Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS

What Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS does

Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS is a Norwegian boutique law firm founded in 2014 by Ketil Magnus Berg and Knut Ditlev-Simonsen, headquartered in Oslo with a secondary office in Drammen. The firm specializes in criminal procedure and courtroom advocacy, with its core offering being defense counsel (forsvarer) and victim's counsel (bistandsadvokat) representation across Norwegian district and appellate courts. It also provides litigation services in adjacent areas including labor law, tort and compensation claims, immigration, child custody and welfare, child abduction under the Hague Convention, mental health compulsory care, traffic and driver's license cases, and wrongful prosecution claims against the state.

The firm operates on a professional services model with two revenue streams: government-funded court appointments (offentlig oppdrag), where the state pays legal fees for assigned defense and victim counsel work, and private client engagements, where fees are paid directly or covered by legal expense insurance or the Norwegian free legal aid (fri rettshjelp) scheme. Distribution is primarily through direct client engagement and professional referrals, supplemented by a professional website and basic digital marketing infrastructure (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel). The firm holds permanent court appointments at Oslo Tingrett, Borgarting Lagmannsrett, Buskerud Tingrett, and Drammen Tingrett, which provide institutional case flow.

The team consists of 14 employees, including 7 partners/advokater with deep criminal defense experience (several with backgrounds as former police prosecutors and prior partnerships at competing Norwegian firms) and 5 advokatfullmektiger (trainee lawyers). The firm has no AI, software, or proprietary technology components; its value proposition rests entirely on human legal expertise, courtroom reputation, and procedural specialization. There is no external ownership, no funding history, and no public listing.

Name

Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS

Legal name

Advokatene Berg|Ditlev-Simonsen AS

Website

https://bds.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS is a Norwegian boutique criminal defense law firm founded in 2014, specializing in courtroom advocacy for defendants, victims, and civil litigants across 14 service areas, with offices in Oslo and Drammen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Criminal Defense (BPAHAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB), Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Criminal defense
• Victim's counsel
• Court litigation
• Legal aid
• Civil litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Offentlig oppdrag (Public court appointments): The firm receives court appointments as defense counsel (forsvarer) and victim's counsel (bistandsadvokat) where the government covers legal fees. This represents a significant portion of their work in criminal law cases.
2. Private client legal services: The firm also serves private clients who pay for legal services directly or through legal expense insurance. Pricing is described as competitive.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS is a specialized Norwegian criminal defense and litigation firm that represents individuals accused of criminal offenses as defense counsel (forsvarer) and victims of crime as victim's counsel (bistandsadvokat) across all Norwegian courts. Beyond criminal law, the firm provides litigation services (prosedyre) and advisory work in labor law, tort law, immigration, child custody, child welfare, mental health compulsory care, traffic law, and wrongful prosecution claims. A significant portion of engagements are court-appointed under the Norwegian fri rettshjelp (free legal aid) framework, with private client services billed at competitive rates.

Product overview

Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS is a specialized criminal defense law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services. The firm's core offerings center on criminal law defense (Strafferett) as a defense attorney and victim representation (Bistandsadvokat), complemented by litigation services (Prosedyre) for both criminal and civil matters. Beyond core criminal practice, the firm provides specialized services in traffic law, labor law, tort law, immigration law, child custody, child welfare, mental health compulsory care, and free legal aid. The portfolio includes 14 distinct service areas unified by the firm's specialization in representing individuals whose legal rights are at stake, particularly in courtroom proceedings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strafferett (Criminal Law Defense) Criminal law defense services representing suspects, accused, and defendants throughout all phases of criminal proceedings, from investigation through court trials. Covers all types of criminal offenses from minor to serious crimes and includes police questioning, district court, and appellate representation.
• Bistandsadvokat (Victim's Counsel) Legal representation and support for victims of criminal offenses, including advisory services, investigation assistance, and court representation to protect victims' interests and pursue compensation claims.
• Prosedyre (Litigation Services) Courtroom advocacy services handling both criminal and civil cases for district courts and appellate courts throughout Norway, including mediation and out-of-court settlements.
• Trafikkrett / Førerkortsaker (Traffic Law / Driver's License Cases) Legal representation in traffic law matters including violation notices and license confiscation cases brought before courts.
• Arbeidsrett (Labor Law) Labor law assistance for both individuals and businesses, covering employment contracts, termination proceedings, salary claims, and whistleblowing cases.
• Erstatningsrett (Tort Law) Compensation and damages cases including claims arising from criminal matters and ordinary tort claims, covering both economic and non-economic damages such as redress and pain and suffering.
• Urettmessig straffeforfølgning (Wrongful Prosecution) Legal representation for compensation claims against the state when cases are dismissed or defendants are acquitted.
• Voldsoffererstatning (Victim Compensation) Assistance with evaluating and filing compensation claims for victims of violent crimes through the Norwegian Crime Victim Compensation Board.
• Barnefordeling (Child Custody) Legal assistance in child-related matters including parental responsibility, relocation with children, residence and visitation arrangements, and child support.
• Barnevern (Child Welfare) Representation for private parties in dealings with child welfare services, including voluntary assistance measures, custody cases, visitation rights, adoption, and behavioral placement cases.
• Utlendingsrett (Immigration Law) Comprehensive immigration law services covering asylum, deportation, permit revocations, residence/work permits, family reunification, and EEA citizen matters.
• Barnebortføring (Child Abduction) Legal assistance in international child abduction cases within Norway and proceedings in the country where the child was taken, including cooperation with Norwegian authorities and return process applications under the Hague Convention.
• Psykisk helsevern (Mental Health Compulsion) Legal representation in appeals to control commissions or county governors regarding all decisions involving the use of coercion in mental health care.
• Fri rettshjelp (Free Legal Aid) State-funded legal assistance program for eligible individuals, covering legal costs partially or fully based on income and asset thresholds under the Norwegian free legal aid framework.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thommessen AS: Leading Norwegian full-service firm with an active criminal/white-collar practice; competes for high-profile criminal mandates and major court appointments.
• Advokatfirmaet Arntzen de Besche AS: Major Norwegian firm with a public-sector and litigation practice that competes for court-appointed and procedural matters.
• Advokatfirmaet Wiersholm AS: Major Norwegian corporate and commercial law firm where one of BDS's principals had a training stint; broader practice but overlaps in litigation and white-collar defence.
• BAHR AS: Top-tier Norwegian full-service firm whose litigation and white-collar practice competes for high-stakes criminal defence and procedure mandates.
• Advokatfirmaet Schjødt AS: One of Norway's largest full-service law firms with a recognised criminal-law practice; competes for court appointments and white-collar matters alongside broader corporate offerings.
• Advokatfirmaet Grette AS: Norwegian full-service law firm where BDS's trainee Andrea Trøan previously worked; overlaps on labour-law matters and procedural work.

Direct peers

• Advokatfirmaet Furuholmen Dietrichson AS: Oslo-based criminal defence and procedure firm where three of BDS's partners (Berg, Schumann Hansen, Øiseth) previously practised; comparable criminal-law positioning and court-appointment profile in Norway.
• Advokatfirmaet Staff AS: Norwegian criminal defence practice that previously employed Ditlev-Simonsen and Bakke Hansen; directly comparable defence counsel and victim's counsel offering across Norwegian courts.
• Advokatfirmaet Solbø AS: Norwegian criminal-procedure boutique where Ditlev-Simonsen previously practised; comparable defence counsel and procedure focus.
• Hjort Advokatfirma AS: One of Norway's most established criminal-defence firms with a strong track record in serious crime, human-rights, and appellate work — directly comparable specialist practice to BDS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advokatfirmaet-staff-as

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advokatene Berg | Ditlev-Simonsen AS