There isn’t a better challenge than to stand by someone who often has the whole world against them because everyone deserves defence, regardless of the nature of the case. across. I usually represent clients at over 500 court hearings annually. It is not unheard of for me to take part in complex tens of millions of dollars lawsuits across borders. You have extensive experience in criminal defense. What drew you to this particular field of law, and what keeps you motivated to defend your clients in highstakes cases? There isn’t a better challenge than to stand by someone who often has the whole world against them because everyone deserves defence, regardless of the nature of the case. What attracted me to this type of law was the observation of the long road to committing a crime, which stems from their childhood. The environment people grew up in and what was considered normal all contribute to them inheriting these ’norms’. So, in reality, they can’t comprehend the weight of their punishable action and the negative consequences it has on others. My motivation is professional and to prove that my client did not commit the charges against him. If he did, then my goal is for the court to truly accept the extenuating circumstances and not only seemingly. The other aspect of criminal law I find interesting, and most people disagree with, is that losing your freedom is an awfully serious punishment. If you had to think about not being allowed to leave your home for one week only, you’d feel extremely uncomfortable. In comparison to this, you are surrounded by complete strangers in a prison and often live in appalling conditions for years. This creates an unbearable situation that one simply cannot expect a socially acceptable solution. The reintegration of people who spent years behind bars is almost impossible. In my view, those years should be spent in an inspiring environment similar to everyday life, like many prisons in Norway. Places like those documents regarding the case. The witnesses gave conflicting testaments, and on top of that, my client married another man when she entered the country 25 years ago but never actually lived with him. Neither of these helped our case. We had to prove before the judge that despite this lady being married to someone else, in reality, she actually lived together with the defendant. This served as a base for her monetary claims from the 20 years of jointly amassed wealth. Throughout the lengthy trial, I proved the woman, in fact, lived with the defendant in a cohabitating relationship, and they shared finances. The most intriguing evidence was a bank statement we managed to attain at the last minute. The court refused to accept our initial motion for proof, but it was allowed in the end. The statement, therefore, proved that both parties contributed financially and that my client paid a substantial amount of money towards a property the defendant claimed was his own. However, it wasn’t this one piece of evidence that brought us results but the comprehensive deposition and the often seemingly hopeless persistent arguments we fought during the trial. The judge made the right decision even though we were in a tough situation and without the defendant’s evidence. turn inmates into better people at the end of their prison sentences. Can you describe a particularly challenging case, whether in criminal law or family law, and how you were able to achieve a successful outcome? Cohabiting unmarried couples presents a huge challenge in family law. All parties must prove the allocation of mutually accumulated collective funds that may occur during a ten-year relationship. I’ve had a case where a woman from a developing country lived in Hungary with her partner for 20 years, and they had children too. The lady in question helped her partner build a small IT company from the beginning of their relationship. However, once it turned sour, the man simply cut the woman off, saying she didn’t deserve anything after 20 years as they didn’t actually live together immediately after they met but only a few years later. He also mentioned that the company was registered under his name only. The opponent’s very seasoned lawyer presented their version of the 18 LAWYER MONTHLY MARCH 2025
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