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Portrait ofBjornar-Alterskjaer

Bjørnar Alterskjær

Managing Partner

Contact
CMS Kluge Advokatfirma AS
Bryggegata 6
NO-0250 Oslo
PO Box 1548 Vika
NO-0117 Oslo
Norway
Languages Norwegian, English, German

Bjørnar Alterskjær has extensive experience from working with EU and EEA law, and has for over 20 years worked extensively with public procurement, state aid and competition law, in addition to cases related to the rules of the internal market in the EU/EEA.

He has extensive experience from Brussels, and Alterskjær is considered one of the leading lawyers in state aid law. Very few lawyers have more experience in handling state aid cases. Bjørnar's experience from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, ESA and as a lawyer, gives him unique knowledge and expertise in the area.

Bjørnar is member of the Centre for Continuing Legal Education’s professional committee for competition and state aid law, with main responsibility for the state aid area. He organizes the Centre for Continuing Legal Education’s annual course in state aid, where he is both course leader and lecturer. He is one of the authors of the book Statsstøtte - EØS-avtalens regler om offentlig støtte (State Aid - The EEA Agreement's rules on state aid).

Bjørnar has worked in the legal department of the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) for over six years. For several years, Bjørnar was primarily responsible for state aid law, procurement law and competition law in ESA's legal department. Through his many years of work in ESA, Bjørnar has gained extensive and comprehensive experience with reviewing incoming state aid notifications and block exemption notifications, an experience that is difficult to gain elsewhere than in ESA. This work has given Bjørnar unique competence in what is required for various national schemes to be approved by the monitoring body as compatible with the support regulations.

Alterskjær has extensive procedural experience before the EFTA and European Court of Justice. He has represented ESA, and later private parties in 30 cases before these courts in most areas of EEA law, which means that he is among the lawyers in private practice with the most experience in this area in Norway. A number of the cases Bjørnar handled before the courts dealt with state aid law issues.

Alterskjær also worked for several years with public procurement and state aid in the Ministry of Trade and Industry and in the Competition Policy Department in the Ministry of Government Administration and Reform.

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Relevant experience

  • 2016 - Partner, CMS Kluge Advokatfirma AS (prev. Kluge Advokatfirma AS)
  • 2011 - 2015 Partner, ALT advokatfirma AS
  • 2008 - 2010 Deputy Director, Legal Department, EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA)
  • 2004 - 2008 Senior Legal Officer, EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA)
  • 2001 - 2004 Advisor, State Aid and Public Procurement Unit, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries
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Awards & Rankings

Bjørnar Alterskjær er rangert som Leading Individual av Legal 500 i kategorien Public Procurement, og er også rangert innen EU and competition.

Bjørnar Alterskjær has ‘excellent expertise‘ in representing government entities and large corporations in public procurement matters, and is sought after for his solid track record in handling complex state aid mandates.
Legal 500, 2022

Bjørnar Alterskjær is the best individual in Norway when it comes to state aid.

Bjørnar Alterskjær – I regard him as a front figure in the legal community, and especially among those who work with EU and competition law.
Legal 500, testimonials 2023

Bjørnar Alterskjær er i Chambers Europe rangert i kategorien Competition/Antitrust: Public Procurement.

Public entities often mandate Bjørnar Alterskjær for his experience in rail service procurements while he also assists with large award frameworks. One client highlights: "He has excellent expertise in the field, shows solid experience and is both tactically and strategically wise."
Chambers, Competition/Antitrust: Public Procurement 2022

Bjørnar Alterskjær is active on high-profile public procurement cases and is also commended for his state aid expertise. A pleased client notes that "he has knowledge but also practical experience that has been of value to us."
Chambers, 2020

 

 

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Education

  • 2008 - 2010 MBA, Vlerick Leuven Gent Business School
  • 2001 LL.M Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • 2000 Cand. jur.
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