Today we are a large and modern law firm. We have achieved this by assisting significant businesses and companies on legal issues of great importance, pursuing professional development and recruiting the greatest talents and leading experts.
Our roots go back to 1875, and there is a long and unbroken line from Carl Unger, Henrich Steffens, Kristen Nygaard, Gunnar Mellbye and the other partners in the original firms.
Today’s Wiersholm was established on 16 August 1990 by all of the partners in the law firms, at the time, Wiersholm, Bachke & Helliesen, Mellbye, Schjoldager, Sejersted, Tenden, and Bech, Hirsch & co.
Wiersholm was established as a result of considerable changes in ownership structures in Norwegian business and industry. Mergers and acquisitions meant larger units, which eventually became more professional users of legal services. Norway’s economy became more international because of more foreign investments in Norway and Norwegian investments abroad. Norway’s ties to the EU meant changes to Norwegian legislation.
All of these changes brought with them a demand for Norwegian law firms of a considerable size that had special expertise on several industries and that were able to compete with law firms in other parts of Europe and in the USA.