The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a first tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a ‘keen and profound understanding of banking issues and a professional attitude’. The team attracted some top mandates in 2010, including continuing to advise Erste group on various project financings in eastern Europe, and also advising the Swiss Zürcher Kantonalbank on its acquisition of Austria’s Privatinvest Bank. Edith Hlawati heads up the six-partner team.

Within Capital markets, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a first tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is ‘really outstanding’ and the team, led by Edith Hlawati, has ‘very good industry knowledge and is prompt and helpful’. The firm was one of the few that managed to advise on both equity and debt capital markets work in a tough market, picking up new share issuances for both Simonsfeld and Wienerberger in 2009/10. The practice also represented Strabag on the placement of €100m worth of notes on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Peter Knobl is recommended.

Within Central and Eastern Europe, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a first tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has ‘an excellent understanding of the CEE markets and culture’ and ‘lawyers who understand the business rationale of their clients’. The firm is a heavyweight presence in the region with offices in numerous jurisdictions. Highlight work for 2010 included acting for construction giant Strabag in merger control proceedings before several competition authorities regarding the establishment of a €1bn joint venture with Lafarge Cement. Peter Hoffmann heads up the group, which also features the ‘outstanding’ Albert Birkner and newly made-up partner Thomas Trettnak, who is a ‘talented dealmaker’. Clients particularly praise Benedikt Spiegelfeld: ‘We admire both his passion for the profession and his integrity. He is the senior partner you wish to have on your side when negotiations reach a critical point,’ according to one.

Within Corporate and M&A, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a first tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati delivers advice that is ‘highly practical and useful, and so is value for money. Its lawyers understand the business rationale of their clients’. The team has some enviable clients, including CEE construction company Strabag, Raiffeisen International Bank and OMV. Edith Hlawati is ‘prompt and helpful’, and Benedikt Spiegelfeld and Clemens Hausenauer are also recommended.

Within Dispute resolution, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a first tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a great reputation in both litigation and arbitration proceedings. Managing partner Irene Welser has developed a stronger profile in international arbitration proceedings in recent years, and is chairing an ICC arbitration involving a CEE telecoms business. The firm continues to advise Hewlett-Packard in various court proceedings against Neuroth and Magirus. Benedikt Spiegelfeld is rated for arbitration work, and Peter Vcelouch provides advice that is ‘high quality and directly to the point’.

Within EU and competition , CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a third tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a broad range of EU and competition law experience including advising on abuse of dominant position and state aid cases both at national and EU level. The well-respected Peter Lewisch and Bernhard Kofler-Senoner lead the five-partner team, which represented CEE construction giant Strabag in merger control proceedings before the European Commission and the Austrian competition authorities relating to its €1bn merger with Cemex. The team remains active in unfair competition proceedings, with recent work including representing Yves Rocher in a case referred to the European Court of Justice.

Within Employment , CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a third tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is able to deliver ‘timely and accurate solutions to every single problem in a very sensitive and complex environment’. In 2010 the team picked up big-name new clients such as the Austrian motorway company ASFINAG, and continues to develop its expertise in data protection. The ‘pragmatic and hands-on’ Julian Feichtinger leads the team and has solid experience in employment litigation and collective bargaining issues. Barbara Klinger is also highly rated.

Within IT and telecommunications, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a first tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is strong on both the IT and telecoms sides, with a longstanding client base that includes Telekom Austria and Hewlett-Packard. The practice had a strong 2010 capitalising on a number of M&A deals in the IT sector. The team has a particular focus on data protection law, and advised Yellow Pages France on the acquisition of Austria’s 123people, a website that allows users to search for personal data. Julian Feichtinger is the go-to name for IT law.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a second tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is valued for its ‘excellent responsiveness, practical solutions and commercial advice beyond the recital of statute’. The practice had a busy 2010, including advising Barclays Capital on the €500m insolvency restructuring of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds and its group companies in Austria. Benedikt Spiegelfeld and Irene Welser head the team.

Within Intellectual property and media, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a third tier firm,

Irene Welser leads the team at CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, which advised Toyota in two trade mark infringement actions, including one before the Supreme Patent and Trademark Senate.

Within Legal market overview,

The redundancies that have hit Western European firms hard are much less evident in Austria, and many of the larger players are as ambitious as ever, with the economic crisis barely dampening expansionism. CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, Wolf Theiss and Schoenherr are still sweeping across the CEE, although the mid-tier firms operating out of the capital still garner their fair share of the mandates on offer. Austria has a large number of smaller players, and the boutiques, such as Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners, Schramm Öhler Rechtsanwälte and Gassauer-Fleissner Rechtsanwälte GmbH still prove to be a very successful model.

Within Public procurement, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a second tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a solid track record representing contracting and public authorities on tendering procedures. The two-partner team advised Vienna International Airport on the procurement of X-ray machines, displays, furniture and other equipment. Irene Wesler heads the team, and is assisted by senior attorney Michaela Siegwart.

Within Real estate, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a second tier firm,

The ‘solution-orientated’ Peter Vcelouch leads the team CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, which is noted as delivering ‘value-for-money’ advice that is ‘directly to the point’. It advised on some enviable deals including representing German asset manager Union in the acquisition of the Rund Vier building.

Within Tax, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is a second tier firm,

CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati leverages off its corporate team to advise on tax issues related to restructuring and financing transactions among others. Clemens Hasenauer and Johannes Prinz led a team that advised Wiener Börse Central, an Austrian gas hub operator, on stamp duty matters relating to the establishment of a new gas exchange.