Tie-up adds new base for CMS in Norway

Tie-up adds new base for CMS in Norway

Kluge will join hands with CMS in October to reap mutual benefits in the growing Norwegian market

European law firm CMS is all set to join hands with the Norwegian law firm Kluge.

Kluge will join CMS as a full member firm from October. Together they will be known in the Norwegian market as CMS Kluge.

The tie-up adds four regional offices and 153 lawyers to the international firm's European network.

CMS Kluge will retain its management and ownership model across its offices in Stavanger, Oslo, Bergen and Hamar. With the latest tie-up, CMS' total office count rises to 79, with more than 5,000 lawyers spread across 44 countries.

Matthias Lichtblau, CMS executive director, termed the tie-up with Kluge as a "natural step" and said that the firm's existing client base in Norway was a key motivating factor behind the merger of the two law firms.

"Our clients see Norway as a major opportunity since it's a highly successful export-oriented economy, with an increased focus towards renewable energy and more sustainable business," Matthias Lichtblau said.

Kluge currently has 53 partners and 200 professionals with an impressive track record in the energy, construction, infrastructure and public sectors.

Both CMS and Kluge are expected to benefit from the consequent increase in cross-border advisory opportunities. Kluge in particular will gain greater international standing amid its strong domestic performance and heightened demand from local clients for cross-border legal advice.

The two firms reiterated their commitment to the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement by synergizing their respective strategies. They termed ESG as vital to their growth strategies going forward.

"Our clients increasingly expect that we can provide seamless legal advice on cross-border matters. By joining CMS, we will become part of a unique collaborative structure and be able to efficiently draw upon a large pool of highly specialised resources all over the world," Kluge's managing partner Bjornar Alterskar said.

According to Alterskar, new technology also played a role in the deal for the two firms, with Kluge set to harness CMS' international network of resources to develop tech-focused solutions for its clients.

With the tie-up, CMS joins DLA Piper among the global law firms that have set up a base in Norway. CMS already has a strong presence in many key European markets.