The Legal 500

Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte is a force to be reckoned with and has developed a particularly good name in real estate financing. The team advised a subsidiary of Ford Motors in a €120m securitisation of its lease and loan receivables. Other big-name clients include Hypo Investmentbank, ING Bank and Deutsche Bank. The team is led by the eminent Stefan Tiefenthaler and Michael Binder, and features Emanuel Welten.

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a ‘keen and profound understanding of banking issues and a professional attitude’. The team attracted some top mandates in 2010, including continuing to advise Erste group on various project financings in eastern Europe, and also advising the Swiss Zürcher Kantonalbank on its acquisition of Austria’s Privatinvest Bank. Edith Hlawati heads up the six-partner team.

Dorda Brugger Jordis is ‘very prompt and accurate with an in-depth understanding of complex cross-border transactions’, and has ‘fair fees’. The firm had a busy year advising on a number of restructuring and mezzanine financing deals, and continued to advise Barclays, Goldman Sachs and UniCredit on lending and acquistion finance matters. Tibor Varga has a ‘profound knowledge of accounting issues and operating risks’, and heads the team along with Andreas Zahradnik.

Wolf Theiss has some of the best banking relationships in Austria, and has been advising on some of the country’s highest-profile restructurings and bank recapitalisations. Standout transactions included representing the distressed Hypo Group during its nationalisation by the Austrian government. Richard Wolf leads the team.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners has been very successful in attracting work arising from the bank bailouts and restructurings. The 14-partner firm consistently receives plaudits for punching above its weight and for its excellent relationships with financial institutions. Markus Fellner leads the team, which features Paul Luiki and Florian Kranebitter. It continues to advise Erste Bank, Hypo Group and Konstantia Bank.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has ‘excellent people that are highly esteemed in the market’. The team has been active advising private equity houses and large financial institutions. Standout transactions included advising paper manufacturer Sappi on a €209m revolving credit facility and a €400m loan. Clients of Maria Pfluegl say she ‘is an extremely hard worker, with many years of experience. We like her ability to focus on the important issues, as well as her perseverance in pursuing these issues’. Friedrich Jergitsch is praised for his ‘wide knowledge and great experience’.

Schoenherr’s banking and finance team has particular expertise in debt financing and restructurings. The firm attracted several top mandates from clients in the European automotive industry, including advising Volkswagen and Opel. On the borrower side, it acted for Austrian real estate giant Immofinanz on the renegotiation of its senior bank debt. Peter Feyl, Martin Ebner and Ursula Rath are all recommended.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH saw a surge in debt recovery and regulatory work in 2009/10. Günther Hanslik leads the team, which advised an international banking consortium including Credit Suisse, Raiffeisen and BNP Paribas on the restructuring of a €415m syndicated loan to Immofinanz.

Doralt Seist & Csoklich garners praise across the market for the sophistication of transactions it works on. Raimund Bollenberger heads up the banking and finance team.

Baker & McKenzie Diwok Hermann Petsche Rechtsanwälte GmbH is praised for its ‘excellent performance with regard to competence, response times and value for money’. Georg Diwok heads the practice, which advised a German manufacturer Huyck.Wangner on a €30m debt refinancing. Dieter Buchberger is ‘highly committed and professional’ and ‘pragmatic when possible and stringent when required’.

The well-thought-of banking and finance practice at Barnert Egermann Illigasch Rechtsanwälte GmbH saw an up-tick in work for private equity houses in 2010. The firm continues to advise key clients Gazprom and Belgian Fortis Bank on Austrian law matters. Team head Alexander Illigasch is a ‘very experienced lawyer’. ‘I have been working with other “big-name firms” and haven’t noticed any difference in quality of service,’ reports one client.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach had a tumultuous 2010 with the departure of its eminent practice head Stefan Eder, along with the well-respected Martin Geiger and Peter Solt, to set up Benn-Ibler Rechtsanwälte GmbH. Wolfgang Lafite now heads the team, which continued to advise FIMBAG, the Republic of Austria’s banking stabilisation vehicle.

enwc Natlacen Walderdorff Cancola Attorneys at Law’s banking and finance practice had a stable 2010, focusing on regulatory work for institutional clients. Practice head Claudia Steegmueller led a team that advised Credit Suisse on the local law aspects of its relationship with Austrian asset managers and the introduction of new financial products.

Eisenberger & Herzog is a feisty and ambitious newcomer to the Vienna market, and is looking to expand its 18-partner team stocked with talent from big-name firms such as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Alric Ofenheimer and Peter Winkler lead the team, which advised the Klausner Group on a €400m restructuring package.

Hausmaninger Kletter Rechtsanwälte GmbH ‘knows the industries it advises on and has small and efficient teams’ that are ‘good value for money and very high quality’. The team has developed strong project finance experience, and has a particular focus on renewables. It advised Austrian construction group Strabag on the restructuring of a €130m project finance facility.

Herbst Vavrovsky Kinsky Rechtsanwälte GmbH has developed an enviable client roster that includes Hypo Investmentbank, Credit Agricole, and Norddeutsche Landesbank. The firm, which has three offices across Austria, has also gained expertise in aircraft financing, and recently acted for Commerzbank in connection with the financing of two commercial aircraft. Christian Herbst is recommended.

Otto Dietrich leads the team at Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH, which has been busy with restructuring work particularly in the energy sector. The firm advised a Brazilian bank on establishing a subsidiary in Austria.

Brandl & Talos Rechtsanwälte GmbH had a busy year advising on litigation arising from the banking crisis, including representing an Austrian fund manager in proceedings before the constitutional court. ‘Response times are extremely short and the team is accessible almost 24 hours a day. Advice is always on the point’. Ernst Brandl and Christian Lenz ‘both provide flexible assistance and have excellent expertise’.

Stefan Geppert of Brauneis Klauser Prändl Rechtsanwälte GmbH is particularly well regarded for his work on securities exchange matters.

Peter Polak leads the team at Fiebinger Polak Leon Rechtsanwälte, which picked up a number of mandates involving distressed assets and also acted on several banking disputes. The practice continued to advise longstanding client Valartis private bank, as well as acting for a high-net-worth individual in a €100m shareholder dispute with an Austrian banking group in Russia.

At Graf & Pitkowitz Rechtsanwälte GmbH, Otto Wächter and Karin Wächter are praised for their ‘quick response times and solid understanding of legal and business matters’. The team acted on a number of cross-border refinancings in 2009/10.

Graf Patsch Taucher Rechtsanwälte ‘offers its services at more competitive prices than the big firms’, and is noted for the ‘personal involvement of the partners’. The team, led by Bernd Taucher, is rated for its advice in cross-border matters. In 2010 the practice advised a plastics manufacturer on a €75m credit agreement with a European investment bank.

Griss & Partner has a ‘superb ability to convert technical issues into clear legal language’ and is ‘straight and constructive in its work’. Gunter Griss leads the team, which continues to advise Steiermarkische Bank and Sparkassen.

Peter Blaschke is the name to note at Hauser Partners, which has good experience in mezzanine financing and in 2010 advised an international banking syndicate on the refinancing of an international industrial group.

Saxinger Chalupsky & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH had a busy 2010 advising on a number of restructurings, including advising a natural gas company Gas-Warme on the restructuring of several of its subsidiaries.

Schwarz Schönherr Rechtsanwälte OEG is a Wien-based firm with a good pedigree advising on regulatory banking work as well as loan and facility agreements. Annika Wolf and Winfried Schwarz are recommended.

Siemer-Siegl-Füreder & Partner, Rechtsanwälte has a strong track record advising on bank regulations and compliance issues. In 2010, practice head Hannes Füreder led a team that advised a large Austrian bank on compliance issues relating to the Austrian Securities Supervision Act.