The Legal 500

Burgstaller & Preyer Rechtsanwälte GmbH is a niche employment boutique that is at the leading edge of employment law developments and is highly regarded for its international expertise. Helmut Preyer and Gerald Burgstaller are recommended for their experience advising on restructuring and pensions, and for representing clients from the IT and telecoms, pharmaceuticals, transport and industrial sectors.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH continues to advise on labour issues relating to restructurings including those of biotech company Intercell and power services company Habasit. The practice also advised Casinos Austria on various employment matters including those relating to the termination of management contracts. Practice head Bernhard Hainz and Christoph Wolf are recommended.

Kunz Schima Wallentin Rechtsanwälte OG specialises in employment law and regularly advises on top-end matters. The firm has a great reputation for large-scale redundancies, pensions, restructuring and insolvency, and has niche expertise in the arts and media sector. Name partner Georg Schima is highly rated.

Wolf Theiss finds an ‘excellent balance between precise assessment of challenging legal questions and practical advice for the client’. It recently advised Faurecia Automotive on TUPE and other regulations as part of its acquisition of an insolvent German automobile company’s factory. The group also advises Research in Motion on day-to-day employment matters in Austria, including contracts and benefits schemes. Practice head Ralf Peschek ‘sees the essence of issues and reacts quickly, and he is very knowledgeable in the field of pension plans’. The ‘fantastic’ Matthias Unterrieder ‘always responds quickly’.

Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte advises big-name clients such as CapGemini, Macquarie Funds Group and new client Xerox Austria on labour law. Horst Lukanec leads the team, which also includes Angelika Pallwein-Prettner.

Dorda Brugger Jordis’ ‘excellent’, ‘very responsive and proactive’ team is particularly recommended for contentious employment matters. Practice head Thomas Angermair has been leading advice to JSC VTB Bank regarding ongoing employment matters including the pension fund entitlement of executives. The team also advised pharmaceuticals group Gedeon Richter on employment issues relating to its establishment of a local subsidiary. Credit Suisse and BT are major clients. Gabriele Härth left the firm in 2011.

Gerlach Rechtsanwälte is an employment law boutique with a solid reputation. Roland Gerlach is highly recommended. Georg Griesser left the firm.

bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte OG advises on employment law matters arising from M&A and corporate reorganisations. The team advises Kelag and Accenture on labour law. Dominik Leiter is recommended.

Baker & McKenzie Diwok Hermann Petsche Rechtsanwälte GmbH has been advising a food company on employment law matters pertaining to its restructuring. The team picks up a good deal of work from the firm’s network globally. Senior counsel Simone Liebmann-Slatin is ‘knowledgeable and experienced’.

Clemens Egermann leads Barnert Egermann Illigasch Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s team, which mainly acts for Austrian employers that are long-term clients of the firm and has seen an increase in contentious work. It recently advised Avcon Jet on various labour issues. The group provides ‘better pricing and a more solutions-oriented approach than many of its competitors’, says one client.

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has ‘a wider breadth of industry knowledge than many firms’, and a strong record in litigation and collective bargaining issues. In 2011, it advised Hewlett-Packard on data protection and outsourcing issues, as well as Asfinag and McDonald’s on ongoing employment matters. The ‘pragmatic’ Julian Feichtinger is ‘able to evaluate legal problems quickly’, and Barbara Klinger is also recommended.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach is recommended for cross-border CEE matters and collective labour disputes. The group advised Spar on the restructuring and reorganisation of its local subsidiary. Practice head Franz Marhold is ‘highly experienced and business-oriented’.

Wolfgang Kapek heads the team at enwc Natlacen Walderdorff Cancola Attorneys at Law, which provides ongoing advice to clients such as Nokia Siemens Network, Pirelli and Lafarge. Dieter Natlacen is recommended.

Kurt Wratzfeld handles the majority of Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners’ employment law work. The practice is recommended for collective bargaining and employer-side court representation.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is recommended for its knowledge of pensions and worker benefits. It recently advised BP Austria on collective bargaining agreements and other employment law matters. Practice head Stefan Koeck and associate Karin Sommeregger are recommended.

Schoenherr mainly advises the firm’s existing clients on employment issues resulting from M&A, but also successfully defended a financial consultancy company in several long-running court cases concerning the termination of a senior consultant’s contract. Practice head Hans Georg Laimer is recommended.

Brauneis Klauser Prändl Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s primary expertise lies in collective bargaining, pension plans and stock options. Orlin Radinsky and Arno Brauneis are the main contacts.

Fiebinger Polak Leon Rechtsanwälte’s practice head Bert Ortner is recommended for his expertise in large-scale employment matters, and Karina Hellbert is knowledgeable on data privacy.

Hasch & Partner Anwaltsgesellschaft mbH is recommended for restructuring and disposals as well as contract issues, particularly stock option matters.

Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH mainly advises on employment matters arising from corporate transactions. Practice head Helen Pelzmann recently advised a pharmaceuticals company on outsourcing.

PHH Prochaska Heine Havranek Rechtsanwälte OG recently advised Moser Holding on negotiations with work councils and unions relating to the restructuring of several of its subsidiaries. Nicolaus Mels-Colloredo has ‘extremely good industry expertise’.

Siemer-Siegl-Füreder & Partner, Rechtsanwälte recently advised an elevator manufacturer on dismissal procedures and redundancy payments. Hannes Füreder is the main contact.

The ‘excellent’ Stolitzka & Partner Rechtsanwälte OG provides a comprehensive service to employers. In 2011, it represented Reckitt Benckiser Austria on employment issues pertaining to the integration of SSL. Silva Palzer is ‘unfailingly helpful, polite, tactful, prompt, professional and co-operative’.

Zandl: Grundei Rechtsanwälte’s Andreas Grundei is recommended for social benefits, labour restructuring and pensions advice.