Working at Thommessen

In order to work well together we also need to enjoy each other’s company. We are therefore committed to creating a friendly working environment, where everyone is seen and valued. We celebrate progress together and support each other when facing a bit of headwind.

After having worked from home for much of 2020 and 2021, we have defined the key aspects of Thommessen 2.0. The best of Thommessen has been combined with new experiences and new lessons on how we want to work together. In ordinary times, the office shall be our nexus – somewhere we want to come in order to meet each other and to work well with both colleagues and clients. It is nonetheless important for us to be able to also work efficiently and effectively, and to feel included, when we are working elsewhere and across our offices.

These are our headline priorities for Thommessen 2.0 – across teams and offices:

• Flexibility + fellowship: We believe that the flexibility to work from home will increase satisfaction, without reducing productivity – quite the contrary. We nonetheless enjoy meeting up physically, experiencing a sense of fellowship and having fun together. At Thommessen, each of us will be able to decide, based on the project framework, the best place to work. We will apply a 3:2 model – three office days and two optional days – and we organise our operations to facilitate this for everyone.

• Activity-based work: Our VIA premises in Oslo feature an activity-based landscape, specifically designed to encourage teamwork, knowledge transfer and innovation – which we believe are key to creating the law firm of the future. Everyone has an office space of their own, but many of us use it less than in a traditional office because people move around the premises and have more choices. When you are in the office, you choose where to work based on what you want to get done and who you are going to work with. Anyone needing complete peace and concentration may use one of the 43 quiet rooms in our office, which are equipped to match their own office space. Everyone is free to also work from home when that is the best option. We also have an activity-based office landscape in Stavanger. Moreover, we will be relocating to new Stavanger premises in 2023, which offer more room of expansion.
• Digital communications: Digital communications have boosted interdisciplinary and interoffice cooperation at Thommessen during the pandemic. This is a core feature of Thommessen 2.0.
• Test, learn, adapt: Nothing is cast in stone – we will test, learn and adapt along the way. One aspect of this is our involvement in an OsloMet research project studying the teamwork and knowledge sharing implications of how we work and where we work.

In addition to professional project management skills making every team member understand their role and their contribution in context, our working methods are aimed at bringing predictability to projects and workflows, thereby facilitating a good work-life balance.

To collaborate effectively, it's essential that we enjoy each other's company. Therefore, we are committed to creating a friendly working environment where everyone is seen and valued. We celebrate progress together and support each other when facing challenges.

We are actively seeking to create a firm characterised by greater diversity. At Thommessen, everyone is given equal opportunities and is encouraged to be themselves at work, irrespective of background, gender, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. We want everyone, including newcomer to Thommessen, to feel that they can contribute with their true selves.

For many years, we have worked systematically to achieve gender balance across all roles, a goal we have now reached. Additionally, we have increased the proportion of female partners in recent years, and we remain committed to continuing this progress. To achieve our goals, we have implemented a range of targeted initiatives, including recruitment strategies, support for employees with young children, and leadership development programs.

At Thommessen, we have a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Committee that plays a key role in fostering a workplace that promotes equality and diversity. The committee works to ensure an inclusive environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and respected for who they are. Comprised of engaged employees who are passionate about contributing to Thommessen’s culture, the committee is an important partner for management in achieving the firm’s diversity, inclusion, and equality objectives.

The committee is also responsible for internal activities and campaigns related to diversity, inclusion, and equality. Throughout the year, we organize events and awareness initiatives, including activities in connection with International Women's Day, Pride, and World Mental Health Day.