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.

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.

On 27 November 2019, Stavanger District Court ruled in a case concerning the dismissal of an em-ployee on the grounds that she had made hidden audio recordings of her colleagues.

On 15 October 2019, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling in the case referred to as Avlaster III (HR-2019-1914-A).