The Legal 500

The ‘truly outstanding’ CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has six offices across the region and regularly acts on some of the biggest corporate deals in the market. ‘With its great experience it is excellent for large international transactions where it can perfectly co-ordinate big teams and align with different teams’, says one client. Benedikt Spiegelfeld heads the team, which recently advised Telekom Austria on its Central European restructuring programme, involving several spin-offs, mergers and other reorganisations. Albert Birkner is ‘impressive and proactive’, and Georg Konrad is ‘business-minded’.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH impressively fields 500 lawyers across its CEE network and advises on a high volume of M&A. The firm recently advised Delhaize Group on its €932m acquisition of a major Serbian food retailer with operations in five countries. The practice also recently advised Hypo Alpe-Adria on its CSI-Hypo comprehensive compliance screening programme. Radivoje Petrikic heads the corporate team, and Gregor Famira leads the real estate practice.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer operates an effective best-friends network across the region and is a leading firm for highly complex corporate work. The CEE finance team is also highly rated and recently won places on the Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse emerging markets panels. The practice recently advised ING Bank on a $206m secured syndicated forward start financing to a Romanian telecoms company. Willibald Plesser is recommended for his energy sector knowledge, as is Attila Csongrady for English law advice on banking.

Schoenherr’s ‘unique selling point is its full coverage in the CEE region combined with a service quality you would normally only expect in highly developed legal markets’, says one client. The team recently advised Nokia Siemens Networks on the $975m acquisition of Motorola’s network operations in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. Christian Herbst and Markus Piuk are the main contacts, and Alexander Popp is ‘strong in energy and telecoms’.

Wolf Theiss is one of the region’s most well respected names, and has an extensive CEE footprint. It advised Gazprom on a joint venture and regulatory aspects of the implementation of the South Stream gas pipeline project from Russia to central Europe. Other major deals included advising Frankfurt-listed Puma on its conversion to European Company status in seven CEE countries.

Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte operates a best-friends alliance across the region. It recently advised Daimler on two joint ventures with Russian truck producer Kamaz, and acted for Smurfit Kappa on the sale of sack converting operations in Poland to Mondi Group. Thomas Schirmer is ‘a big help in transactions; his diligence, negotiation skills and oversight are important factors’.

Dorda Brugger Jordis’ best-friends network has seen an increase in alternative energy projects, and it recently advised energy utility RWE on the competition law and electricity regulatory aspects of its Nabucco gas pipeline project. The practice also advised Focus Invest on the financing, development and construction of a large shopping centre in Zagreb, Croatia. Real estate expert Stefan Artner ‘thinks like a lawyer and a businessman’, and Martin Brodey is also recommended.

enwc Natlacen Walderdorff Cancola Attorneys at Law has six offices across CEE, and recently advised Hungarian state railway company MÁV Trakció Zrt on various rail financing matters involving the European Investment Bank.

Baker & McKenzie Diwok Hermann Petsche Rechtsanwälte GmbH has an extensive network across CEE and regularly handles referrals from other parts of the firm. Philipp Spatz is ‘a reliable partner with in-depth knowledge and experience throughout CEE’.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach has an impressive CEE/SEE footprint, and recently advised a wealthy individual, Jerri Nowikovsky, and his private foundation on real estate developments in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Benn-Ibler Rechtsanwälte GmbH has good experience advising on pan-CEE matters, and in 2011 advised an Austrian commerical bank on refinancing its hotel portfolio across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Russia.

Brauneis Klauser Prändl Rechtsanwälte GmbH advises mid-sized Austrian companies expanding in the region. Stefan Geppert, Orlin Radinsky and Felix Prändl are recommended.

Eckert & Fries Rechtsanwälte GmbH advises clients from emerging economies looking to invest in the region and Austria. Vitus Eckert is recommended.

Eisenberger & Herzog advises its existing clients on a wide range of CEE matters, including acting for VCP Capital Partners on the purchase of a stake in Czech toll operator Kapsch Telematic Services. Michael Strenitz is the main contact.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners has good experience advising banks on CEE energy deals.

Fiebinger Polak Leon Rechtsanwälte recently advised Montana Tech Components on the refinancing and shareholder restructuring of its Romanian subsidiary, Universal Alloy Corporation. Bert Ortner is recommended.

Griss & Partner is ‘excellent, the way that they keep hundreds of real estate transactions organised always meets the highest professional standards’, says one client. Gunter Griss is recommended for cross-border CEE matters.

Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH has a solid reputation for its CEE work, particularly on construction matters, and it advised a large Spanish construction company on a highway development programme. The team also recently advised a CEE-based company on its €100m restructuring and capital increase. Otto Dietrich is recommended.

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH recently advised on restructuring a client’s Slovakian waste and recycling business.

Siemer-Siegl-Füreder & Partner, Rechtsanwälte recently advised an Austrian IT company on a joint venture. Hannes Füreder is recommended for corporate matters.