DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH > Vienna, Austria > Firm Profile
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH Offices
UNIVERSITÄTSRING 10
1010 VIENNA
Austria
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DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH > The Legal 500 Rankings
Austria > Data privacy and data protection Tier 1
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s data protection practice works across multiple jurisdictions, utilising its strong connection to the firm’s other European offices. Practice co-head Axel Anderl is referred to by one client as ‘the number one go-to lawyer in data protection in Austria‘, and places a strong emphasis on such matters as outsourcing, software projects and copyright. Fellow practice co-head Nino Tlapak, who is particularly familiar with IT security law on top of data protection law, ‘handles very urgent cases in a professional manner.’Practice head(s):
Axel Anderl; Nino Tlapak
Other key lawyers:
Alexandra Ciarnau
Testimonials
‘Axel Anderl and his colleague Nino Tlapak give quick and profound responses. Their advice is outstanding.’
‘Nino Tlapak is quick, focused on the main topics and gives detailed advice for us. Axel Anderl as a senior partner gives overall advice for specific items. Therefore their joint work is fantastic.’
‘Very flexible, business-oriented advice, high competence – you get your answer during the call.’
‘They are always reachable at short notice. They have in-depth knowledge of our sector (pharma, life sciences) and really understand our needs, requirements and business models. This enables them to provide solid but pragmatic advice, in particular in complex legal and strategic scenarios.’
‘I want to highlight Axel Anderl – in my opinion the number one go-to lawyer in data protection in Austria – as well as Nino Tlapak at partner level. They are knowledgable in all areas of GDPR, privacy and security and also cover complex outsourcing and cloud projects. Finally, Alexandra Ciarnau is worth mentioning as her market reputation is increasingly growing, in particular when it comes to AI, blockchain and whistleblowing.’
‘The DORDA team under Axel Anderl is very experienced in data privacy matters. They are well known in the Austrian market and have a good network to various stakeholders (industry and government).’
‘Axel Anderl is ‘the expert’ in the subject matter in Austria but also internationally recognized with a lot of cross-border activities. He is a lecture at various universities but is still hands-on. Even if it does not 100% fall under his domain, he will try to get an answer for the client asap and point them in the right direction. Niko Tlapak handles very urgent cases in a professional manner and will reply immediately. He is able to explain the subject to “non-legal” clients and gives well-structured and clear advice without lengthy legal wording.’
‘A great deal of specific and well-founded know-how in the area of data protection, so that exceptional issues in the area of data protection are solved in an excellent and practice-oriented manner.’
Work highlights
Austria > Dispute resolution: arbitration and mediation Tier 1
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH is known as ‘one of very few go-to firms for arbitration and mediation in Austria'. The dispute resolution practice comprises a number of separate yet integrated litigation teams, closely co-operating with the arbitration department in arbitral award enforcement proceedings. The team, headed by Florian Kremslehner and Veit Öhlberger, frequently represents national and international corporate and private clients across multiple jurisdictions. Gunnar Pickl is singled out by one cleint as a 'fabulous arbitration counsel'; in addition to Pickl, both practice heads regularly act as arbitrators in under a breadth of arbitration rules.Practice head(s):
Veit Öhlberger; Florian Kremslehner
Other key lawyers:
Christian Dorda; Gunnar Pickl; Philip Exenberger; Felix Hörlsberger; Alexander Karl
Testimonials
‘DORDA’s arbitration practice has been known for years as one the leading practices.’
‘For me, DORDA is one of very few go-to firms for arbitration and mediation in Austria.’
‘We have repeatedly had very good experiences with the firm and the team around Felix Hörlsberger.’
‘Felix Hörlsberger is an outstanding arbitrator and a top-notch professional.’
‘Gunnar Pickl, Alexander Karl, Philip Exenberger – all great lawyers with a good commercial and common sense.’
‘Veit Öhlberger always keeps his calm and his friendliness, while being on top of the case. Gunnar Pickl is a fabulous arbitration counsel with a profound background in construction and infrastructure arbitration.’
‘Very experienced team throughout a broad range of industries.’
‘Veit Öhlberger: very calm and knowledgeable, good grip on the case. Gunnar Pickl: particularly active in the construction industry and a go-to for such disputes.’
Work highlights
- Representing Italian entrepreneurs in enforcement proceedings against the Republic of Albania, in which the clients obtained an arbitral award of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes on grounds of an infringement of the Bilateral Investment Treaty between Italy and Albania.
Austria > Dispute resolution: commercial litigation Tier 1
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s much lauded commercial litigation team, headed by Florian Kremslehner, is well reputed for handling complex disputes in all areas of commercial and corporate law. The highly specialised disputes team encompasses financial and capital markets, insurance defence, and construction litigation sub-groups, allowing for a targeted approach. Other key contacts include Stephan Steinhofer, Felix Hörlsberger, and counsels Alexander Karl and Georg Jünger.Practice head(s):
Florian Kremslehner
Other key lawyers:
Gunnar Pickl; Philipp Exenberger; Robert Keimelmayr; Stephan Steinhofer; Georg Jünger; Alexander Karl
Testimonials
‘The personal approach of the lawyers really transmits the feeling that from the first meeting you’re in the best hands and your advising lawyer has assembled the best team of partners, lawyers and associates for you.’
‘Analytical thinking, ability to convert facts into legal arguments, patience, dedication and effort, organisation, reliability and quality.’
‘Stephan Steinhofer, Robert Keimelmayr: easy to reach, understanding the clients’ goals and needs, readiness to go the extra mile, high quality.’
‘Strong team, great depth, hands-on approach, great availability.’
‘Florian Kremslehner and Alexander Karl stand out. I commend their hands-on approach and understanding particularly in cross-border disputes.’
‘Fantastic team, very well organised, with good commercial understanding of disputes. Extremely knowledgeable individuals with great strategic sense. They know how to handle disputes.’
‘Their litigation team is just outstanding: excellent preparedness prior to court hearings, profound knowledge of the cases in all their aspects, excellent responsiveness, transparent invoice details and sovereignty before court.’
‘The team remains calm, is alert, reacts instantly and smartly to opponents’ arguments. The results DORDA’s litigation team shows have been beyond our expectations. The quality of delivery is sublime with way more accomplishments than we could have thought of.’
Key clients
Francesco Becchetti
Meta Ingenium d.o.o.
Sequa
Work highlights
- Representing an international investment firm in over 100 litigation proceedings against its Austrian joint venture partner.
- Representing an international car manufacturer in several Dieselgate damage claims.
- Defending an international auditing firm against damage claims brought by several investors of an insolvent technology company.
Austria > Intellectual property Tier 1
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH offers clients specialist advice on complex IP matters, handling matters at the intersection of IP and IT law, with a strong focus on new and digital technologies. The practice group is particularly adept at handling both contentious and transactional copyright and trade mark matters, including representing clients in landmark cases before the ECJ. Unfair competition and social media law are further areas of strength for the group. Managing partner Axel Anderl is renowned for his expertise in software matters, advising on related copyright, trade mark and unfair competition matters. Andreas Seling assists clients with traditional trade mark issues, and clients also value Alexandra Ciarnau‘s knowledge of digital industries. At the associate level, Ida Woltran is recommended.Practice head(s):
Axel Anderl
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Axel Anderl and his team are top market attorneys. They have the capacity not only to master their own legal agendas, but also to coordinate relevant legal areas with their peers.’
‘What is outstanding about the DORDA team we work with is their attitude towards the issues we are facing and also their proactive, forward-thinking on all of our legal topics. In any case we have ever faced they were always up-to-date on the current legislation and court decisions.’
‘The DORDA team is our main choice when it comes to challenging cases. They are well connected in Europe and work according to international standards, meaning that they do not provide old fashioned legal advice merely following law books, but also reflect business needs and trends. They are way ahead of domestic standards.’
‘Axel Anderl is my main contact and leader of the team. I have seen him establishing the practice group over the years. Driven by his passion, he inspired a lot of younger lawyers who now form a perfect team. No matter is too big or too small. Axel handles each and every case with the same respect and pragmatic approach. He is a senior statesman in his field.’
‘I work with Alexandra Ciarnau and Ida Woltran. Both are the same breed – quick in their thoughts, pragmatic and efficient. The same applies for Andreas Seling who does quite a lot of work for my firm, particularly when it comes to trademarks.’
‘Andreas Seling was very competent and pleasant. We were especially content with the preparatory brief as well as the negotiations that finished the dispute. The team was very quick in thinking themselves into the case and factual situation.’
‘Axel Anderl is an absolutely exceptional expert and I really value him and his work. I also want to mention Andreas Seling and Ida Woltran – they did perfect work for our company and it is always a pleasure to work with them.’
‘We started to work with Axel Anderl. He then introduced Andreas Seling and brought in further team members as needed. Of those, Ida Woltran stands out for her international trademark work and Alexandra Ciarnau for her IP advice. Andreas Seling is particularly strong when it comes to enforcement of claims. The team really makes things happen – they are extremely skilled and powerful.’
Key clients
Align Technology
Novartis Pharma Austria
GlaxoSmithKline
Actial Farmaceutica
Erwin Wurm
Herbert Brandl
Arcadia Live
FRoSTA
Willhaben
Styria Media Group
“Die Presse” Verlags-Gesellschaft m.b.H. Co KG
Sattler Group
Verbund
Waldquelle Kobersdorf
Amann Girrbach
woom
Strato
VIG – Vienna Insurance Group
Addiko Bank
FRANKSTAHL Rohr- und Stahlhandelsgesellschaft
Kommunalkredit Austria
NOVIS Versicherungs-AG
Rohrdorfer Gruppe
MTH Retail Group
Echosens
Enterprise Holdings
Esterhazy Betriebe
Mad & Wine
Wein & Co
Gurkerl.at GmbH
Gabor Shoes
LexisNexis Verlag ARD Orac
Billa AG
Work highlights
- Ongoing management of woom’s global trade mark portfolio, including representation in various proceedings against copycats.
- Represented Magenta in disputes concerning tariffs for OTT services and conventional broadcasting against collecting societies VGR and LSG.
- Representing Varroc, as part of an international patent dispute, against French automotive supplier Valeo.
Austria > Real estate Tier 1
The focus of recent mandates for the 'great team of dedicated and highly skilled professionals' at DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH has been advising on large domestic transactions, including the sale or purchase of retail and office buildings, residential properties, and hotels. Stefan Artner leads the overall real estate and construction team, benefitting from years of experience in large projects, and is noted as ‘an excellent contract negotiator.’ Magdalena Brandstetter is also lauded for her negotiation skills, and is an important contact within the team for clients involved in real estate M&A transactions.Practice head(s):
Stefan Artner
Other key lawyers:
Magdalena Brandstetter
Testimonials
‘DORDA’s real estate team is very experienced, pragmatic and deal oriented. Great team players and stick to deadlines.’
‘Stefan Artner and Magdalena Brandstetter are not only highly professional lawyers but also very polite and cooperative lawyers. They are able to negotiate in a strict manner and be friendly at the same time.’
‘DORDA brings clarity even to complex matters.’
‘Stefan Artner is an outstanding real estate law expert with years of experience in large projects. He is also an excellent contract negotiator. You are lucky to have him on your side.’
‘Very experienced transaction team, where the result and the successful completion of a transaction are the prime goals.’
‘Great team of dedicated and highly skilled professionals. Probably the best institutional real estate practice in Austria.’
‘Magdalena Brandstetter combines two attributes that go rarely together: she knows every detail of a deal, but at the same time sees the overall big picture of the transaction. Her excellent negotiation skills and, above all, her outstanding social skills make her one of the most effective deal makers I know.’
‘Probably the best and most efficient real estate team in Austria for me.’
Key clients
LHI Group
HIH Real Estate
DLH (Deutsche Logistik Holding)
VI Vindoma Real Estate AG
ARWAG Wohnpark Errichtungs-, Vermietungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft m.b.H.
Universal-Investment Luxembourg
SIGNA Financial Services AG
aik Immobilien-Investmentgesellschaft mbH
Ascott International Management, Europe
REWE Group
AIRA Development Group
GalCap Europe
Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft m.b.H. (BIG)
C&P Immobilien
Amundi S.A.
MaxMara
AEW Europe
S IMMO AG
TK Maxx
NH Hoteles Group
KGAL
Magna Group
Patrizia AG
Work highlights
- Advised LHI on the acquisition of a refurbished office building Lassallestraße 5 in Vienna, structured as a forward purchase share deal.
- Advised German financial investor HIH Real Estate on the acquisition of the SQUARE One Building, an office and retail complex located in the 19th district of Vienna, from the developer STRABAG Real Estate.
- Advising on the acquisition, development, and sale of several logistics properties in Austria, in particular properties around Vienna and close to the Vienna-Schwechat Airport.
Austria > TMT Tier 1
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH provides advice on the full spectrum of TMT matters, supporting major Austrian and foreign clients with outsourcing and software licensing, in addition to assisting with areas of developing technology and data protection issues. On the telecoms front, the practice supports satellite, mobile and fixed network providers with regulatory advice, contractual issues and infrastructure transactions. Practice head Axel Anderl acts at the intersection of IP and IT law, advising clients on matters ranging from cloud computing to data protection and copyright issues. Nino Tlapak acts as an external data protection officer for a number of clients. Heinrich Kühnert is responsible for regulatory TMT matters, with further experience in competition and antitrust law. Alexandra Ciarnau focuses on new technologies. Bernhard Heinzl took up an in-house position in February 2022.Practice head(s):
Axel Anderl
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very good expertise, perfect teamwork, worldwide network, maximum cost transparency.’
‘Axel Anderl: ability to analyse and oversee complex matters with very high knowledge of details. Enormous practical experience, great skills in handling special situations; great availability for the client, very high quality input and feedback.’
‘Axel Anderl is the digital pioneer in Austria. He and his team are the go-to firm for complex or cutting edge issues. I like their ability to explain and implement complex things in a clear and understandable manner. They have good industry knowledge of both banking regulations and international best practice. They are also extremely tech-savvy, which also helps a lot. This is why we do highly recommend the team.’
‘Axel Anderl is the founder of the practice group and our go-to lawyer. He is well known on the international market. Smart, quick thinker, most eloquent. He has particular strengths in enabling difficult projects and contractual negotiations. He is extremely tough.’
‘Nino Tlapak has a very pragmic approach helping you to find doable solutions.’
‘Alexandra Ciarnau is very well connected in the new tech scene, assisting us with innovative projects.’
‘Nino Tlapak – excellent lawyer, great knowledge and capacity, solution finder – great partner to work with. Axel Anderl – one of the most famous personalities in his field – well-earned and proven day after day – got also a great team around him.’
‘They are a market leader in their field and have a great reputation. We like their service approach (short reply times; reasonable approach and advice; hands on mentality). There is no other team in Austria that has such depth and business insights.’
Key clients
Forbes (FEB29 Medien- und Verlags GmbH)
Natterbox
GTT Communications
Ooma
NTT Group
AIRCALL
LogMeIn
inContact
Cisco
Amann Girrbach
Netrisk Group
Allegro
MAYD Group GmbH
Novartis Pharma Austria
VIG – Vienna Insurance Group
FRANKSTAHL Rohr- und Stahlhandelsgesellschaft
Liebherr-Hausgeräte
Roche Diagnostics
Ferrari
LeasePlan Österreich Fuhrparkmanagement GmbH
IMMOunited
Work highlights
- Advised 27 regulated banks belonging to Volksbanken and Hypo Group, as well as several private banks, on a green field outsourcing project.
- Advised Roche Diagnostics on gaining market access with its IT-based diagnostic services.
- Assisted Vienna Insurance Group with its group-wide project to update its existing master IT service agreements with multiple service providers.
Austria > Banking and finance Tier 2
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH offers ‘practical and targeted‘ advice to funds, banks and corporate companies on transactional matters as well as banking and supervisory board law and other regulatory issues. Andreas Zahradnik leads the team alongside Tibor Varga, who ‘is very experienced in international finance transactions‘ and restructurings. Zahradnik counts large financial institutions as key clients and recently advised major international credit institutions on cross-border matters. On top of a strong foundation of banking and finance expertise, the group often works with the firm’s IP and IT team, particularly on outsourcing projects.Practice head(s):
Tibor Varga; Andreas Zahradnik
Testimonials
‘Pragmatic approach and user-friendly.’
‘Tibor Varga is very experienced in international finance transactions and provides practical advice focusing on the interests of the client.’
‘Highly recommendable, practical and targeted advice. Good client service, strong team.’
Key clients
Ad hoc committee of lender of Schur Flexibles
Schur Flexibles GmbH
DIF Capital Partners
DIF Infrastructure IV (DIF IV)
Work highlights
- Acted as Austrian counsel to the coordinating committee of lenders of Schur Flexibles in a proposed financial restructuring of Schur Flexibles, following accounting irregularities and compliance breaches.
- Advised DIF Capital Partners in relation to its divestment of shares/interests held in an Austrian PPP project with two hospitals in Vienna.
Austria > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
Praised for its versatility, DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH focuses on high-end cross-border transactions and is ‘a market leader for complex M&A deals in Austria’. Practice co-head and managing partner Martin Brodey ‘has a broad breadth and depth of experience in M&A‘. The size of the firm also means that its public M&A practice benefits from its strong international capital markets and investment banking relationships, and fellow practice co-head Andreas Mayr‘s expertise also merges capital markets and public M&A knowledge. Patricia Backhausen is the key name at senior associate level.
Practice head(s):
Martin Brodey; Andreas Mayr
Other key lawyers:
Jürgen Kittel; Bernhard Rieder; Christian Ritschka; Patricia Backhausen
Testimonials
‘Dorda has a highly professional M&A practice. The infrastructure, the legal expertise, and the notarial services are among the things which allow Dorda to serve us end to end.’
‘A special note on Patricia Backhausen – Highly effective in preparation, status reporting and negotiating skills which are second to none. Just that pair of safe hands you need on the legal side to effectively and efficiently close a transaction.’
‘Excellent overall performance. Responsiveness, transaction experience and market knowledge, strong judgement.’
‘Great availability and clear advice on complex cross-border matters.’
‘Both Christian Ritschka and Patricia Backhausen have provided us, and our client, with valuable local advice in a great way. The team are both hardworking and very available and have been essential for us in a quite complex and rapid moving cross-border deal.’
‘Dorda is a market leader for complex M&A deals in Austria and impresses with its versatility. The commercial, corporate and M&A team performs excellently from first communication to project delivery. Dorda is uniquely equipped with well-respected, high-calibre partners, and is able to easily scale up on engagements regardless of size. Their skill set is best suited for high-profile and extremely complex matters.’
‘Martin Brodey has a broad breadth and depth of experience in M&A. His communication is excellent throughout, particularly when working to deadlines.’
‘In corporate matters, DORDA provides both excellent expertise as well as responsive and accommodating handling. Among the top firms in Austria, my first choice due to good response times, and great advice. Their corporate team shows deep knowledge and experience, we appreciate working with them.’
Austria > Dispute resolution: white-collar crime (including fraud) Tier 2
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s clients, including high-profile individuals and corporations accused of fraud, embezzlement, bribery, corruption, or tax evasion, benefit from its expertise in investigative, white-collar and financial crime proceedings. Florian Kremslehner co-heads the department with counsel Elias Schönborn; the latter brings in his expertise from the Public Prosecutor’s Office in criminal corruption law, economic crimes and whistleblowing matters, and frequently represents aggrieved parties in criminal proceedings who are asserting their civil claims. Other work includes advising clients on the avoidance of criminal law risks, producing codes of conduct, conducting staff training, and leading internal investigations.Practice head(s):
Florian Kremslehner; Elias Schönborn
Testimonials
‘Outstanding market experience; strong connections to relevant players; ability to also work on forensic investigation and involve PR strategy.’
‘The DORDA team offers customers a high level of focus and care. There is never any feeling of being rushed. To a great extent, it is the opposite; every issue is thoroughly discussed, and even the most minor nuances are taken into account. It is evident that clarity is one of the top priorities, and it is something that is never compromised in any way – a characteristic that other firms frequently overlook.’
‘The professionals I had the opportunity to work with are exceptional in terms of their customer service and went above and beyond my expectations. Right from the beginning, there is a pleasant and friendly atmosphere.’
‘Elias Schönborn is able to assess the situation from a variety of perspectives and clearly outline all of the possible courses of action and options. He also sketches out all of the potential developments of events. In essence, it is stress free and easy to work with him, and the atmosphere that he cultivates is one that is replete with confidence and clarity.’
‘Elias Schönborn has outstanding skills as a lawyer. He has a deep understanding of the law and impressive strategic skills. He managed to end my case with a very positive outcome in a short time. I felt that I was in very good hands, both professionally and personally. I would highly recommend him as an attorney at any time.’
‘Elias Schönborn is very active and we enjoy the cooperation and the exchange with him. In addition to his work as a lawyer, he deals very intensively with the current and important issues of criminal law in Austria and very regularly publishes articles that are essential for questions that arise in practice.’
‘We have been working very well with the DORDA law firm for several years. We were always very well and professionally advised and represented. We are therefore always happy to recommend the law firm and it is and will remain our first point of contact for all legal questions.’
‘Elias Schönborn’s profound knowledge in criminal proceedings and criminal investigations was a great asset for us.’
Key clients
IMMOFINANZ
Work highlights
- Representing Immofinanz, as a private party, in the BUWOG proceedings.
Austria > Employment Tier 2
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s employment team is led by Thomas Angermair, who is adept at providing employment advice under both European and Austrian law, as well as representing clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings. A particular focus of Angermaier’s work is employment-related transactions. The group counts banks, international organisations, and cultural institutions amongst its clients, and advises them on contracts, terminations, and work council agreements. Lisa Kulmer is a key point of contact for HR issues. Florina Thenmayer is noted for her expertise in the cross-border deployment of personnel. Manuel Mayr joined in August 2022 from Schima Mayer Starlinger Rechtsanwälte GmbH.Practice head(s):
Thomas Angermair
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Florina Thenmayer has been an excellent lawyer to our legal team. She has assisted us in a very diligent manner throughout various labour law projects in Austria and Germany. Florina was able to deliver fast-paced and dynamic assistance and we can only recommend her.’
‘DORDA has been excellent in this area as they have adapted well to our fast-paced and dynamic way of working while retaining a high standard of assistance.’
‘Florina Thenmayer has been a major force – there have been various large employment projects where she took on big responsibilities and she always did this in a most diligent way.’
‘Commercially focussed advice underpinned by sound knowledge and technical ability. Excellent communication and responsiveness.’
‘Florina Thenmayer – technically strong, commercial approach to advising on complex matters, in particular those with a cross-border element. Exceptional to work with as she combines deep knowledge with a strategic edge.’
‘DORDA is a very good firm with broad expertise.’
‘Thomas Angermair is very pragmatic, very good in his expertise and has a good understanding of how a big company ticks.’
Key clients
Essilor
edding
Kwizda
Pharmahandel GmbH
Danaher
Bayer
Salesforce
Work highlights
- Advising Bitpanda on its emplyoyment matters on an ongoing basis, including representation before the Austrian labour tribunals.
- Advising Danaher’s Austrian units on a wide range of employment law matters.
- Assisted Salesforce with a settlement negotiation.
Austria > Insolvency and corporate recovery Tier 2
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s multidisciplinary team, headed up by Felix Hörlsberger, ‘knows the market and its participants in Austria inside out’. The group is particularly skilled in matters at the intersection of finance and restructuring. Practice head Felix Hörlsberger, and finance experts Tibor Varga and Andreas Zahradnik all advise on the full spectrum of matters relating to insolvency law, while Christian Ritschka is the standout practitioner when it comes to distressed M&A mandates.Practice head(s):
Felix Hörlsberger
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Highly experienced and knowledgeable team who know the market and its participants in Austria inside out. They give sophisticated and practical advice on restructuring and finance matters.’
‘Tibor Varga is highly recommended. He is well versed in international restructuring and finance transactions, pleasant to work with, very experienced, and focuses on the key legal and commercial aspects of the case.’
‘Felix Hörlsberger knows the market and provides practical and strategic advice.’
‘Very pragmatic and user-friendly approach.’
Key clients
Allianz Global Corporate & Speciality SE (AGCS)
National and international clients
Attestor Capital
Swiss Re
CoCom of lenders to Schur Flexibles
Work highlights
- Acting as the local Austrian counsel of lenders for Schur Flexibles in a proposed financial restructuring of Schur Flexibles, following accounting irregularities and compliance breaches.
- Advising Swiss Re, as prospectus insurer of Wienwert, an Austrian entity investing in real estate portfolios in Austria.
- Advising AGCS as D&O insurer of FCC and its former subsidiary Alpine Holding and Alpine Bau.
Austria > Private client Tier 2
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH acts for UHNW families and individuals on a range of matters, including cross-border tax structuring and estate planning, immigration, naturalisation and relocation processes, in addition to trusts and matrimonial matters, while also representing clients in contentious matters. The firm is a go-to advisor for Austrian and international private banks. Paul Doralt leads the team and assists clients with international estate and tax matters alongside associates Katharina Binder and Stanislav Nekrasov.Practice head(s):
Paul Doralt
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Very high competence in the whole team and very quick availability.’
‘Strong, well-connected, experienced private client team, able to help clients with their most complex international wealth and tax structuring matters. Outstanding client handling and service.’
‘Paul Doralt is one of Austria’s very best private client advisors. He has enormous experience and a formidable network in Austria and abroad. Paul has a special gift in explaining complex things in an understandable way and in making clients feel safe and in good hands.’
‘Katharina Binder is technically excellent, responsive and a pleasure to work with.’
‘DORDA’s private client team is a real pleasure to work with. The team has excellent academic skill and yet finds very pragmatic and hands-on solutions.’
‘We work with Paul Doralt and Katharina Binder. They are very hands-on and pragmatic. Their reputation is top-notch, and yet they are very unassuming. Our family fully trusts them, and they have helped us successfully in some tough situations in the past.’
Work highlights
- Advised Bank Julius Bär, UBS, LGT, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Credit Suisse, and Bank Gutmann on the tax structuring of the portfolios of 30 different UHNW and HNW private clients.
- Advised the Schmidt-Chiari family on issues arising following the death of 83-year-old Guido Nikolaus Schmidt-Chiari, former CEO of Creditanstalt.
Austria > Projects and energy Tier 2
At DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH, the projects and energy practice gives ‘clear advice on complex cross-border matters‘, and offers clients access to dedicated sector sub-groups, including the automotive and mobility group, and the construction and infrastructure group. Bernhard Müller heads up the team alongside Heinrich Kühnert, who is also head of the firm’s competition team. Associate Mirko Marjanovic advises on issues with a nexus to competition and antitrust law.Practice head(s):
Bernhard Müller; Heinrich Kühnert
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘DORDA has technical and business knowledge and skills which are part of their solutions. They are up to date in a number of different areas and will inform themselves in advance or during an engagement on the background.’
‘Great availability and clear advice on complex cross-border matters.’
‘The team is both hard working and very available, and that has been essential for us in a fairly complex and rapidly moving cross-border deal.’
‘Strong technical skills, availability, fast turn-around, relevant industry experience and a deep bench. This allows them to support in all aspects of a complex project.’
‘Patricia Backhausen is professional and easy to work with, as well as being diligent and thorough. She takes in and understands different customers and commercial perspectives of legal matters.’
Key clients
Sandoz
Novartis Pharma Austria
EuroParcs Österreich GmbH
Inductive Energy A/S
TrailStone Renewables
DIF Capital Partners
DIF Infrastructure IV (DIF IV)
DigitalBridge Group, Inc
Kommunalkredit Austria
Cellnex Austria GmbH
Work highlights
- Advised DigitalBridge on the Austrian aspects of the GD Towers acquisition.
- Advised DIF on the sale of its stake in an Austrian PPP-project (radiooncology-stations at two hospitals in Vienna).
- Assisted Europarcs with its entry into the Austrian market, including advising on energy law issues.
Austria > Administrative law and public sector Tier 3
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH provides advice to private enterprises and public bodies on the full spectrum of public and administrative law matters, specialising in the trade, waste, mineral and raw materials sectors in addition to handling land transfers. Bernhard Müller‘s team is regularly instructed to lead on administrative appeals and individual applications and has represented clients before the Austrian constitutional court and EU courts. Müller’s advice is sought after in the defence and security sectors, covering public procurement processes, environmental law issues, regulatory matters and state aid and foreign trade law, as well as advice on sanctions.Practice head(s):
Bernhard Müller
Testimonials
‘The Dorda team is our main choice when it comes to challenging cases. They are well connected in Europe and work according to international standards, meaning that they do not provide old fashioned legal advice merely following law books, but also reflect business needs and trends. They are way ahead of domestic standards.’
‘I have worked with Bernhard Müller, who has excellent expertise and is always available, no matter if it’s an emergency or just some ideas that need assessment.’
Key clients
EuroParcs Österreich GmbH
G4S
Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism
GlaxoSmithKline
PHARMIG – Association of the Austrian pharmaceutical industry
DIF Capital Partners
DIF Infrastructure IV
Bayer Austria GmbH
Austrian Chamber of Commerce
Work highlights
- Assisted EuroParcs with entering the Austrian market and all matters relating to building law, regional planning law, property law, commercial law, energy law and tax law.
- Representing Bolt, formerly known as Taxify, with regard to its activities in Austria.
Austria > Capital markets Tier 3
The interdisciplinary approach adopted by DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH extends to handling the full range of matters related to equity and debt issuances by private and public issuers, with a focus on regulatory work as well as high-yield transactions. The group is able to leverage its close connection to the firm’s public M&A team and regularly advises on public takeovers. Key names to note in the team are Christoph Brogyányi, Andreas Mayr, Tibor Varga and Andreas Zahradnik.Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Morgan Stanley
HSBC
Petrus Advisers
Alcmene Holding GmbH
Work highlights
- Advised Petrus Advisers on a share deal, which included the prior acquisition of the sold shares via financial instruments such as call-options relating to IMMOFINANZ-shares.
- Advised HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and Erste Group as joint bookrunners on the issuance of €350m undated resettable fixed rate subordinated notes (hybrid notes) by AT & S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft and a liquidity exercise for outstanding hybrid notes.
- Advised Greiner on the acquisition of 27% of the shares in Recticel.
Austria > Construction Tier 3
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s construction & infrastructure group is supported by a strong dispute resolution practice has experience acting in international and domestic construction disputes. Practice co-head Gunnar Pickl regularly works on construction and infrastructure arbitration and is ‘an excellent construction litigator who can seemingly grasp the crucial points of a case in record time’. Co-head Stefan Artner is a key name to note for construction mandates with a real estate angle, and ‘has a good overall understanding of transactions’.Practice head(s):
Stefan Artner; Gunnar Pickl
Other key lawyers:
Magdalena Brandstetter
Testimonials
‘One of the biggest advantages is the capability to understand the transactions not only on the legal or tax side but also to have a deep understanding in commercial terms and correlations.’
‘Stefan Artner is very well prepared for meetings, has a good overall understanding in transactions, displays perfect behaviour in negotiations, and is straight forward.’
‘The team is extremely impressive, and that is understating it. They have decades of experience and incredible know-how in both construction and contentious arbitration, which is a unique selling point in the Austrian market. If I were a client from the construction sector, Dorda would be the firm I would turn to with my disputes.’
‘What is striking is the strength with which they use new technologies with persuasive effect in arbitration proceedings. This applies to both the excellent written pleadings and the oral presentation in the arbitration proceedings.’
‘First and foremost, Gunnar Pickl is an excellent construction litigator who can seemingly grasp the crucial points of a case in record time. His impressive oral skills are matched by a to-the-point efficient writing style, leaving no stone unturned, if necessary, but concentrating on the main points.’
‘Stefan Artner has outstanding knowledge and experience in the field of real estate law. Plus he is a smart negotiator and he‘s available whenever you need him.’
‘The team handles large scale construction projects with both a national and an international dimension. They regularly provide a flexible and efficient method of dispute resolution that also guarantees legal certainty. The deep know-how enables DORDA to cover all aspects that require particular attention.’
Work highlights
Austria > EU and competition Tier 3
Headed by ‘pragmatic and highly skilled lawyer‘ Heinrich Kühnert, DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s practice group profits from close cross-practice relationships, which translate into regular mandates at the intersection of public, competition and EU law. Other key team mebmers include of counsel Elisabeth König and associate Mirko Marjanovic, both of whom focus on antitrust matters. The team is well placed to represent national and international clients in complex and sensitive matters, more recently including an increasing volume of FDI control work.Practice head(s):
Heinrich Kühnert
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘DORDA’s EU and competition law team does not only have a crazy work ethic but also a unique understanding of our quite complex business cases and sales practices. Their particular strength is not to solve problems in isolation, but to find a practically applicable solution concept that can be perfectly implemented in our business.’
‘Heinrich Kühnert is a pleasure to work with. He stands out by perfectly combining his profound expertise of competition law with astounding knowledge of the industry. I am still trying to find a problem to which he cannot find a solution. We are always receiving excellent advice from Heinrich Kühnert and it is of course an added bonus when the lawyer we hire is also a great personal fit.’
‘Very skilled, very knowledgeable and precise.’
‘Heinrich Kühnert – very experienced when it comes to merger control and FDI control; you don’t have to worry about Austrian clearances in multi-jurisdictional transactions when Heinrich and his team is on board.’
‘DORDA’s team has very good knowledge of Austrian and EU competition law and always look for business-oriented solutions.’
‘Heinrich Kühnert is a pragmatic and highly skilled lawyer with a great deal of experience, especially regarding merger proceedings before the Austrian competition authority.’
‘The team is practical, responsive and efficient.’
‘Heinrich Kühnert is very pragmatic, knowledgeable and responsive, and gets things done quickly and efficiently.’
Key clients
Miba AG
ÖBB Holding AG
Bayer Austria GmbH
Sandoz GmbH
Novartis Pharma Austria / Novartis Pharma GmbH
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
SAZKA Group (part of KKCG Group)
Nichicon Corporation
Bose Group
Greiner AG
Canal+ (former M7 Group SA)
Rail Cargo Austria AG
Kapsch Group
ZKW Group
Work highlights
- Representing Nichicon Corporation in proceedings before the European Court of Justice for the annulment of a fine imposed by the European Commission in the capacitors case.
- Representing Easypark in Austrian merger control proceedings regarding its acquisition of PARK NOW, the parking app joint venture between Mercedes and BMW.
- Representing Grifols, a manufacturer of plasma derived medicines, in Austrian merger control proceedings regarding its €1.6bn acquisition of German competitor Biotest.
Austria > Tax Tier 3
Utilising its ‘formidable network in Austria and abroad‘, the team at DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH handles matters spanning international tax structuring, transactional tax advice, and tax litigation. Department head Paul Doralt has particular nous in M&A and corporate tax law, and often works on complex international tax law issues. Elsewhere, associate Katharina Binder ‘stands out for her client handling‘ and often assists multinational clients with cross-border reorganisations.Practice head(s):
Paul Doralt
Other key lawyers:
Katharina Binder; Stanislav Nekrasov
Testimonials
‘Extensive experience, and able to advise clients on the most complex cross-border tax matters. Formidable network in Austria and abroad. Great client communication, and technically excellent.’
‘Paul Doralt is one of the top tax advisors in Austria. He has a special gift of making clients feel safe and in good hands. I would always turn to him for the most complex and important tax matters.’
‘Katharina Binder stands out for her client handling.’
Key clients
AirBnb
Kathrein Bank
Faber-Castel
Odebrecht Oil & Gas
Bank Julius Bär
UBS
Citibank
BAWAG
Goldman Sachs
Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG)
Castlelake
ZKB
Kreisel Electric
Alberta Investment Management Corporation
SapuraNoClarios
Cooper Machinery
Sazka
Bank Gutmann
Work highlights
- Advising Odebrecht Oil & Gas on cross-border leasing structures for deep-water oil platforms.
- Advised Citibank on cross-border leasing structures for locomotives of the Austrian Federal Railways.
- Advised Alberta Investment Management Corporation on the structuring of a cross-border investment in an Austrian solar power fund.
Austria > Public procurement Tier 4
Bernhard Müller leads the team at DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH, and has expertise across many different sectors, with the healthcare and life sciences industries being particular areas of focus. The team regularly receives instructions from private hospital operators, and often works on pharmaceuticals tenders.Practice head(s):
Bernhard Müller
Key clients
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
AGFA Healthcare
G4S
AMZ Arbeitsmedizinisches Zentrum für Industrie,
Handel & Gewerbe GmbH
Work highlights
- Represented AMZ in two review proceedings concerning two tenders for Covid-19 testing sites before the regional administrative court of the province of Vorarlberg as well as the highest administrative court of Austria.
DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH > Firm Profile
Three generations of lawyers who bring an international reputation and a fresh edge to the table with the aim of providing clarity in all areas of business law.
This is DORDA.
Our credo:
- Clear guidance
- Proactive advice
- Short reaction times
We pursue a holistic advisory approach and support Austrian companies, international groups, and start-ups in their entrepreneurial development and in challenging situations. Our award-winning experts provide support in all matters of business law.
Strong companies put their trust in us. For more than 45 years.
Dedicated industry groups: DORDA’s six interdisciplinary industry groups are our answer to increasingly complex markets: concentrated knowledge and strong industry affinity. Interdisciplinary legal advice from a single point of contact.
Practice areas: DORDA’s practice areas give clients access to team specialization in 23 fields of law. A proven track record is the result of decades of work with renowned clients in an international environment.
women@DORDA: Successful pioneering work: mentoring for women in business law.
Equality between women and men has been a stated goal at DORDA for many years. The initiative women@DORDA has won numerous international awards since it was founded in 2016 and promotes women within the firm through targeted mentoring measures.
Management: DORDA’s success story has been led by the partner trio Francine Brogyanyi, Axel Anderl and Martin Brodey for three years now.
DORDA stands for Clarity: Our promise is to provide clarity. By thinking ahead and responsibly examining a wide range of options, we provide clarity in an increasingly complex economic world.
We see ourselves as guides. In good times and difficult times. With an interdisciplinary, proactive approach that enables us to see the big picture our goal is to provide our clients with maximum room to maneuver. By providing strategic advice that goes beyond pure technical expertise, clients receive customized solutions for their business strategy or in crisis situations.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Arbitration | Veit Öhlberger | veit.oehlberger@dorda.at | ++43-1-533 4795-19 |
Banking & Finance, Capital Markets | Tibor Varga | tibor.varga@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-28 |
Banking & Finance, Capital Markets | Andreas Zahradnik | andreas.zahradnik@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-42 |
Capital Markets, Corporate | Christoph Brogyányi | christoph.brogyanyi@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-480 |
Competition & Antitrust | Heinrich Kühnert | heinrich.kuehnert@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-35 |
Construction Law, Dispute Resolution | Gunnar Pickl | gunnar.pickl@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-102 |
Corporate | Bernhard Rieder | bernhard.rieder@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-42 |
Data Protection, IT Law, IP, Media & Social Media | Axel Anderl | axel.anderl@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-23 |
Data Protection | Nino Tlapak | nino.tlapak@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-23 |
Dispute Resolution | Florian Kremslehner | florian.kremslehner@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-18 |
Dispute Resolution, Contract Law | Stephan Steinhofer | stephan.steinhofer@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-18 |
Employment | Thomas Angermair | thomas.angermair@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-24 |
Healthcare & Life Sciences | Francine Brogyányi | francine.brogyanyi@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-480 |
Insurance Law, Restructuring & Insolvency | Felix Hörlsberger | felix.hoerlsberger@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-17 |
Real Estate | Stefan Artner | stefan.artner@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-103 |
Real Estate | Magdalena Brandstetter | magdalena.brandstetter@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-412 |
M&A | Martin Brodey | martin.brodey@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-38 |
M&A | Jürgen Kittel | juergen.kittel@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-3970 |
M&A, Insolvency & Restructuring | Christian Ritschka | christian.ritschka@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-35 |
Public M&A | Andreas W Mayr | andreas.mayr@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-64 |
Public Law | Bernhard Müller | bernhard.mueller@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-57 |
Tax, Private Client | Paul Doralt | paul.doralt@dorda.at | +43-1-533 4795-101 |
Lawyer Profiles
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 95Languages
Bosnian Croatian English French Finnish German Hindi Hungarian Italian Mandarin Punjabi Polish Romanian Russian Serbian Spanish SlovakianOther
Managing Partner : Axel Anderl Managing Partner : Martin Brodey Managing Partner : Francine BrogyányiDiversity
Pioneering work has an impact because we put our principles into practice. Our success proves us right.
Equality between women and men has been a stated goal at DORDA for many years. We recognized the potential of women’s advancement in the legal industry early on and integrated it into our corporate strategy. We deliberately make our project teams diverse in order to demonstrably achieve better results. Equal opportunities at all levels are part of our corporate culture and are at the heart of the women@DORDA initiative. This support and mentoring program for women is continuously evaluated and expanded.
A separate management agenda keeps the topic of equal opportunities in focus at all career levels. In a 360° review, partners at DORDA are assessed on how successfully they are implementing equality in their teams. Currently around 50% of attorneys and around 55% of associates working at DORDA are female. The principle of equal payment has been implemented completely.
The next step: increase the number of female partners.
Milestones achieved and new goals: equality at all career levels, further expansion and flexibilization of re-entry and part-time models, as well as parental leave solutions for partners, attorneys and associates, further development of mentoring programs, active establishment of networks and making them accessible, initiation of events and successful implementation with cooperation partners.
Our track record: Awarded “Firm of the Year” and “Talent Management Firm of the Year” for Austria at the Women in Business Law Awards 2021.
There is still plenty to do for true equality. We continue to pursue this aim consistently.
Press Releases
New competition law rules for distribution agreements – the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation
12th June 2023 New competition law rules for distribution agreements - the new Vertical Block Exemption RegulationECJ Judgement of 25.5.2023: Sender-state-principle confirmed for satellite bouquet providers
12th June 2023 In digital television, copyright-protected works are transmitted to the relevant audience in the form of video and audio signals.DORDA together with Heuking advises listed CANCOM SE on acquisition of K-Businesscom Group
12th June 2023 Together with Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek (Munich) as lead counsel, DORDA advised CANCOM SE on the acquisition of K-Businesscom AG and all its subsidiaries.Legal 500 confirms DORDAs upwards trend
12th June 2023 Legal 500 has been evaluating the best law firms in over 150 countries for 33 years, painting the most up-to-date picture of the global legal market each year.DORDA highly awarded by Chambers Europe in 2023
12th June 2023 Outstanding achievements for the internationally active Vienna-based law firm DORDA in the recognised Chambers Europe Ranking this year.DORDA advises Nosto Solutions on the acquisition of findologic
12th June 2023 DORDA supported the Finnish ecommerce company Nosto as local Austrian counsel on the acquisition of findologic Gesellschaft m.b.H., one of the world's leading providers of modern software solutions for online shops.DORDA advises PDFTron on the acquisition of Austrian tech start-up eversign
12th June 2023 Under the lead of Patricia Backhausen and Christoph Brogyányi, DORDA advises global tech-group PDFTron on the acquisition of Austrian tech start-up eversign GmbH, a provider of digital signature solutions.Successful DORDA Engagement as Austrian counsel in GD Towers acquisition for Austrian Market
12th June 2023 Vienna, 14th of July 2022. DORDA has advised – as Austrian counsel – DigitalBridge Group, Inc.DORDA confirmed its top rankings in the recently published Chambers Europe Guide 2022
12th June 2023 In Chambers' new addition to the guide, Healthcare & Life Sciences, as well as Corporate/M&A, Dispute Resolution and TMT: IT DORDA was able to achieve the top ranking of Band 1.With the appointment of two Counsel, DORDA starts the new business year
8th February 2022 Andreas Seling und Philip Exenberger are promoted to Counsel for DORDA.DORDA advised the shareholders of PSPDFKit on EUR 100 million strategic investment from Insight Partners
5th October 2021 DORDA's Digital Industries Group, led by Christian Ritschka (Partner, M&A), advised the Austrian startup on its first strategic growth investment.Two Awards for DORDA at the Women in Business Law Europe Awards
30th June 2021 After last year's great success with three awards, DORDA was able to continue its successful course in 2021 and won in two categories at the Women in Business Law Awards Europe.DORDA advises the shareholders of AGILOX on the successful sale of shares to CARLYLE
24th June 2021 AGILOX, based in Neukirchen bei Lambach (Upper Austria), with its AI-based and self-driving logistics robots, is the subject of an investment by The Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest private equity firms based in Washington, D.C.Axel Anderl is a new Member of the Board of Directors at ITechLaw
24th June 2021 We are pleased to announce that our Managing Partner, Axel Anderl, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the globally active International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw) in June 2021.DIF Capital Partners on the sale of its stake in a PPP-project with two hospitals in Vienna
25th May 2021 The deal involved in total the sale of six European PPP-projects to UK and European infrastructure fund manager Equitix. Tibor Varga, Martin Brodey and Patricia Backhausen advised DIF on the sale of the Austrian PPP-project.DORDA is “Central Europe Life Sciences Firm of the Year”
19th May 2021 At the ninth LMG Life Sciences Awards, DORDA prevailed against very strong international competition and received the award as best Life Sciences Firm in Central Europe.DORDA is “AUSTRIAN LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR”
7th May 2021 At the prestigious Europe Awards of the internationally recognised International Financial Law Review (IFLR), DORDA has received the award "Austrian law firm of the year". This is one of the most important awards for internationally active business law firms.DORDA counts on female power and is pleased to announce two new Attorneys at Law
23rd April 2021With Patricia Backhausen and Julia Haumer-Mörzinger, DORDA is expanding its core competences in the areas of M&A/Digital Industries and Real Estate & Construction.
DORDA supports EXETER Property Group in the sale of a last-mile logistics facility in Vienna
29th March 2021DORDA announces three new partners in growth areas
19th March 2021 DORDA continues to grow and expands its partnership from within its own ranks by announcing Magdalena Brandstetter, Stephan Steinhofer and Nino Tlapak as partners.Booming logistics sector – DORDA supports logistics real estate developer DLH in two major project
7th December 2020 DORDA's real estate team supports DLH Real Estate Austria in two major logistics projects in the Vienna airport region: the sale of a part of the "Industrial Campus Vienna East" to Deka Immobilien and the purchase of 30,000 sqm of space as the starting signal for further logistics development. Both projects are located in proximity to the airport Vienna and demonstrate the expansion of the logistics sector in Austria.DORDA successfully obtains an order for the enforcement of an ICSID award in favour of Italian investors
7th December 2020 This July, DORDA initiated enforcement proceedings against Albanian assets in Austria. This was preceded by an ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes) arbitration, which Italian investors commenced against Albania following the expropriation of investments in Albania's hydropower, wind energy and media industries. However, the Albanian government fails to comply with its payment obligations.Booming logistics sector – DORDA supports logistics real estate developer DLH in two major project
7th December 2020 DORDA's real estate team supports DLH Real Estate Austria in two major logistics projects in the Vienna airport region: the sale of a part of the "Industrial Campus Vienna East" to Deka Immobilien and the purchase of 30,000 sqm of space as the starting signal for further logistics development. Both projects are located in proximity to the airport Vienna and demonstrate the expansion of the logistics sector in Austria.Sending optimistic signals for hospitality industry – DORDA supports Ascott in its market entry in
16th November 2020Three awards for DORDA at the Women in Business Law Awards Europe 2020
22nd October 2020 At this year's Women in Business Law Awards Europe, DORDA came out on top in two categories. DORDA won in the category "Best National Law Firm in Europe for Women in Business Law" and was also awarded "Best Law Firm for Women in Austria". In addition, DORDA managing partner and head of the Life Sciences practice group Francine Brogyányi was awarded "Best in Life Sciences".DORDA supports PATRIZIA AG in the purchase of a residential project development in Graz
22nd October 2020 Under the direction of Stefan Artner, DORDA advised the internationally active PATRIZIA AG on the acquisition of a residential project development in the new Reininghaus district of Graz. The seller is the AIRA Development Group, which developed the project and is responsible for construction and leasing.Francine Brogyányi wins Life Sciences Award
19th August 2020 On 10 June LMG announced the winners of the European Life Sciences Awards. The DORDA Life Science Practice Group had previously been nominated by LMG in a total of eleven categories. On the day, DORDA Managing Partner and Head of the Life Science Practice Group Francine Brogyányi emerged as the winner and was named "Litigation & Enforcement Lawyer of the Year". The award, presented for the eighth time, thus honours her outstanding work in the field of unfair competition in the life sciences industry in Europe.DORDA advises Eastern Property Holdings in a further acquisition of a office building in Vienna
19th August 2020 Eastern Property Holdings ("EPH") has successfully signed the acquisition of another prominent and centrally located office building in Vienna. EPH was advised by DORDA led by real estate partner Stefan Artner and by Magdalena Brandstetter (Attorney, Real Estate and Construction Law).UBM and ARE: joint real estate project developments in Vienna and Munich
10th June 2020 UBM Development, a leading European real estate developer, and ARE Austrian Real Estate GmbH, a subsidiary of Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG) specialising in office and residential properties, are jointly developing part of the Aspanggründe in Vienna's 3rd district and a project area in Munich-Moosach. The cooperation is a joint venture in Austria and in Germany through mutual shareholdings in the property-owning project companies. On almost 14,000 sqm (Vienna) and almost 28,000 sqm (Munich), realisations of mixed-use neighborhoods with primarily apartments, commercially used space and offices are planned.DORDA advises sustainably – Launch of the Sustainability Practice Group
10th June 2020 In keeping with today's World Environment Day, DORDA announces the establishment of the Sustainability Practice Group. The new practice group brings together experts from various legal fields to provide targeted support to companies in their efforts to operate successfully and sustainably at the same time.DORDA advises on the merger of the hosting providers easyname and dogado
10th June 2020 Under the lead of M&A expert Christian Ritschka, DORDA's Digital Industries Group advised Florian Schicker and easyname on the merger with the German dogado group.DORDA advised Lernsieg Mobile Media GmbH on the relaunch of the app “Lernsieg”
29th April 2020 DORDA IP/IT and data protection experts Axel Anderl, Nino Tlapak and Alona Klammer supported Lernsieg Mobile Media GmbH in the relaunch of the mobile app "Lernsieg", which was previously taken offline after a short time following massive counter-campaigns in autumn 2019.DORDA advises underwriting banks on the Euro 1.65 billion capital increase of ams AG
29th April 2020 DORDA's capital market law experts supported the Joint Global Coordinators UBS and HSBC in the Euro 1.65 billion capital increase of Austrian ams AG.Successful representation of willhaben by DORDA in competition law issues
29th April 2020 willhaben succeeds in competition law disputes together with DORDA over the slogan "Austria's largest car exchange" against AutoScout24.DORDA advises Greiner on the takeover of foam specialist Eurofoam
29th April 2020 DORDA's M&A experts support Austrian Greiner AG on the acquisition of all remaining shares in Eurofoam GmbH, making the Upper Austrian-based company the sole shareholder of the foam specialist.DORDA advises sportsWorld on cooperation with F1 and EON
27th March 2020 DORDA IP/IT and data protection experts Axel Anderl and Dominik Schelling support sportsWorld in a cooperation with Formula 1 in connection with the pop-up exhibition "Bond in Motion".Elena Manachimova promoted to Senior Associate at DORDA
27th March 2020 Elena Manachimova (36) joined DORDA in 2011 and has long-standing experience in advising international clients in the fields of immigration and tax law as well as private foundations and cross-border succession planning. Now, Elena Manachimova, who completed full scale legal studies both in Austria and the Russian Federation, has been admitted to the Austrian Bar.Successful advice from the home office: DORDA supported Warburg-HIH Invest in the sale of an office
24th March 2020 DORDA's real estate law experts supported Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest) in the sale of a multi-storey office building in Vienna-Simmering, with a floor area of around 14,000 square metres, to a Luxembourg real estate fund.DORDA establishes multidisciplinary Digital Industries Group
8th August 2019 DORDA has always had a strong focus on the digital and technology sector. The team of nine leading and award-winning IT/IP professionals led by partner Axel Anderl has been boasting a strong track record of relevant client relationships for more than a decade. In addition, other expert teams of the firm, such as the M&A group, the corporate law, banking and insurance teams or the antitrust team, also work for technology companies on a daily basis. As a consequence, DORDA has now established a new interdisciplinary Digital Industries Group, which institutionalises the cooperation of DORDA's experienced, technology-oriented experts in the digital and technology sector. Constant sharing of know-how will further strengthen the expertise and quality of the Group's services, thus creating further synergy effects for clients.Legal Developments
Opinion of advocate general Hogan on copyright levies for cloud services: National legislator’s Leeway confirmed
28th September 2021In principle, the author of a work protected by copyright has an exclusive right to reproduce or copy it. In Austria, however, anyone has the right to make copies of such works for private use. Originally, the legislator had scenarios in mind where people recorded music from the radio with their stereo system and a blank tape cassette, or recorded films via a video recorder.
The first-ever legal framework on AI: EU Commission proposes a new Regulation
29th April 2021 Artificial intelligence (AI) will shape our digital future. Self-driving cars, smart cities, digital factories and more precise medical diagnoses - the opportunities of AI are endless. However, its use also triggers significant risks. Algorithms or deep learning tools which are not accurate might severely affect people. In specific cases it might even raise complex ethical questions, for example when it comes to decision about life or death. The EU legislator realized the chances, but also the risks of AI at a very early stage. It thus aims to implement a legal framework for trustworthy and safe AI, hile strengthening AI uptakes, investments and innovations across the EU.Commercial contracts in times of corona
23rd March 2020 Are delivery obligations between businesses still to be fulfilled?Austrian short-time working model “Corona Immediate Assistance-Short Time Flex”
23rd March 2020 Short-time work is generally understood to be the temporary, foreseeable reduction in normal working hours (by at least 10% to a maximum of 90%).Public law measures and orders against COVID-19
23rd March 2020 Which laws are applicable and what are the most important regulations?COVID-19 Q&A on real estate and tenancy law
23rd March 2020 In the days between 13 March 2020 and 15 March 2020, the government announced a comprehensive package of measures to combat Covid-19 ("Corona virus"), which is to enter into force on 16 March 2020. This in particular includes the ordered closure of shops and restaurants. The following initial overview addresses a number of key issues that arise for tenants and landlords as a result of the current situation.Corona Virus: Impacts on Taxation, Financial Statements, Ability to distribute dividends
23rd March 2020 Corona Virus: Impacts on Taxation, Financial Statements, Ability to distribute dividends. What you have to watch out for!Civil Litigation
23rd March 2020 What are the effects of COVID-19 and the measures recently taken by the federal government on litigation proceedings?M&A and capital markets law – What needs to be considered?
23rd March 2020 Covid-19 poses major challenges for (cross-border) M&A transactions as well as for capital market deals.Corporate law perspective on corona
23rd March 2020What effects does the current situation have on planned shareholders' meetings? Can shareholders' meetings be held? And are there any delays in registrations with the commercial register?
Which privacy aspects must companies take into account when processing health data?
23rd March 2020 Can a company collect data about a (potential) infection with COVID-19?How can managers avoid personal liability for the financial impact of the Corona crisis on the compa
18th March 2020 How can managers avoid personal liability for the financial impact of the Corona crisis on the compa Limited liability companies and stock companies must file for the opening of insolvency proceedings if they are unable to pay their open debts (illiquidity) or over-indebted without a positive prognosis. If such ground to file for insolvency has occurred, managers are obliged to file for insolvency as soon as possible, but at the latest within 60 days. Otherwise they are personally liable - without limitation - for damages caused by a delayed filing for insolvency (i.e. loss of new creditors and quota damage of old creditors). In Austrian practice, approximately 99% of all insolvency proceedings are opened due to illiquidity, whereby according to established case law illiquidity is presumed if 95% of the due debts cannot be paid when due.Which Insurance covers corona damages? What do you have to do not to lose coverage?
18th March 2020 Insurance companies insure uncertain risks of individuals that may arise in the future and cover such risks with the premiums of the insured community. Once the risk has already occurred or is about to occur immediately and one does not have taken out insurance already, it is not possible to get insurance cover anymore.Covid19: Financing
18th March 2020 The first part of the article deals with various legal issues that may become relevant for financings in connection with measures to limit the spread of Covid 19. The second part sets out links to current public subsidy offers.Covid-19: Supervisory law for banks and other financial service providers
18th March 2020 On 13 March 2020, the Austrian Government announced a comprehensive package of measures to combat Covid19 ("Corona virus"), which is to come into force on 16 March 2020. The following initial overview therefore addresses some of the key issues that this will raise for banks – but also for other financial service providers:The National Regulation On The Security Of “nis” In Austria Should Be Of Interest To You
8th August 2019Good things come to those who wait? Finally, the main implementing regulation for the Austrian Law on Network and Information System Security (Netz- und Informationssystemsicherheitsgesetz, "NISG") was published last week. It serves primarily to define which companies are actually affected by the NISG. Now it is getting serious for the operators of "essential services". What does that mean?
“black Friday” – Now Freely Usable For Promotions In Austria
16th July 2019Black Friday is unquestionable one of the most profitable and busiest days of the year for retail, particularly online. Worldwide almost all online store do offer sales or special promotions on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Already after this practice has established online, a trademark for "BLACK FRIDAY" was registered in Germany back in 2013. In 2016 a Chinese company acquired the trademark and then filed in 2017 for its extension to Austria. Based on the registered trademark, it granted exclusive rights to an Austrian company, which licensed usage rights to various partner stores against remuneration. Further, an exclusive "Black Friday-Cooperation Program" was established. Non-partners who used the event name or trademark were prosecuted and requested to either pay a license fee or refrain from running Black Friday promotions. Some followed the request and entered into license agreements. Some, however, did challenge the validity of the trademark. Finally, respective proceedings to check the actual protection of the trademark were initiated. Austrian courts now held that the trademark "BLACK FRIDAY" is not protected in Austria.
Consent or pay – a valid scheme under the GDPR?
29th April 2019Media companies throughout Europe struggle with a difficult economic environment: Shrinking sales figures for print products, the digitalisation and consumer demand force publishers to offer their content also on the internet. However, generating money for online publications is not quite easy as – at least in Austria – online subscription against renumeration has not been well accepted by customers. This partially has its root in the lack of suitable micropayment means in the past and users thus getting acquainted to online information being offered for free. Thus, publishers have instead focused on financing their platforms by online marketing activities such as placement of banners. Nowadays such digital advertisement is usually targeted to the specific user. For this purpose, cookies are stored on the user's computer upon his first visit of the website, which then collect data about his location, technical equipment used and online behaviour. This finally allows to display specific, user targeted advertisements. However, such cookies may cause issues with applicable consent requirements under the telecommunication and data protection regulations:
Austria: Anonymisation Accepted As Valid Data Deletion Method
29th April 2019On 5th December 2018, the Austrian data protection authority (Datenschutzbehörde, "DSB") issued a decision (DSB-D123.270/0009-DSB/2018) on data subject's right to data deletion according to Art 17 GDPR. In a nutshell, the DSB accepted consistent anonymisation as a valid alternative to physical and technical deletion. Beside the clear statement that anonymous data is not subject to the GDPR, the DSB provided detailed information on (technical) requirements of anonymisation methods:
Austrian Data Protection Authority Issued The “black List”
5th December 2018Processing operations subject to the requirement of a data protection impact assessment.
Following the "White List", the data protection authority has now also issued the long-awaited "Black List" in form of a binding regulation. This provides greater clarity as to when Data Protection Impact Assessments ("DPIA") are actually to be carried out in practice in Austria. As already in the draft, the regulation does not provide an exhaustive list of processing operations that are subject to the requirement. Rather, the regulation specifies criteria - some of which require further interpretation - which shall make it necessary to carry out a detailed examination.
Rien ne va plus!
22nd August 2018
Austrian Real Estate and Construction Law
On 30 June 2018 an amendment to the Vienna Building Code entered into force rendering it more difficult to demolish historic buildings in the Austrian capital. Is this the beginning of a new and hostile approach to owners of historic buildings? No! The Austrian Constitutional Court had already confirmed in 2017 that the rent based on the reference value (Richtwertmietzins) and the prohibition to request higher rent in certain areas of the city (Lagezuschlag) were in line with the constitution. In addition, the Supreme Court had redefined the rent control system in leading judgments in 2017. Despite massive impacts on owners of historic buildings, the federal legislator has not provided viable solutions.
DORDA advises on the acquisition of Austrian office properties Denk Drei
28th June 2018Stefan Artner, Partner and Head of the Real Estate Practice Group, and real estate attorney Klaus Pfeiffer of DORDA advised Austrian Real Estate Development GmbH (ARE, a subsidiary of Bundesimmobilien-Gesellschaft, the Austrian privatization agency) on the acquisition of the Denk Drei office properties from IC Development. The successful closing of the forward purchase transaction took place on April 30, 2018. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Austrian “White List”
22nd June 2018
Exceptions
from the OBLIGATION TO CARRY OUT A data protection impact assessment
Immediately on 25 May, the GDPR-day, the
Austrian Data Protection Authority published its White List brining some clarity
concerning the obligation to carry out a data protection impact assessment. As
expected, especially standardized data processing activities and already
registered processing operations that have to be approved by the authority in
advance do not require an impact assessment.
for Austria and we can only hope that it will be issued soon as well.
Stop! Wait! Move! – No longer Stamp Duty for Residential Homes
19th October 2017On 12 October 2017, right in a last minute attempt to win undecided voters for one of the political parties, the leaving members of parliament enacted a new tax law. While fundamental changes to the Austrian Tenancy Law had been vividly discussed between the socialist and the conservative parties in recent years, the new law on the abolition of stamp duty falls completely short of what could have been achieved.
The role of the supervisory board in investor relations
11th August 20171.Abstract
Contrary to common law jurisdictions such as the US or UK, the laws of civil law jurisdictions Germany and Austria provide for a two-tier structure for stock companies (Aktiengesellschaft), thereby strictly distinguishing the tasks, duties and responsibilities of the Management Board (Vorstand) from those of the Supervisory Board (Aufsichtsrat). Under the Austrian Stock Companies Act (Aktiengesetz), the Management Board has the sole competence to represent the company vis-à-vis third parties. There are only limited exceptions in which the Supervisory Board may act for, in the name of and on behalf of the company.
Constitutional Court’s Recent Judgments on Rent in Austria
11th August 2017The Constitutional Court has recently provided two judgments on 28 June 2017 on the rent control legislation in Austria ruling that the current system for flats complies with Austrian Constitutional Law and the European Convention on Human Rights. The Constitutional Court visibly failed to take the opportunity to initiate a change to the current legislation. Further appeals to the Constitutional Court are likely and worthwhile with the Austrian parties currently involved in their campaigns for the general election in October 2017.
Buy-to-Let Schemes in Austria
27th July 2017Buy-to-let schemes reached the Austrian market several years ago and have gained increased popularity in the scenic alpine regions of Tyrol, Vorarlberg or Salzburg. Investors acquire condominium ownership in newly constructed hotel facilities and rent out the properties to hotel operators at – ideally – attractive rates. While buy-to-let-schemes can be very lucrative investments, they also raise complex legal and tax questions. With the economic and financial crisis falling into oblivion, investors, however, have become more and more willing to sail these waters.
New Austrian Data Protection Act Implementing Gdpr Passed The Austrian Parliament
6th July 2017After some last-minute amendments, the new Austrian Data Protection Act, implementing and supplementing the EU General Data Protection Regulation, was finally adopted by the Austrian Parliament on 30 June 2017. The new provisions provide for some local specialties that must be considered by all companies active in Austria. All changes become applicable from May 2018 but the new obligations require complex internal amendments that should be reflected in the course of the GDRP implementation to avoid the increased penalties. [read more here]
Liability for “LSD”
6th July 2017On 1 January 2017 the Austrian Wage and Social Dumping Prevention Act (Lohn- und Sozialdumping-Bekämpfungsgesetz – abbreviated to "LSD-BG") came into effect. An enhanced liability regime for the principal shall reduce and ultimately eliminate the undercutting of wages, in particular in the construction sector. The last six months have shown increased awareness of potential liabilities by principals and workers.
Increased Liability for Real Estate Agents in Austria
13th June 2017Pursuant to the Austrian Broker Act (Maklergesetz), a broker has to fairly and diligently protect their principal's interest. Until a very recent judgment of the Austrian Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof), courts have taken a very lenient stance on the liability of real estate agents. The judgment of the Supreme Court of 24 Jan 2017, however, might permanently divert existing case law.
Significant adjustments to Insolvency Law in Austria
13th June 2017The Insolvency Law Amending Statute of 2017 (Insolvenzrechtsänderungsgesetz 2017, IRÄG 2017) was adopted by the Council of Ministers at the end of March and is currently in the process of being reviewed. The reform is due to enter into force on 1 July 2017 and contains significant innovations. Its primary objective is to facilitate the debt relief of natural persons.
First Draft for the New Austrian Data Protection Act Published
22nd May 2017The long-awaited first draft for the new Austrian Data Protection Act, implementing and supplementing the EU General Data Protection Regulation, was finally published on 12 May 2017.
Premium Payment Clauses – Surcharges need to be transparent
16th May 2017The implementation of clauses on short-term premium instalments
In its ruling (7 Ob 5/16k) of 17 February 2016, the Austrian Supreme Court determined that a clause on "short-term premium instalments" (Unterjährigkeitsklauseln) contained in the general terms and conditions for life insurance contracts with premium refund was non-transparent. The clause provided that premiums may be paid in semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly instalments.
- Data privacy and data protection
- Dispute resolution: arbitration and mediation
- Dispute resolution: commercial litigation
- Intellectual property
- Real estate
- TMT