Bull partners on IBA 2026: Relationships, insight and international impulses

With extensive experience from the IBA, Chair of the Board Cathrine Hambro and Einar Heiberg share their thoughts on why Bull is strengthening its efforts this year, which trends they are paying particularly close attention to, and what value this brings to clients and colleagues.

A good opportunity to broaden our presence

As this year’s conference is being held in Copenhagen, Bull has chosen to take the opportunity to participate with more representatives than before. The proximity makes it easier to be present at more of the conference’s professional and social meeting places.

When the conference is held in the Nordic region, it becomes easier for us to attend with more people than before. It gives us a great opportunity to meet existing contacts, build new relationships, and be present at more parts of the programme.

– Cathrine Hambro, Chair of the Board and Partner at Bull

For Bull, this is also an opportunity to bring together representatives from several practice areas and use the conference more actively than before.

When our clients need frequent assistance outside Norway, it is important that we know relevant lawyers and professional environments in other countries. Relationships like these are built over time, and they make it easier to collaborate and find the right expertise when needs arise.

– Einar Heiberg, Partner at Bull

Heiberg points out that changes in the main geopolitical trends are also creating new opportunities across borders, including by bringing new partners together. For Bull, it is important to be well prepared. The more relationships we have, and the more broadly they are represented internationally, the better we can assist our clients.

In this way, Bull’s presence in Copenhagen also forms part of the work of building relationships and cooperation that may prove valuable over time.

The themes the partners are following closely

Although the IBA is first and foremost a meeting place, it is also a good opportunity to keep track of themes shaping the international market.

The insurance industry is growing. Geopolitical tensions and climate change are creating new challenges for the industry. Insurance companies are increasingly cooperating across borders to spread risk. Cross-jurisdictional cooperation is becoming important in order to resolve, among other things, new questions concerning the allocation of liability, says lawyer and partner Runar Hansen, a specialist in insurance law.

This is why we, in cooperation with Clyde & Co, Accura Advokatpartnerselskab and Setterwalls Advokatbyrå, are hosting a seminar for the insurance industry during the IBA.

Partner Kristian Foss is also hosting a roundtable discussion on M&A work in the Nordic region. The discussion is aimed in particular at law firms outside the Nordic region and the EEA that assist in transactions connected to the Nordic countries.

In this way, the conference is not just an opportunity to meet people, but also to gather input and insights that may be valuable in future advisory work.
– Cathrine Hambro, Chair of the Board and Partner at Bull Advokatfirma

Hosting our own event for the first time

The fact that Bull is hosting its own event during the conference for the first time is also part of this development. The aim is to bring together partners, clients, and contacts for good conversations in an informal setting.

For us, this is a great way to bring together people we already know while also meeting new ones. Being able to host our own meeting place during the conference feels like a natural next step in the development of our international work, says Heiberg.

What Bull hopes to bring home

For the partners, a successful outcome from IBA 2026 means returning with both new impressions, stronger connections, and a better understanding of developments outside Norway. For Bull, it will be a good result if we return home with new relationships, useful insights, and an even better picture of which issues will become important going forward.

For transaction lawyers from countries outside Europe, the regulatory landscape can come as something of a shock. The idea behind the roundtable conference is to provide insight into technology-focused regulation in Europe, with a Nordic .

– Kristian Foss, Partner at Bull Advokatfirma

This year’s conference is above all an opportunity to strengthen relationships, gather new input, and further develop international work that is becoming increasingly important for both Bull and our clients.

More about IBA 2026