1. The assignment

These general terms of engagement govern the assistance provided by Advokatfirmaet SGB AS (“SGB AS”), in addition to a separately specified engagement confirmation. The engagement confirmation outlines the details of the assignment and identifies the responsible attorney in the matter, among other information. In case of any conflict, the engagement confirmation takes precedence. The responsible attorney may involve others to perform parts of the assignment, see section 3, last paragraph. If the assignment undergoes significant changes or expansions later, written confirmation will be sent unless the expansion/change is evident in other correspondences between the parties. The assignment will be carried out diligently and as quickly as possible/at the agreed-upon time. The principles of good legal practice applies. The client is obligated to provide SGB AS access to all case information so that relevant details for the matter can be assessed. SGB AS will keep the client informed of the progress of the proceedings and, where appropriate, send drafts of documents, etc. The client should anticipate short deadlines for providing feedback/input on such drafts. Normally, copies of documents received from the court or the opposing party will be sent to the client, electronically or by mail. Prior to sending the engagement confirmation, efforts have been made to clarify if there are conflicts of interest or circumstances preventing us from taking on the assignment. However, this assessment is ongoing if new or changed circumstances arise, see also section 5 below. If it is in the client's interest, work may commence before a final determination of conflicts of interest. It is noted that this may lead to a later withdrawal of the assignment.

2. Duration of the assignment

The anticipated duration of the assignment is normally stated in the engagement confirmation. If the assignment needs to be expanded, this is agreed on an ongoing basis with the responsible lawyer. As a starting point, an updated engagement confirmation is issued in the event of material changes or expansions of the assignment.

3. Calculation of fees

All assignments are invoiced according to registered elapsed time, unless a specific fixed price or other form of settlement has been agreed for the assignment in question. The hourly rate for the assignment at the start of the assignment is stated in the engagement confirmation. The minimum billing unit is 0.25 hours (15 minutes). Telephone calls that are not brief messages are billed with a minimum of 0.25 hours. Our hourly rates are normally adjusted on January 1 each year. No separate notice is given of the adjustment. Time is normally recorded for registering the client relationship and establishing the assignment, and for closing the assignment. The final fee determination will involve discretion, taking into account the nature and complexity of the work, the outcome of the case, and the efficiency with which the assignment is carried out, considering the attorney's experience and expertise. The fee must be reasonable in relation to the assignment and the work performed. Various expenses, such as travel and accommodation expenses, may be incurred in connection with the assignment. Such expenses will be invoiced to the client or paid directly by the client if this is agreed upon in writing. If, in consultation with SGB AS, the client believes that external assistance is needed in addition to the assistance provided by the law firm, the client covers this separately. If more than one attorney is involved in the assignment, fees for all involved will be invoiced. Whenever practical, information about the involvement of multiple attorneys and their respective hourly rates will be provided.

4. Invoicing and payment

The client will preferably be invoiced regularly each month and with a final invoice when the assignment is completed. Each invoice will be accompanied by a specification of the work performed during the period and the total number of hours covered by the invoice. SGB AS reserves the right to require advance payment, security or interim payments during the execution of the assignment to cover our fees, expenses, and other costs. Such advance payments will be placed in our client account and treated as client funds. They cannot be used for any purpose other than covering our invoices without instructions from our client. In case of a lack of required advance payment, we reserve the right to withdraw from the assignment or halt our processing of the case. Fees are due for payment 14 days after the invoice date. After the due date, statutory late payment interest will be charged. Any objections to the invoiced amount must be raised as soon as possible and no later than two weeks after the invoice is presented. If an objection is not raised within the specified period, the invoice is considered approved, regardless of whether it has been paid or not.

5. SGB AS's right to withdraw from the assignment once it has been entered into

If there is an indication of a conflict of interest (see section 1 last paragraph) or if the client does not follow our advice in the matter, we have the right to withdraw from the assignment. The same applies if the client fails to pay invoices for work performed, etc. For further details, refer to the rules of the Norwegian Bar Association for good legal practice.

6. Outcome of the case, legal costs, court fees and legal aid cover

Even if we have expressed our opinion on what the outcome of the case may be, it does not imply that we have any legal responsibility for achieving this result. If a legal case is lost, the client may be required to cover the opposing party's legal costs and court fees. This is the client's own responsibility. If a legal decision results in the client being awarded legal costs, but the amount is lower than our fee, the client is responsible to SGB AS for the excess amount. Legal limitations on the ability to claim reimbursement of legal costs from the opposing party do not limit SGB AS's claim for fees. Such limitations are set, among other things, in cases before the conciliation board and in small claims proceedings. If, by judgment, court order, or settlement, the client is awarded and the opposing party pays, in whole or in part, legal costs in the case, SGB AS must first cover its costs in the case (attorney fees at the ordinary hourly rate and costs in the case, including an expected invoice for court fees), before the client can be reimbursed for documented costs incurred, including attorney fees, any court fees, witness expenses, etc. Settlement from the opposing party shall be made via SGB AS's client account unless otherwise specifically agreed. SGB AS has the right to set off against funds paid into the client account for outstanding fees and for accrued but not yet invoiced fees. If the opposing party does not pay the awarded or agreed legal costs, these will generally be recovered by compulsory enforcement by SGB AS on behalf of the client. Such work is considered part of the assignment, and SGB AS is entitled to send a distraint request in the name of the client. Certain cases may be covered by legal aid insurance. The insurance policy indicates whether the insurance covers legal aid that may cover parts of the payment for legal assistance. This should be investigated, and if so, the insurance company must be notified as soon as possible. Information about the policy number and which company holds the insurance is needed for this. It should be noted that the fee claim will not be limited to the amount the insurance company deems appropriate to cover. The client will be responsible for the fee claim regardless of any insurance coverage. The insurance never covers the opposing party's claim for legal costs.

7. Complaints

It is possible to have the assignment assessed for compliance with good legal practice. The client also has the right to complain if dissatisfied with the size of the fee. The quality of the work can in principle not be evaluated by disciplinary bodies. Any complaints should be submitted to SGB AS before filing complaints with external complaint bodies. As a general rule, there is a complaint deadline of 6 months, running from the time the complainant became or should have become aware of the circumstances the complaint is based on. The complaint is handled by the Norwegian Bar Association's regional disciplinary committee for the Oslo district as the first instance. Decisions from the disciplinary committee can be appealed to the Disciplinary Board. Rules for Good Legal Practice and further information about the complaint procedure can be found on the Norwegian Bar Association's website: www.advokatforeningen.no.

8. Professional indemnity insurance

SGB AS is liable according to the general rules of lawyers' professional liability and is covered by the legally required security for the practice of legal services, which applies without geographical limitation. SGB AS is not liable for an amount exceeding five times the amount invoiced in connection with the assignment or indirect loss, including lost profits. In any case, liability is capped upwards to the amount covered by the liability insurance at any given time unless the loss is due to intentional or grossly negligent actions or omissions on the part of SGB AS. SGB AS is not liable for errors committed by advisors to whom the law firm has referred or for subcontractors to whom the law firm has delegated parts of the assignment as agreed with the client. SGB AS is not liable for loss resulting from the case's outcome not corresponding with the assessment of possible outcomes provided by the law firm in advance.

9. Confidentiality and handling of personal data

Lawyers are prohibited from unlawfully disclosing entrusted secrets. In addition, lawyers are obliged to treat other information as confidential. In certain legally stipulated cases, exceptions apply to the duty of confidentiality. The client agrees that we can involve internal parties at SGB AS and that we are not bound by the duty of confidentiality if it is necessary to provide information through involvement and/or use of external lawyers, experts, to comply with our obligations under anti-money laundering laws, etc. For clarification, all employees at SGB AS have signed a separate confidentiality agreement. To the extent necessary for the fulfilment of the assignment, we will process personal data collected in connection with the establishment of the client relationship and the fulfilment of the assignments. The information will only be disclosed to other parties, such as opposing parties, the court, and public authorities, to the extent that this is in line with the fulfilment of the assignment. Reference is made to our privacy policy, which you will find on the website of Advokatfirmaet SGB AS. SGB AS points out that electronic data communication (email, fax, etc.) generally suffers from weaknesses that may allow unauthorized access under certain conditions. To the extent that confidentiality is necessary, security measures (including encryption and redaction) may be implemented to prevent unauthorized access to such communication. As a factor in the assessment of whether confidentiality is necessary, the client's sending of unsecured electronic information to SGB AS will be considered.

10. Money laundering

According to the Money Laundering Act and our obligations as well as good legal practice, customer control with identification control must generally be carried out. The client is obliged to contribute to such identification control. It is noted that SGB AS, upon suspicion that transactions are related to the proceeds of a criminal offense, etc., is required to notify the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim), without notifying the client or third parties. The mentioned customer control takes place in connection with the entering into of the engagement agreement.

11. Use of artificial intelligence

SGB AS may use tools based on artificial intelligence (“AI tools”) as an aid in the assignment. Examples of use are searching legal sources, reviewing and compiling documents, translation, proofreading, first drafts of documents, etc. Only AI tools that, in the same way as the lawyer's duty of confidentiality, process and store client information securely and responsibly are used. All use of AI tools is reviewed and quality assured by the lawyer. AI tools are not used to make decisions on behalf of the Client. Nor do they replace the lawyer's professional judgement.

12. Choice of law and venue

Norwegian law shall apply to assignments undertaken by Advokatfirmaet SGB AS.

The Oslo District Court is designated as the venue.

13. Revision of the terms of engagement

The general terms of assignment are normally revised once a year and otherwise when the need arises. Changes to the disadvantage of the client, which are not caused as a result of binding regulations, can only take effect after one month's notice.