Harald Hellebust leads Wiersholm's M&A practice and has extensive experience in M&A, advising both private equity funds and industrial players. He is regularly used as lead counsel in large and complex transactions in the Nordic market. He also sometimes acts as an arbitrator in M&A disputes, and he is admitted to the Supreme Court. He is one of the most sought after M&A lawyers in Norway. In his deals, he develops advanced negotiation and auction strategies tailored to securing a deal for his clients at the right commercial and legal terms. In addition to heading up the transaction department, Harald also leads the firm's private equity sector group.
Harald is a sought-after speaker, including at the annual corporate law conference in Sandefjord. He is also a regular contributor to the Wiersholm Summer School. He holds annual lectures on contract law and offers courses on assignment techniques that are highly popular among law students.
Harald has been ranked as one of Norway's leading experts in acquisitions and mergers by renowned ranking agencies Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, and in the annual lawyer survey by Finansavisen.
"Harald Hellebust is the best M&A lawyer in Oslo. He is always taking the deliverables to the next level - he is an innovator. He is very good with numbers and is commercially minded.*"
Selected projects
Work experience
Partner, Wiersholm, 2010
Partner, DLA Piper/DLA Nordic, 2005
Lawyer, Lindh Stabell Horten DA, 2002
Associate, Lindh Stabell Horten DA, 2000
Education
Cand. Jur., University of Oslo, 2000
Memberships / Posts
Chairman of the Board, Wiersholm, 2023
Honours and awards
Band 1, Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A, 2024
Band 1, Chambers Europe, Corporate/M&A, 2024
Hall of Fame, Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, 2024
Highly regarded, IFLR1000, Private equity, 2024
2. plass, Advokatundersøkelsen, Finansavisen, Mergers and acquisitions, 2023
Leading individuals, Legal 500, 2023
Highly regarded, IFLR1000, Corporate M&A and Private equity, 2023
Band 1, Chambers Europe, Corporate/M&A, 2023
Band 1, Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A, 2023
Band 1, Chambers Global, Corporate M&A - Norway, 2022
Leading individuals, Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A , 2022
Band 1, Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A - Norway, 2021
Leading individuals, Legal 500, Commercial, corporate and M&A, 2021
Band 2, Chambers Europe, Corporate/M&A, 2020
Leading individuals, Legal 500, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, 2020