IOM Law

Legal solutions for a low-carbon future

IOM Law is a boutique Norwegian law firm specializing in carbon capture and storage (CCS/CCUS) and other carbon reduction technologies. We advise governments, companies, and investors worldwide on the legal and regulatory frameworks needed to build a sustainable, low-carbon future.

ABOUT US

IOM Law is a Norwegian boutique law firm, founded in 2017, dedicated to carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and other carbon reduction technologies. Over the years, we have become a trusted advisor to governments, industry, and investors worldwide, helping to navigate the complex legal and regulatory landscape of this rapidly evolving sector.

Our work spans the full spectrum of CCS/CCUS legal issues, including:

Developing national and international legal and regulatory frameworks
Advising on cross-border projects and value chains, including liability and risk allocation
Supporting companies diversifying into CCS/CCUS
Bridging legal and technical requirements in project design and permitting
Building capacity in jurisdictions with limited or no CCS legislation

Beyond CCUS, our practice covers the broader landscape of petroleum and natural resource law, negative emissions and carbon removal, environmental and climate law, EU law, public administrative law and permitting, public international law, and contract law. This breadth of expertise allows us to deliver integrated solutions to complex, cross-cutting challenges.

Our mission is clear: to enable the safe and effective deployment of CCS and other carbon reduction solutions — essential to meeting the global challenge of climate change and building a sustainable, low-carbon future.

Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

CEO / Lawyer (MNA)

Ingvild Ombudstvedt

Ingvild Ombudstvedt is a lawyer and economist, and the owner and founder of IOM Law. Since 2012, she has worked on legal issues related to CCS, CCU, CCUS, and petroleum. Through her experience with Arntzen de Besche Law Firm (Oslo office), the Global CCS Institute (Brussels office), CO₂ Capsol, and IOM Law, she has gained extensive international expertise in these areas. For more than four years, she was part of the core team advising Gassnova, the Norwegian state-owned entity established to manage governmental interests in CCS. She has also served as General Counsel for CO₂ Capsol, a technology company focused on capturing CO₂ from industrial emissions. Ingvild has worked on projects under the Oil for Development Program, advising developing countries on petroleum law and supporting the development of regulatory frameworks. She has also built extensive experience in capacity building as well as the development and implementation of frameworks for CCUS and negative emissions. Since 2014, Ingvild has been appointed as a national expert on CO₂ storage, CO₂-EOR, shipping, and quantification/verification by the Norwegian Mirror Committee under ISO Technical Committee TC265, which develops ISO standards for CCS and CO₂-EOR. She currently serves as Chair of the Norwegian Mirror Committee delegation. She is presently pursuing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in U.S. Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law. Ingvild is a member of the Norwegian Bar Association and IR Global.

Legal Advisor - International Law

Lena Wammer Østgaard

Lena Østgaard is a Legal Advisor on International Law at IOM Law. She works with regulatory issues and key legal requirements for cross-border transportation and offshore storage of CO₂. Her work includes advising both private and public clients on the development, implementation, interpretation, and compliance with national, regional, and international frameworks related to CCS. Lena is appointed as Norway’s National Expert to ISO TC265 and serves as a Technical Expert in the working group dedicated to CO₂ ship transportation. She holds two law degrees: an LL.B. and an LL.M. in Public International Law from England.

Senior Policy and Legal Analyst Asia-Pacific Region

Dr. Akihiro Nakamura

Dr. Nakamura is Senior Policy and Legal Analyst-Asia Pacific (APAC) Region and is stationed in Tasmania, Australia. Dr. Nakamura has a formal background from environmental science and public policy and has through his career worked on a wide range of policy and regulatory projects, related to environment, natural disaster, climate change and low carbon technologies, in particular in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Nakamura joined IOM in 2019 as a visiting researcher and resumed his role as Senior Policy and Legal Analyst-Asia Pacific (APAC) Region in 2020. Meanwhile, he is Honorary Visiting Scholar at Institute of Social Sciences for the Central Region, Vietnam, and Adjunct Researcher/Sessional Lecturer, University of Tasmania.