A Reykjavík law firm since 1969

We protect people’s human rights regardless of gender, religion, wealth, opinion, nationality or other status. That has been the core of the firm’s work since Ragnar Aðalsteinsson founded it. We bring human rights cases before the Icelandic courts and the European Court of Human Rights, and our lawyers have taught human rights law at Icelandic universities.

We argue cases before the District Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Iceland, and before arbitration tribunals. When a dispute is better settled out of court, we handle the negotiations and the settlement. We regularly act in high-profile cases, and The Legal 500 and Chambers have ranked Réttur among Iceland’s leading litigation firms for years.

We act for large and small companies, financial institutions, investment funds, professional investors and individual shareholders. The team is led by Sigurður Örn Hilmarsson, Supreme Court Attorney and partner. The work covers mergers and acquisitions, shareholder disputes, stock exchange listings, restructuring and financing, due diligence, contract drafting, the formation and dissolution of companies, cross-border transactions and debt collection.

Since capital controls were introduced in Iceland in late 2008, we have advised Icelandic and foreign clients on the controls and on foreign exchange. Foreign creditors and investors have come to us about their investments in Iceland, and Icelandic clients about dealings with the Central Bank on investments and loans abroad.

We administer bankrupt estates, litigate rescission cases and handle debt restructuring and other insolvency matters for individuals and companies. Our lawyers have also advised on the international winding-up of financial institutions.

We protect the rights of authors and owners of intellectual property: literary works, visual art, inventions, scientific research, trademarks and patents. Clients include the National Theatre of Iceland, the Living Art Museum and the Writers’ Union of Iceland, as well as many artists. Much of the work is reviewing contracts and settling or litigating IP disputes, and our lawyers have worked in this field for decades.

We advise on construction contracts and on the rules governing public procurement and tenders for goods, works and services.

We have advised and litigated on property rights, neighbour law and real estate transactions for decades. Our lawyers have argued major boundary disputes, cases on state-owned land and cases where the state has interfered with private property. They have also written academic articles in the field.

We handle cases before government authorities, independent appeals committees and the Althing Ombudsman, for example when a person or company wants an official decision reviewed.

Everyone charged with a crime is entitled to a fair trial, and we see defence work as part of a lawyer’s basic duty. The firm’s human rights work matters here. We have defended clients in cases ranging from complex financial and economic crime to high-profile trials such as the so-called Reykjavík Nine and the Deportation Protesters. We also represent victims of crime.

We claim compensation for people injured in traffic, at work or in their free time, through negotiation or in court. We also handle insurance disputes and disability benefit claims, and work with international law firms and insurers on cross-border claims.

We help people apply for Icelandic citizenship and for residence and work permits in Iceland, including those who want to invest here. Representing asylum seekers and refugees has long been part of the firm’s work.