The Legal 500

Arnold Rechtsanwaelte GmbH has excellent links to the Big Four accountancy firms and is recognised as a leader in tax litigation. Nikolaus Arnold heads the team, which has a good track record advising clients in appeals before the administrative and constitutional courts. The team also advises on private foundations in conjunction with the firm’s highly rated private client practice.

bpv Hügel Rechtsanwälte OG is a smaller Vienna firm that is recommended for its tax advice on corporate deals and major restructurings. Hanns Hügel heads the team, which recently advised BP Europa SE on tax issues arising from a multi-jurisdictional merger. Gerald Schachner joined from Herbst Vavrovsky Kinsky Rechtsanwälte GmbH in 2010.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s ‘first-rate’ group handles tax structuring aspects of M&A and financing matters. It advised certain Austrian banks in a complaint to the Constitutional Court regarding a new Austrian capital gains withholding tax. Practice head Michael Sedlaczek is ‘pragmatic’, ‘direct and to the point’. Claus Staringer is recommended for tax litigation.

Wolf Theiss advises on private client and corporate tax structuring matters. Recent instructions include advising private equity house Triton on the tax issues arising from its acquisition of elevator components manufacturer Wittur Group. Niklas Schmidt and Clemens Schindler are recommended.

Baker & McKenzie Diwok Hermann Petsche Rechtsanwälte GmbH combines ‘very short response times, profound knowledge and good internal teamwork between partners’. It recently advised an international client in a transfer pricing tax audit and subsequently obtained a ruling that barred the Austrian tax authorities from initiating a cross-border audit. Imke Gerdes is recommended.

Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte’s team is ‘energetic and reliable’, and outstandingly responsive. It recently advised Macquarie on tax structuring of its acquisition of Innovest Kapitalanlage from Siemens Group. Practice co-heads Christian Wimpissinger and Andreas Hable are ‘excellent tax experts and professionals’.

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati focuses on tax instructions arising from M&A and restructuring, and in 2011 it advised Commerzbank Vienna on Austrian stamp duty provisions relating to its credit business. Johannes Prinz is the main contact.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH advises on transactional tax matters, and recently represented construction company Strabag and shareholder Petrus on tax issues arising from its €100m acquisition of voting rights in listed company conwert Immobilien. Sibylle Novak is recommended.

Dorda Brugger Jordis’ team is ‘practical, down-to-earth, and has a very good relationship with the Austrian authorities’. The practice advises on the full range of private client and corporate tax work, and recently represented Brazilian company Odebrecht Oil & Gas on its Austrian corporate and tax structuring. Paul Doralt is ‘technically strong, yet very pragmatic and easily accessible’.

Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH is a credible mid-sized player for tax advice, and recently advised on a number of tax-driven restructurings. Gerold Wietrzyk is recommended.

Schoenherr has good experience advising on tax aspects of cross-border deals. It advised a consortium of 200 senior lenders led by RBS on the Austrian tax aspects of the €2bn debt restructuring of European Directories Group. Practice heads Peter Feyl and Herbert Buzanich are recommended.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach recently advised German investment fund Loyd Fonds on the tax and capital markets aspects of setting up various private investment funds in Austria. Senior associate Franz Althuber is the main contact.

MMag Gustav Walzel is a boutique tax practice. Gustav Walzel is the main contact.

Minihold Rechtsanwalt’s Werner Minihold is recommended for tax advice on financing tranactions, as well as tax adviser malpractice cases.

Dr Robert Briem Rechsanwalt-GmbH is a respected sole practioner known for his tax advice to private foundations.

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH recently advised state-owned infrastructure comnpany Schieneninfra-struktur-Dienstleistungsgesellschaft on the tax aspects of the financing of a PPP project. Immanuel Gerstner heads the team.

SchneideR’S Rechtsanwalts-KG is a one-partner firm that specialises in advising private clients and inbound investors on tax issues, and has developed a good roster of Russian clients. Robert Schneider recently advised a Russian railway carriage manufacturer on VAT and customs matters relating to its Austrian operations. Criminal tax litigation and customs law are also areas of expertise.

Siemer-Siegl-Füreder & Partner, Rechtsanwälte advises on contentious and non-contentious tax matters, and recently assisted a private client with asset restructuring following the sale of shares in a mineral water producer.