The Legal 500

Arnold Rechtsanwaelte GmbH has an excellent reputation for its work with high-net-worth individuals and private foundations, and can call on the firm’s strong tax department. Clients include Jungbunzlauer Austria; the owners of Engel; and the owners of SIGNA Group. Nikolaus Arnold and Florian Arnold head the team at this family-run firm, and both sit on the boards of numerous private foundations: in 2011, the firm advised more than 50 private foundations administering assets of over €2bn.

Dorda Brugger Jordis provides ‘good service levels’ and ‘technically sound responses that are practical too’. Theresa Jordis heads the practice, which recently advised high-net-worth clients of the Austrian branch of Julius Baer Bank in tax planning issues. Paul Doralt is recommended for cross-border work.

bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte OG leverages its well-respected tax practice to advise high-net-worth individuals, and is recommended for the structuring of wills and advice on succession issues. Florian Gibitz and Hanns Hügel are recommended.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH has good experience in tax work and private trusts for high-net-worth individuals. Johannes Reich-Rohrwig leads the team, which is recommended for representing board members in disputes.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach is recommended for advice on private trusts and foundations. Practice head Christoph Mager recently led advice to Helmut Zoidl and his family in the restructuring of three private foundations, including one based in Liechtenstein.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has expertise in commercial and tax structuring matters for shareholders of family-run businesses. The firm continues to advise longstanding clients such as the Swarovski and Porsche families, and sits on the boards of several company foundations. Günther Horvath advises on corporate issues, and Michael Sedlaczek is recommended for tax advice.

Gassauer-Fleissner Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s Christian Gassauer-Fleissner has advised a number of high-net-worth families and shareholders of family-owned businesses.

Christian Grave of Jakobljevich, Grave & Vetter has a great reputation for private foundations and trusts work. Jörg Jakobljevich is also recommended.

Siemer-Siegl-Füreder & Partner, Rechtsanwälte’s practice head Hannes Füreder advises the private trust of a wealthy Austrian individual, which acts as the holding company of an Austrian facility service provider group with subsidiaries across CEE and more than 3,000 employees.

Wolf Theiss recently advised a wealthy German family on its office and their companies in various countries, and acted for a billionaire private investor in seeking malpractice damages from a law firm in a €1.6bn fraudulent tax transaction. Practice head Andreas Theiss and Clemens Schindler are recommended.

Dr Alexander Hofmann, LL.M., Attorney-at-Law provides ‘quality service at a reasonable price; response times are always extremely fast’. It is particularly adept at advising US citizens and those with US assets with dealings in Austria; in 2011, the team represented a US-based trustee acting for an Austrian beneficiary in a voluntary disclosure procedure. Alexander Hofmann is recommended for estate planning, inheritance law and private foundations work.

Brauneis Klauser Prändl Rechtsanwälte GmbH has a good reputation for property planning. Bernhard Girsch and Orlin Radinsky are the main contacts.

Fiebinger Polak Leon Rechtsanwälte advises high-net-worth individuals on wealth planning and private foundations. The team recently advised a US citizen on a multimillion-dollar investment through an Austrian banking group into Russia and a related arbitration. Christoph Leon and Peter Polak are recommended.

Graf & Pitkowitz Rechtsanwälte GmbH is recommended for its experience in charitable trusts and probate proceedings. Armenak Utudjian leads the team.

Griss & Partner is experienced in establishing private foundations. Gunter Griss and Peter Griss are recommended.

HLMK Rechtsanwälte is recommended for its expertise in company succession, private foundations, inheritance, and estates work. Gerhard Hochedlinger heads the practice.

Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s forte lies in contentious matters including white-collar crime cases. Practice head Thomas Frad recently advised a former bank CEO in severance claims against a former employer.

Kerres Partners Rechtsanwälte is rated for its experience advising private clients on establishing private foundations and trusts. Christoph Kerres is recommended.

Sattler & Schanda’s Egon Sattler and Reinhard Schanda are known for their work advising on assets and wills.

Willheim Muller Rechtsanwalte is building a good record of advising private foundations on tax and asset planning. ‘This firm is a young dynamic team with a high level of motivation. In comparison to larger firms, the lawyers are very flexible and willing to dedicate themselves fully to a specific matter’, says one client. Practice head Katharina Mueller is recommended.