The Legal 500

Gassauer-Fleissner Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s five-partner team is highly rated for IP, particularly in contentious matters including patent litigation. It has a substantial stable of pharmaceuticals clients, including being responsible for all of AstraZeneca’s Austrian patent litigation, and all of Reckitt Benckiser’s Austrian advertising law and trade mark matters. Barbara Kuchar is ‘extremely well qualified in trade mark, copyright and unfair competition matters and always has the client’s interest in mind’. Michael Wolner is ‘one of the best’, and Christian Gassauer-Fleissner is ‘extraordinarily competent’.

Höhne, In der Maur & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH is dominant in the media sector, particularly for representing newspapers. Thomas Höhne is highly rated and in demand, and Georg Streit is also recommended.

Schoenherr is ‘good value for money and efficient at managing cases with implications in other jurisdictions’, and ‘always thinks outside the box’. This experienced team recently successfully concluded a 12-year trade mark dispute between its client Anheuser-Busch and Czech Budweiser Budvar National Corporation. Guido Kucsko’s ‘knowledge of IP in Austria is second to none’, Christian Hauer is recommended for trade mark and unfair competition cases, and Christian Schumacher is also well regarded.

Wiltschek Rechtsanwälte is an excellent boutique specialising in patents, trade marks, design rights and copyrights. The eminent Lothar Wiltschek heads the practice, which also includes Ernst Tremmel and David Plasser.

Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte recently advised the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on infringements relating to its Oscars trade mark. Ivo Rungg heads the team, which also advised Tele2 Austria on requests by the police for the use of customer’s internet protocol addresses.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH saw an increase in work for clients in the consumer products sector in 2011, including representing new client Nestlé on various trade mark issues including advertising and unfair competition. The team also advised Syngenta regarding product piracy issues and IP litigation. Practice head Egon Engin-Deniz is ‘fast and has wide knowledge of both law and industry’.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach is recommended for anti-counterfeiting work and trade mark enforcement. It recently represented a cosmetics manufacturer in trade mark infringement litigation. The highly recommended Alexander Cizek heads the team, which welcomed new arrival Sabine Fehringer from Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners.

Dorda Brugger Jordis has ‘deep industry knowledge and always balances efforts and costs against the potential gain’. The team recently advised various artists including Herbert Brandl in a cyber-squatting case, and InQnet in a criminal case relating to the marketing of a website service that enables copyright infringements. Axel Anderl has ‘strong negotiation skills’, and is ‘a real gem’; ‘if you have a big, prestigious case you must to go to Axel’, says one client. Senior associate Martina Grama is ‘extremely accurate and reliable’.

enwc Natlacen Walderdorff Cancola Attorneys at Law is recommended for patent and unfair competition cases, and in 2011 continued to advise clients such as Ratiopharm, CSC Pharmaceuticals, Leoni NBG Fibre Optics and Fischer Sports in contentious cases. It advised Teva Pharmaceuticals on non-contentious patent matters. Dieter Natlacen and Martin Prohaska-Marchried are the main contacts.

Fiebinger Polak Leon Rechtsanwälte provides ‘responsive and appropriate advice that never loses sight of the business implications of the different legal options’. The team has a great record in the life sciences and tech sectors. In 2011, the team advised designer shoemaker Christian Louboutin on trade mark and design law and product piracy. Clients of practice head Constantin Kletzer say that ‘his in-depth knowledge is impressive and he provides concise opinions’.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is recommended for IP-driven M&A transactions as well as contentious work. Christof Pöchhacker leads the practice, which recently advised Hutchison 3G Austria in contentious proceedings brought by Austro Mechana relating to copyright charges on smartphone media storage.

Sattler & Schanda is a small firm that regularly advises trade mark holders in infringment proceedings. Reinhard Schanda is well regarded.

Schwarz Schönherr Rechtsanwälte OEG is ‘absolutely first rate’, and ‘price levels are good’. The firm is recommended for trade mark and patent law, on which it advises an impressive client roster of big name luxury brands such as Christian Dior, Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani. In 2011, the team also advised generic drugs manufacturers Sandoz and Hexal in Austrian patent infringement proceedings. Practice head Georg Schönherr is well respected.

Wolf Theiss advises many pharmaceuticals and technology clients. Georg Kresbach heads the team, which advised Netgear on a new Austrian copyright levy imposed on computer hard drives. Other standout matters included representing DW Plastics and its directors in patent infringement litigation relating to beer crates.

Brauneis Klauser Prändl Rechtsanwälte GmbH is expert in product piracy and patent law proceedings before the Austrian courts. Martin Reinisch is the main contact.

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati recently advised gaming company Novomatic Group on its acquisition of the IP company WEBAK Group. Irene Welser leads the team, which also acted for events company Mastaire in a copyright and unfair competition matter against Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg Betriebsges.

Eisenberger & Herzog advised Nissan on its Austrian advertising campaigns, and represented Center Invest in trade mark litigation against its former joint venture partner.

Ferdinand Graf heads Graf & Pitkowitz Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s team, which is recommended for defending clients in trade mark and patent infringements before the Austrian courts. In recent years, the firm has developed its expertise in pharmaceuticals patent and trade mark cases.

Hasch & Partner Anwaltsgesellschaft mbH has experience in international and domestic trade mark registrations, and has a good record of obtaining preliminary injunctions. Bernhard Steindl is recommended.

Herbst Vavrovsky Kinsky Rechtsanwälte GmbH is recommended for EU trade mark, copyright, and unfair competition disputes. Christoph Herbst is the main contact.

Dr Michel Walter’s Michel Walter is noted for his copyright expertise, especially in the music sector.

Arno Cichocki heads Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s practice, which recently advised a leading vehicle parts retailer on trade mark protection.

Lansky, Ganzger & Partner Rechtsanwälte GmbH ‘provides excellent service and very fast response times’. Gerald Ganzger, who is recommended for advice to media clients, represents Austria’s largest private broadcaster, ATV, in all issues relating to advertising violations, transfer laws and new transmission laws.

Mag Marcus Essl, LL.M., M.E.S’ Marcus Essl is ‘a focused, quick thinker’ and has built up a diverse and quality practice that advises clients including media groups, performers and religious groups.

Reinhard Brunar heads Siemer-Siegl-Füreder & Partner, Rechtsanwälte’s team, which recently advised a nutritional supplements manufactuerer on a trade mark and patent agreement with a supplier.

Stolitzka & Partner Rechtsanwälte OG recently successfully represented a well-known men’s magazine in a copyright infringement case against a major Austrian magazine group. Georg Röhsner is the main contact.

Windisch : Law Offices has ‘a perfect understanding of the entertainment business and the specific needs of famous people’. It also represents companies and recently advised generics manufacturer Easypharm on its global trade mark strategy including applications and filings. Bettina Windisch-Altieri is recommended.