Land and Environment

Land and Environment

• • Environment and climate

  • For some companies, their primary contact with environmental law is in the context of individual transactions, such as the purchase of property. In some sectors, however, environmental law is part of day-to-day business. It’s clear that the importance of environmental law and sustainability issues is increasing at virtually all levels of society.

    As a leading Swedish firm in the field of environmental law, Foyen is called upon by stakeholders with all kinds of questions. Here is a selection of the type of advice we offer.

    • Environmental litigation: everything from permit applications for hazardous operations and water resource activities to regulatory enforcement matters to environmental offences and damages. Foyen’s environmental team has generated a body of experience from hundreds of litigation matters and can efficiently manage document-heavy application procedures to help clients secure their environmental permits.
    • Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA): required for almost all permit applications. An EIA requires meticulous work and the legal rules involved are complicated, even for professional decision makers. We work closely with technical experts and can quickly get to grips with reports, and our mastery of the regulations means that we can pinpoint the critical elements in an EIA or in a consultation.
    • Environmental due diligence of companies and properties and other issues related to land and water contamination. This includes, for example, strategic advice in connection with acquisitions, regulatory compliance, and cost and remediation liability investigations. We have the expertise required to minimise clients’ risk exposure and answer the difficult environmental questions that can arise when purchasing a property.
    • The rules governing the right to use water are technically complex and relatively few lawyers have mastered them. Foyen, however, has specialist expertise in water law. This may involve assistance in the review of permits for water resource activities, which is required for most activities involving surface water and groundwater. We know what documentation is needed and can therefore efficiently help our clients secure permits. We also advise on water services, such as municipal water supply and sewerage, as well as on regulatory issues and disputes that may arise in this area.
    • Protected areas, such as Natura 2000 sites and other areas of high environmental value, as well as species protection and coastal protection issues, and their significance, including in the context of permit processes.
    • IED, Seveso, Reach and Extractive Waste – there’s a lot of terminology but we can support you through the complex assessments and processes that these regulations bring to the fore.
    • Sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and environmental technologies: this can involve questions concerning circular economies, waste and recycling, and resource consumption. Environmental technologies have grown as environmental awareness has become increasingly integrated into commerce. We guide clients who are investing in or developing innovative products by providing advice on everything from regulatory issues to supplier agreements and transfers.

• • Land

  • Municipalities and public agencies have extensive rights to determine how individuals may use land – they can set conditions for development and demolition, installing facilities, land parcelling, compulsory purchase of property, and more. The legal rules are constantly debated and changed.

    Foyen has generated a sound body of expertise with the Planning and Building Act and other aspects of this evolving area of property law. We recommend that our clients seek advice early in order to prevent problems. That’s what our experience with these issues has taught us.

    We work with stakeholders such as municipalities, energy companies, and real estate companies. Clients regularly turn to us for advice on common facilities, utility easements, land parcelling, planning agreements, expropriation and more. We are also highly accustomed to managing small and large development projects from start to finish in close consultation with engineers, property managers, and in-house lawyers.

     

• • Occupational health and safety

  • Occupational health and safety issues are often difficult to grasp and employers are charged with a great deal of responsibility. At Foyen, we have many years of experience with real-life application of occupational health and safety issues and we train companies and others on occupational health and safety law.

    Our advice includes matters such as reviewing templates for delegation of responsibility for occupational health and safety, providing strategic advice on occupational health and safety problems, and addressing questions about punitive liability. We’re accustomed to interfacing with various functions at our clients – in both the private and the public sectors – ranging from health and safety officers to project managers to members of company and operational management.

• • Wind power, other energy, mining and forestry, and other heavy industry

  • Offshore and onshore wind power is a clean energy source and one of the fastest growing forms of energy. While the legal issues in this area usually involve permits, electricity concessions, electricity connection and land access, all kinds of issues can arise, such as financing and company formation.

    We work broadly across the energy sector and several of our lawyers were recruited from the energy industry. This puts Foyen in a position to provide first-class legal support with a clear business focus in all branches of the energy sector.  We have many years of experience with hydropower, fuel gas, and nuclear power. Foyen has also worked with wave energy and solar energy and participated in many infrastructure projects.

    Mining and forestry are two of Sweden’s most important industries and make up a significant part of the Swedish export industry. Forestry industry stakeholders often encounter questions about species protection and restrictions on land use based on, for example, cultural environment considerations. When we give mining law advice, we guide our clients through applications for exploration permits, work plans, and processing concessions, and provide strategic advice throughout the mining project and assistance with any critical problems that may arise. We also advise on the transfer of mining properties.

    Foyen also guides market stakeholders in other community building industries on a wide range of environmental and sustainability issues. We work strategically with our clients over time, serve as a sounding board for individual issues, and provide ad hoc work on limited projects. We typically interface with a variety of contact persons at our clients, including project managers, buyers, engineers, and in-house counsel. Our aim is to get as close to the deal as possible, since this is where our advice is most useful.

    “Foyen has exceptional strength into the energy industry as they both understand the legal issues at hand and also have very good market insight and understanding.”

    Legal 500, 2021

• • Mining law

  • Mining is one of Sweden’s most important industries and make up a significant part of the Swedish export industry. Foyen has an extensive experience as adviser to the mining industry. Our practice covers all relevant areas including:

    • Land access
    • Exploitation permits and exploitation concessions according to Swedish Minerals Act and the Swedish Environmental Code
    • Natura 2000 issues
    • Building permits and local plans
    • Construction contract and related agreements
    • Procurement
    • Joint ventures/business agreements
    • Acquisition, sales, due diligence
    • Project finance
    • Working environment responsibilities

    Foyen has extensive experience with mining and exploration projects. Our lawyers work with mining issues on a daily basis with matters regarding exploration permits, exploitation concessions, land-access, construction contracts, financing etc.

    Within the firm we have put together a team of specialists that work seamlessly together within mining and exploration projects. Over the years our team has worked systematically to build a significant knowledge base regarding all aspects of the industry so that we can better advice our clients. At Foyen we take pride our in-deep knowledge and expertise which allows us to maintain a high level of competence and ensures that we have a leading edge regarding the issues that affect the mining industry. We are always ready to help.

    Foyen regularly give lectures on Swedish construction and energy law, environmental law, especially regarding environmental permits and concessions, real estate law and HSE legislation.

• • Why Foyen?

  • As a leading Swedish law firm in land and environmental law and top-ranked by independent ranking institutes, Foyen stands out as an environmental law advisor. Year after year, our lawyers are named as the most prominent in the industry, sought after as speakers, and contacted by the media to provide expert opinions.

    Foyen is engaged by major stakeholders on the global market for sectors which include energy and mining. In addition to specialist legal expertise, this has also let us acquire unique knowledge about these sectors and a sophisticated ability to understand and use others’ technical expertise, which is essential to best serve our clients’ interests. Companies sometimes ask Foyen’s lawyers take over assignments started by others when the legal issues are complex, high financial stakes are involved, and the risk exposure is high.

    We are known for acting quickly and professionally, with clear communication and immediate availability.

    “We have a single point of contact which makes all communication very easy.”

    Legal 500, 2021

• • Our team

  • Here are the Foyen lawyers who work with land and environment issues.

    Team

    Björn Eriksson  Associate

    Elin Holzhausen  Associate

    Gulay Lauritzen  Paralegal

    Ingeborg Forkman  Associate

    Johanna Lenell  Senior Associate

    Johan Claesson Laakso  Associate

    Mathias Kågell  Senior Associate

    Maria Pohjanen  Associate

    Michelle Jansson  Senior Associate

    Mikael Westin  Senior Associate

    Pia Pehrson  Partner

    Tomas Fjordevik  Partner

    Lisa Hammarlund  Associate

    Fredrik Jonasson  Associate