News and current topics from various practice areas and industries

On June 20, 2024 the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) introduced a proposal for new price regulation in the district heating sector, following extensive work on the issue since November 2021. The proposal suggests maintaining a maximum price regulation but with significant modifications, positioning NVE as an active price regulator.

Rune Mykkeltvedt and Liv Zimmermann have revised the Karnov legal commentary on the Norwegian Outdoor Recreation Act.

Read about the Supreme Court’s 2024 verdict on the Karasjok case where Finnmarkseiendommen (FeFo) was acquitted in a significant land rights dispute.

A legislative amendment has granted the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority the power to impose significantly higher fines on businesses that violate the Working Environment Act. The fine, known as an administrative fee, can now be up to six million NOK or four percent of the company’s turnover. This change applies to all companies and enterprises.

The main rule in separation and divorce is that the spouses’ fortunes, which are joint property, should be divided equally. In a recent decision from the Supreme Court, it was clarified how a repurchase right for shares should be treated in a divorce settlement.

In a judgment issued on April 15, 2024, the Borgarting Court of Appeal addressed whether a law firm and the firm’s insurance company were liable for damages to a former client. The former client had received assistance in connection with two disputes that arose after purchasing an apartment in 2016. Both the law firm and the insurance company were acquitted and awarded legal costs with assistance from Hjort.

Investigations are an examination method used in situations where there have been allegations of reprehensible conduct or claims thereof. With an increased focus on ethics and work environment, the number of investigations has risen, and many of them receive significant media attention.

At the end of February 2024, the Borgarting Court of Appeal delivered a verdict on whether board members have personal liability for legal costs a company has been ordered to pay when the compa-ny later goes bankrupt. In this case, the Court of Appeal concluded that the board members could not be held liable. Hjort assisted the board members in this dispute against Berlevåg municipality.

In a groundbreaking ruling from the Labor Court on February 5, new light was shed on the legality of sympathy strikes in Norway, especially in cases involving foreign employers. The ruling, of above-average principled significance, provides important clarifications on the scope of the Main Agreement between LO (Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions) and the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and sets a precedent for future labor disputes with international elements. With this ruling, workers’ rights are strengthened, enhancing the ability to enforce tariff demands against foreign employers in Norway.