Rune Opdahl is a partner in Wiersholm\u2019s Technology and Intellectual Property team. He specialises in privacy and data protection, intellectual property law (copyright, trademarks and patents), marketing law, technology\/IT law, consumer law and contract law. His practice includes both advisory work and dispute resolution\/litigation, and he is admitted to appear before the Supreme Court of Norway.<\/p>\n
Rune advises clients across a wide range of industries, including media, technology, trade, e-commerce, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, sports and finance. His work primarily concerns technology (including artificial intelligence), data, innovation, content production, intellectual property rights, regulatory compliance, and collaboration between businesses \u2013 such as supplier and distribution relationships, research and development partnerships, and other strategic alliances.<\/p>\n
In Finansavisen’s (Norwegian business daily) annual lawyer survey, Rune is ranked as one of Norway\u2019s leading lawyers within Privacy, Technology\/Digitalisation, Intellectual Property and Media, as well as among Norway\u2019s most prominent lawyers overall. He is also recognised as an expert in both Intellectual Property and TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) by the international ranking agencies Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.<\/p>\n
Rune is a member of the Expert Committee on Patent, Trademark and Design Law at the Norwegian Association of Lawyers\u2019 Education Centre (JUS), a member of the Editorial Board of Advokatbladet (the Lawyers’ Magazine), and a member of the Norwegian Bar Association\u2019s Representative Council.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"employee_title":"Partner","employee_mobile":"+47 41 02 04 01","employee_landline":"+47 21 02 10 79","employee_email":"rop@wiersholm.no","_employee_initials":"rop","_employee_user_id":"5a9c30c33216c10f18f879d3","_employee_cv_id":"5a9c30c33216c10f18f879d4","_employee_synced":"1775652876","employee_work_experiences":[{"description":"Partner","employer":"Wiersholm","year_from":"2015"},{"description":"Managing Associate","employer":"Wiersholm","year_from":"2012"},{"description":"Senior Associate","employer":"Wiersholm","year_from":"2009"},{"description":"Associate","employer":"Wiersholm","year_from":"2006"}],"employee_educations":[{"degree":"Cand. 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Partner","year":"2025","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"Legal 500","name":"Leading Partner","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Information Technology","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Data Protection","issuer":"Chambers Europe ","name":"Band 2","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Lawyers with the highest scores","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"2nd place","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual property","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"Top 10","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Data protection","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"Top 10","year":"2026","starred":""},{"for_work":"Technology and Digitalisation","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"Top 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3","year":"2025","starred":""},{"for_work":"Technology and digitalization","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"Top 10","year":"2025","starred":""},{"for_work":"Data privacy","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"Top 10","year":"2025","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual property","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Kapital Jus","name":"Top 10","year":"2025","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"Chambers Global","name":"Band 3","year":"2025","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual property","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Finansavisen","name":"Top 10","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Data privacy","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Finansavisen","name":"Top 10","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Technology and digitalization","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Finansavisen","name":"Top 10","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Litigation and transactions","issuer":"IAM Patent 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Technology","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"TMT: Data Protection","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 2","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"","issuer":"","name":"","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"","issuer":"","name":"","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Information Technology","issuer":"Who's Who Legal 2023","name":"Global Leader","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Data Protection & Privacy","issuer":"Who's Who Legal 2023","name":"Global Leader","year":"2023","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual property law","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Finansavisen","name":"Top 10","year":"2022","starred":""},{"for_work":"Technology and digitalisation","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Finansavisen","name":"2nd place","year":"2022","starred":""},{"for_work":"Privacy","issuer":"Advokatunders\u00f8kelsen, Finansavisen","name":"2nd place","year":"2022","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"Legal 500","name":"Leading individuals","year":"2022","starred":""},{"for_work":"TMT: Data Protection","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2022","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2022","starred":""},{"for_work":"TMT","issuer":"Legal 500","name":"Leading individuals","year":"2021","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual property","issuer":"Legal 500","name":"Leading individuals","year":"2021","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property - Norway","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2021","starred":""},{"for_work":"TMT: Information Technology","issuer":"Chambers Europe","name":"Band 3","year":"2021","starred":""},{"for_work":"Intellectual Property","issuer":"IP Stars","name":"Trademark 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Halogen (design). Funded by Innovation Norway, the project aims to develop a solution enabling municipalities to utilise their own data to improve and further develop public services while safeguarding privacy. The work included legal assessments on the use of citizen data for innovation purposes and the development of new municipal services","starred":""},{"description":"Legal assessment for the Ministry of Labour and Inclusion on digital management tools and GDPR","long_description":"Led Wiersholm\u2019s team in preparing a legal assessment for the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Inclusion (AID) on the use of digital management tools in public procurement from a GDPR perspective. The report concluded that current legislation permits the use of such tools without the need for statutory or regulatory amendments, and recommended that the Ministry further develop guidance and standard contracts rather than introducing new regulation.","starred":""},{"description":"The Schibsted transaction: division into media and marketplaces businesses","long_description":"Part of Wiersholm\u2019s team assisting Schibsted ASA in the transaction through which the group\u2019s media operations were transferred to the Tinius Trust via Blommenholm Industrier AS, with an enterprise value of approximately NOK 6.3 billion. The transaction marked the division of Schibsted into two independent groups \u2013 Schibsted Media and Vend (formerly Schibsted Marketplaces). Rune had particular responsibility for matters relating to technology, data and privacy in connection with the transaction.","starred":""},{"description":"The Grindr case: judicial review of administrative fine under the GDPR","long_description":"Represented Grindr LLC before the Borgarting Court of Appeal in a case against the Privacy Appeals Board, represented by the State, concerning the validity of an administrative fine of NOK 65 million (EUR 6,5 million) \u2013 the highest imposed in Norway to date. The case was the first in which Norwegian courts reviewed an administrative fine under the GDPR, raising fundamental questions regarding the processing of special categories of personal data, the validity of consent for personalised advertising, and the assessment of the fine\u2019s amount.","starred":""},{"description":"Revenue sharing from the film The Worst Person in the World","long_description":"Represented Don't Look Now Productions (Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt) in a dispute with Oslo Pictures concerning the allocation of revenues from the Oscar-nominated film The Worst Person in the World. The case concerns the parties\u2019 agreement on revenue sharing, including whether post-release support from the Norwegian Film Institute constitutes income, and whether there is an obligation to repay amounts received from the European Collection Agency.","starred":""},{"description":"Co-authored the Norwegian Bar Association\u2019s official GDPR Guidelines","long_description":"Co-authored the Norwegian Bar Association\u2019s official GDPR Guidelines, together with Thomas Olsen (Simonsen Vogt Wiig) and Christopher Sparre-Enger Clausen (Thommessen). The guidelines provide practical advice on how law firms can comply with data protection legislation, covering topics such as the processing of client data and the exemption for legal proceedings. The work was commissioned by the Norwegian Bar Association as part of its initiative to strengthen data protection competence within the legal profession.","starred":""},{"description":"Renewal of licensing agreements for media monitoring","long_description":"Advising Mediebedriftenes Klareringstjeneste in the renewal of its licensing agreements for news media monitoring. The work takes into account recent legal developments in copyright law and technological advances, including issues related to artificial intelligence, and the digital copying and use of editorial content.","starred":""},{"description":"Legal opinion for NAV on the use of data for R&D","long_description":"Led Wiersholm\u2019s team in preparing a legal opinion for the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) on the legal framework governing the use of data for research and development (R&D). The opinion examined NAV\u2019s ability to reuse data for internal and external research, the sharing of data with research institutions, and the relationship between data protection law, confidentiality obligations and research purposes.","starred":""},{"description":"Monitoring of transactions","long_description":"Advice to BITS in a project involving several banks concerning use of data for monitoring of transactions, including advice on privacy and regulatory issues.","starred":""},{"description":"Agreements for series and films on Netflix","long_description":"Advises The Global Ensemble Drama on the drafting and negotiation of agreements for the production of TV series and films for Netflix, including Home for Christmas and Royalteen. The work includes agreements with screenwriters, directors, actors and Netflix, as well as handling issues related to rights management and clearance. Both productions have achieved international success.","starred":""},{"description":"Labor and Welfare Administration's digitization efforts","long_description":"Following a request by the government, NAV engaged Wiersholm to prepare a legal opinion of the legal basis for Labor and Welfare Administration's digitization efforts. In particular, we are asked to assess NAV's use of new technology, artificial intelligence, automated decision making, and data exchange between other public entities. ","starred":""},{"description":"Damage claim for forced upgrade of firmware","long_description":"Represented Simula in a dispute against the Chinese technology company ZTE. The case concerned the clients' tort due to ZTE's update of its MF910 mobile modems. The main question is whether a producer of mobile modems can update the modem regardless of whether the customer has chosen not to receive any updates, or in any case without the customer's consent. Wiersholm took over the case from the competing law firm Vaar Advokat AS after the client lost in the District Court. The Appeal Court agreed with Simula that ZTE's forced upgrade of the devices, without the user's consent, represented a negligent act giving rise to liability in tort. The case provides a general threshold for technology producer's right to update their software and which responsibility the producer will have in case the update causes any loss.","starred":""},{"description":"Adtech for the media industry","long_description":"Assistance to Norwegian Media Businesses Association (Mediebedriftenes Landsforening) and Norwegian media enterprises in connection with GDPR and ePrivacy issues, including with respect to personalisation of online ads and programmatic buying of such ads. The assistance included, inter alia, preparation of the Norwegian media industry's standard agreements and policies with respect to the exchange of data between the publishers and adtech vendors.","starred":""}],"employee_recommendations":[{"long_description":"He is highly commercially minded and provides great business advice.","recommender":"Chambers Europe, 2026"},{"long_description":"Rune Opdahl is great on everything related to privacy and intellectual property. He has a technical understanding that is rare amongst lawyers.","recommender":"Legal 500, 2025"},{"long_description":"Rune Opdahl is very creative and solution-oriented.","recommender":"Chambers Global, 2025"},{"long_description":"He is sophisticated, smart, experienced and pleasant to work with.","recommender":"Chambers Global, 2024"},{"long_description":"Rune Opdahl is tech-savvy, knowledgeable, professional, pleasant to work with and generally the full package.","recommender":"The Legal 500, 2020 "},{"long_description":"Rune Opdahl is especially recognised by sources for his expertise in data protection, including GDPR regulations. A client remarks that \"he has impressive knowledge, is solution-oriented and is always accessible.\" Further clients say he is \"very effective and knowledgeable,\" adding that he has a \"pleasant demeanour and a good grasp of commercial issues.\"","recommender":"Chambers Europe, 2020 "},{"long_description":"Thought Leaders - Data 2019. The Thought Leaders \"are worthy of special mention owing not only to their expertise and experience in relation to some of the world\u2019s most significant and cutting-edge data mandates, but also their ability to innovate, inspire, and go above and beyond to deliver for their clients\".","recommender":"WWL - Who's Who Legal, 2019"}]},"authorisation_tax":[7],"award_tax":[],"competence_area_tax":[32,43,187,51,18,23,26,24,34,36,37,61,13,49],"role_tax":[57],"class_list":["post-318","employee","type-employee","status-publish","hentry","authorisation_tax-advokat","competence_area_tax-commercial-contracts","competence_area_tax-data-protection","competence_area_tax-defence-and-security","competence_area_tax-dispute-resolution","competence_area_tax-fintech","competence_area_tax-health-and-welfare","competence_area_tax-industry","competence_area_tax-intellectual-property-rights","competence_area_tax-life-sciences","competence_area_tax-marketing-and-consumer-law","competence_area_tax-media-and-sports","competence_area_tax-public-sector","competence_area_tax-retail","competence_area_tax-technology-communication-and-digitalisation","role_tax-partner"],"yoast_head":"\n