Vegar Vatne

Vegar Vatne is a lawyer specialised in construction law. He primarily assists contractors in complex building and civil engineering disputes, combining legal expertise with particular competence in claim calculation and claim documentation.

When a construction dispute becomes complex, understanding the law alone is rarely sufficient in itself. Large volumes of facts and documentation must be analysed, technical and financial interdependencies must be clarified, and claims must be calculated and documented in a way that provides a solid basis for success.

Vatne is particularly adept at quickly gaining command of extensive and fact-intensive cases, identifying the issues that require closer analysis, and planning and carrying out the necessary assessments. In addition to providing legal advice, he also serves as an "architect" for the entire case and claims analysis — from identifying and structuring the relevant facts, through calculating and documenting the claim, to the legal assessment of how the claim should be presented and argued.

Vatne assists contractors both before and after a disagreement has arisen. Early in a project, he can help assess, calculate, and document claims, including variation claims, disruption and loss of productivity claims, acceleration claims, and other claims for price adjustments. The goal is both to increase the likelihood that the claim will be accepted and to secure the best possible foundation should a dispute arise later. Vatne also assists employers and project owners in evaluating claims brought against them.

Where a dispute has already emerged, Vatne helps create a clear overview of the facts, analyse claims and counterclaims, and develop a strategy for negotiation, mediation, or litigation. He has particular experience with cases where the claim calculations or the factual and financial circumstances are complex.

He has litigated construction disputes for more than 12 years and has experience across a broad spectrum of disputes between employers and contractors, including variation claims, additional compensation, disruption and loss of productivity, acceleration, extensions of time, remeasurement, cost-reimbursable work, site establishment and running costs, delay and liquidated damages, final accounts, defects, and employer counterclaims. He assists both contractors and employers but has particular experience representing mid-sized contractors.

Vatne works in a direct and analytical manner and places great emphasis on making complex cases understandable. He regularly delivers courses and webinars on construction law, claim calculation, and claim documentation for lawyers and professionals in the building and civil engineering industry, and has authored numerous legal articles on construction law. He also regularly hosts free webinars offering advice on how variation work should be priced and documented.