News and current topics from various practice areas and industries

The government has recently proposed several changes to the Norwegian tax regulation to reduce the financial repercussions of the coronavirus. Today, the Parliament has extended the arrangement to include Value Added Tax (VAT). Below you will find a current overview of the most important tax and duty measures for businesses. The government has also notified that further measures may be implemented on short notice.

Kindergartens and schools are closing across the entire country. It may not only affect the children, students and parents, but also the operators and employees of these schools and kindergartens.

During the last few days, many businesses have been considering to lay-off some, several or all their employees. Some businesses have already started the lay-offs. Today the Norwegian Parliament introduced some important changes in the regulations on lay-offs. Below you will find a general overview of the regulations on lay-off as they will be after the change, based on the proposals the Norwegian Parliament has agreed on today.

In light of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, authorities across the world are increasingly implementing comprehensive measures in order to reduce further spread. In Norway, authorities have temporary implemented automatic quarantine for every person coming to Norway from a different country. While these measures can have a big impact on the freight transport industry, there are some key exceptions concerning transit of goods and passengers to be aware of.

Contracting authorities and suppliers, like many others, have been impacted by the corona pandemic. One of the challenging issues is the application of procurement law, as the procurement regulations have restrictions related to the actions of the contracting authority during a pending tender procedure, as well as for modifying existing contracts. However, even though the public procurement act is claimed to be rigid, there are ways to comply with the procurement regulations in the current and challenging situation caused by the corona pandemic.

We are following the situation closely, and are working on a daily basis to assist businesses needing legal advice and assistance to prevent and handle situations related to the coronavirus. Contact our expert team korona@hjort.no for legal advice related to the virus pandemic.

Hjort has assisted both the Norwegian Space Agency and Space Norway with legal support in connection with their various activities in space.

The ability to submit joint tenders (often called “project cooperations”) is an ongoing topic of concern for suppliers in public procurement procedures. A new judgment from the Danish Supreme Court confirms that joint tendering may easily be illegal. The judgement is of relevance for both suppliers, and the contracting authorities designing the tender invitations.

Our lawyers experience challenges daily, whether it be of a professional or personal nature for their clients. These challenges can be conveyed in meetings with clients, occur as complex business related issues and appearing before the courts. However, regardless of the challenge, the core of how we handle these challenges are always the same, working together with the client to find the best solutions.