Cathrine Hambro

Overview & ProfileAs an environmental lawyer in Norway, Cathrine Hambro is a partner in the climate, environment, waste & sustainability team at BULL, appointed in May 2022. She is an established environmental lawyer in Norway with more than two decades advising industrial clients and the waste disposal sector on pollution legislation, permitting, compliance and commercial contracts. Cathrine combines courtroom experience with commercial judgement to support both private-sector operators and environmental organisations in high-profile climate and environmental matters. Her profile at the firm reflects sustained engagement with strategic litigation and regulatory change.Professional Experience & Notable WorkCathrine began her legal career in the mid-1990s and has served at leading firms, including Advokatfirmaet Schjødt AS and Wahl‑Larsen Advokatfirma AS, before joining BULL. She has substantial experience advising industrial clients and the waste & recycling sector on licensing, enforcement and contract matters, and is routinely retained on complex administrative and environmental disputes. Over the past year she has been centrally involved in litigation and advisory work arising from one of Norway’s most consequential climate cases, including work progressing to the ECtHR.Representative Litigation & Landmark DevelopmentsDuring the past year Cathrine litigated for environmental organisations in a case that reached the ECtHR; the Court’s judgment of 28 October 2025 marks a significant development for climate litigation and project permitting in Norway. The ECtHR confirmed that Article 8 of the Convention can apply to permits for petroleum extraction and that environmental impact assessments must consider combustion (Scope 3) emissions to avoid human-rights breaches—an outcome that directly affects licensing practice and impact assessment standards. Cathrine authored an in‑depth analysis of the judgment for the firm explaining the practical consequences for permitting, public consultation timing and causation standards, and her involvement throughout the multi‑instance process illustrates her role in shaping climate litigation practice in Norway.Expertise & SectorsCathrine’s core practice areas are environmental & climate law, pollution regulation, permitting and circular‑economy issues. She regularly advises heavy industry, energy companies, waste management and recycling businesses, and public bodies on compliance, permit strategy, EIAs, and transactional risk allocation. Her courtroom experience spans district courts to the Supreme Court level and international human‑rights litigation, giving clients practical insight into litigation risk, regulatory interpretation and reputational dynamics. Clients value her combination of technical legal analysis, commercial awareness and capacity to translate complex scientific and regulatory matters into litigation and permitting strategies.Credentials & Professional ActivitiesCathrine earned her Master of Laws (LL.M./cand.jur.) from the University of Oslo in 1993 and was admitted to appear before the Supreme Court of Norway in 2020. She is an active member of the Norwegian Bar Association’s law committee for environmental law and participates in specialist networks addressing sustainability and circular‑economy regulation. She also contributes to industry forums and advisory groups focused on waste, recycling and product‑related regulation, reflecting a practice that bridges private‑sector needs and public policy development.Publications, Speaking & Thought LeadershipIn the last year Cathrine has published firm‑level analysis and commentary on the ECtHR judgment and its implications for Norwegian permitting and impact assessment practice. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and professional roundtables, addressing topics such as EIA quality, Scope‑3 assessment, circular‑economy law and environmental litigation strategy. Her editorial work and contributions to practitioner texts on environmental law reinforce a profile as a visible, trusted commentator for both industry clients and policy stakeholders.Why Choose Cathrine HambroCathrine is recognised for delivering pragmatic, commercially minded legal solutions where environmental regulation and business objectives intersect. She brings rare experience: strategic advisory work for industrial operators, deep knowledge of waste & recycling regulation, and frontline litigation experience in precedent‑setting climate cases. For clients facing permitting decisions, regulatory enforcement, cross‑border compliance or climate‑related litigation exposure, her combination of advisory finesse and procedural experience is a decisive asset.Norway’s Environmental Law Landscape & The Role Of Specialist CounselEnvironmental law in Norway is rapidly evolving: judicial decisions, international advisory opinions and human‑rights jurisprudence are shaping new expectations around impact assessment, the treatment of exported combustion emissions and public participation in permitting. In this shifting legal environment, specialist counsel who can integrate regulatory, scientific and procedural perspectives are essential to manage litigation risk and to design defensible permitting and compliance strategies. Cathrine’s recent involvement in high‑profile litigation and her advisory work for industry and NGOs positions her as a leading environmental lawyer in Norway capable of guiding clients through this complex landscape.