Contact information
Areas of expertise
PartnerOslo
Sven Iver Steen
Steen’s main area of focus is the financial, pension and insurance sectors. He has extensive experience as a legal advisor to Norwegian businesses, organisations and the public administration. He has rights of audience before the Supreme Court of Norway. and represents clients in all Norwegian courts. He has experience as a judge in arbitration cases relating to Norwegian and international insurance law.
Steen was for many years retained by the Norwegian Ministry of Finance to assist in the work of the Banking Law Commission. He participated in the preparation of a number of official reports relating to the Financial Contracts Act, the Insurance Contracts Act, the Payment Services Act, legislation covering occupational pensions, the Financial Institutions Act and the Insurance Activity Act. He assisted with the establishment of the national pension rights register Norsk Pensjon AS.
Steen has served as managing partner at Arntzen de Besche and CEO of the body that administers the contractual early retirement pension scheme (AFP) in the Norwegian private sector (Fellesordningen for Avtalefestet Pensjon), which has given him considerable senior executive experience. He has assisted employer and employee organisations to draw up the rules governing the AFP early retirement schemes and associated supplements for AFP pensioners without other income (Sliterordningene). He is an advisor to the public service pensions transfer agreement’s guarantee scheme (Overføringsavtalens sikringsordning).
Steen is a highly sought after advisor for complex cases and has undertaken many socially important assignments. He assists with restructuring processes and investigations/inquiries.
Steen assists with restructuring processes. He was appointed by the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway to chair the board of Silver pensjonsforsikring ASA while it was under public administration. He also acted as advisor during the efforts to rescue both SAS and BN Bank from financial collapse.
Steen assists with investigations and inquiries. He has participated in investigations on behalf of Optin Bank ASA’s liquidators when it had been placed under public administration, and was appointed by the district court to conduct an inquiry into a listed public liability company (ASA). He has assisted a number of clients in connection with investigations related to the “Panama Papers” and has conducted an inquiry into the leadership of one of Norway’s employers’ associations. He also participated in the government-appointed inquiry into Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk.
Steen has chaired the Norwegian Bar Association’s banking, financing and currency committee, led its anti-money laundering working group and served on its insurance committee.
Steen is an experienced chair and member of corporate boards of directors in several business sectors. This includes financial institutions, IT companies, a leading distributor of agricultural machinery and the law firm Arntzen de Besche.
Has outstanding competence in complicated pension questions, background information, historic development, etc. and is a trustworthy partner in these kinds of questions.
Client, Legal 500, 2023