Hovelsen’s area of expertise is public procurement. Her background is from two of Norway’s largest municipalities (Bærum and Oslo) and the Norwegian Public Road Administration. She has broad experience of assistance in all phases of procurement processes, from planning to delivery of the services under contract.
In Føyen, Hovelsen works particularly with advice in all stages of procurement processes from planning to contract follow-up, as well as in any appeal processes and legal proceedings.
In the larger projects we advise on, Hovelsen has a comprehensive set of tasks where the role can be described as project manager or project administrator, legal advisor for the client in connection with the implementation of the competition. In the projects, Hovelsen often assists with the preparation of a procurement strategy, choice of contract model, preparation of the basis for competition, agreements, evaluations of applications and offers, negotiations and compilation of the contracts. Several decisions must be made in the planning phase, including related to the procurement procedure, level of functional requirements, choice of contract provisions, choice of qualification requirements, selection criteria, award criteria, etc. Hovelsen assists throughout the entire process.
In addition to complex constructing procurement processes, Hovelsen also works with all types of ICT procurement.
Hovelsen’s strength in the field is that she has broad experience from both the public and private sector, as well as the fact that she herself has completed several competitions. Public procurement is more than a theoretical subject consisting of a procurement law. The subject contains strong elements of both procurement, economics, and technical subjects. Collaboration between disciplines is therefore of great importance. Experience with and knowledge of this makes Hovelsen well equipped to advise in all procurement matters from A to Z, and to have the necessary practical approach to the regulations with a focus on finding good and appropriate solutions for the customer.
Hovelsen assists both public and private clients in appeal processes against the client, The Board of Appeal for public procurement (Kofa), or in the case of temporary injunctions or ordinary court cases.
Hovelsen is a widely used course instructor with a particular focus on the practical aspects of the subject area in question. In Oslo municipality, Hovelsen was responsible for all courses and development of the course area within public procurement in the group purchasing department. In her current position, she regularly lecture in the field of procurement.
Føyen’s strategy of investing in several specialist areas has given us a combination of in-depth knowledge and industry insight that few can match. Our advisory services are based on first-class legal expertise, which, together with our commercial understanding, provides our clients with future-oriented and value-generating solutions.
Our four main teams consist of (the first two are the main areas):
1) Construction and public procurement
2) Real estate
3) ICT law
4) Employment
Our construction team assists employers, developers, and contractors throughout the industry with the preparation and review of contracts, as well as ongoing management of projects, final settlement negotiations and dispute resolution. The construction lawyers at Føyen regularly act for some of the country’s most notable players on both the contractor and employer side. This ensures that we have an in-depth understanding of the needs of all those involved in the sector and that our clients’ interests are protected in a cost-effective way. Whatever your issues, our dedicated team can assist effectively throughout the project lifecycle.
Our public procurement team handle complex procurement processes. Public sector purchasing power currently stands at almost NOK 600 billion a year, making this a very significant segment of the Norwegian economy. It also means that all of us have a significant interest in ensuring that procurement processes and projects are managed correctly for the benefit of the community. Highly complex procurement regulations set out the framework and requirements for the preparation, implementation, and completion of procurement processes, while errors or violations of regulatory provisions can be extremely costly. Føyen has worked on public procurement matters for several decades, acting for both public and private parties, giving us considerable knowledge and understanding of the priorities of both sides. Our lawyers are well equipped to assist throughout the procurement process, and we are also known for our ability to help organisations via training courses, templates, and other useful tools.
Føyen has one of the country’s largest and most experienced teams in the real estate arena. This is recognised with high rankings in several leading national and international legal ratings tables. We offer advice on all aspects of the field, while our clients include major players throughout the sector. Since we understand the current and future challenges facing the market and have experience across the entire value chain – covering real estate, planning, construction, project procurement and company law – you can be confident that your work will be in safe hands.
