and large Norwegian industry- and technology enterprises in their international exposure, hereunder regulatory issues, sales contracts, distribution contracts, production contracts, agent contracts and risk preventive measures. Geir further has significant experience as legal advisor to Norwegian authorities with regard to Norway's various international exposure.

During Geir’s time in China he was highlighted in local and regional rankings as among China’s "15 Rising Stars" in the legal profession for "impressive achievements" and among the 100 most influential lawyers in Asia.

Geir is frequently used as speaker at universities, conferences and in other fora.

Work experience

  • 2016 -

    Partner (Chairman of the Board from 2018), Wikborg Rein, Oslo

  • 2012 - 2016

    Managing Partner International, Wikborg Rein, Shanghai/Oslo

  • 2010 -

    Partner, Wikborg Rein, Shanghai

  • 2008

    Resident Lawyer, Wikborg Rein, Shanghai

  • 2007 - 2008

    Senior Associate, Wikborg Rein, Bergen

  • 2003 - 2006

    Associate, Wikborg Rein, Bergen

  • 1997 - 1998

    Officer and Second in Command, His Majesty The King's Guard

  • 1996 - 1997

    Reserve Officer and Second in Command, His Majesty The King's Guard

Education

  • 2015

    "Leadership in law firms", research program, Harvard Law School

  • 2005

    Practising certificate

  • 2003

    Cand.jur., University of Bergen

  • 2002

    Optional subject, International civil law, Bond University, Australia

  • 1996

    Officer's Training School for the Infantry Regiment of Trøndelag County

Directorships

  • 2018

    Chairman of the Board, Wikborg Rein

Publications

  • 2015

    "Arbitration with Chinese counterparts" in Borgar H. Berg and Ola Ø. Nisja (red.), "Avtalt prosess - Voldgift i praksis" (Agreed Process - Arbitration in practice"), Universitetsforlaget 2015

  • 2009

    ”Access to justice”, published in the memorial volume ”Legal aid from coast to plain”, Gyldendal Academic, 2009 (in cooperation with lawyer dr. juris Line Ravlo-Losvik)

  • 2007

    ”Will the occurrence of health injuring radon constitute a defect in a real estate transaction?” Tidsskrift for forretningsjus (Norwegian Business Law Review), no. 2, 2007

  • 2000

    Model examination paper on income taxation, Injuria no. 7, 2000

  • Contributions to miscellaneous articles in magazines and papers