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What we say about the firm's legal practice in Austria
Banking and finance
Within Banking and finance, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Wolf Theiss has some of the best banking relationships in Austria, and has been advising on some of the country’s highest-profile restructurings and bank recapitalisations. Standout transactions included representing the distressed Hypo Group during its nationalisation by the Austrian government. Richard Wolf leads the team.
Capital markets
Within Capital markets, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Wolf Theiss’ capital markets team leverages off the firm’s first-rate relationships with banking clients. In 2010 the practice also increased its experience in corporate bond issuances, with practice head Richard Wolf leading a team that advised UniCredit Bank and Erste Group on the public offering of up to €200m in senior fixed rate bonds by Borealis, the chemicals and plastics manufacturer. Claus Schneider is recommended.
Central and Eastern Europe
Within Central and Eastern Europe, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Austrian giant Wolf Theiss is one of the most prominent names in the region and, according to one client, ‘offers a consistently high level of service regardless of where we are doing business’. Standout mandates included advising Hypo Group in negotiations with the Austrian government during its nationalisation; this included negotiations with the European Commission and the restructuring of large loan and lease portfolios across Ukraine, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The ‘superb’ Dieter Spranz heads up the practice.
Corporate and M&A
Within Corporate and M&A, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Wolf Theiss ‘understands clients’ needs’, and ‘its business-minded approach and regional knowledge are a winning combination.’ Work included advising on aspects of the protracted Porsche and Volkswagen merger and advising shareholders of Futurelab on the company's sale to private equity firm BC Partners. Practice head Dieter Spranz is ‘invaluable’.
Dispute resolution
Within Dispute resolution, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
The ‘first-rate’ and ‘fast-reacting’ Wolf Theiss disputes team is led by Bettina Knoetzl. The firm is representing a major real estate client in a €2bn claim against an Austrian bank for overcharging and fraud, and is also developing its white-collar crime expertise. Christoph Liebscher, Georg Kresbach, Eva Spiegel and Andreas Theiss are all recommended.
EU and competition
Within EU and competition , Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
The ‘smooth and efficient’ team at Wolf Theiss is ‘excellent on all points’ and had a strong year, picking up big-name new clients such as Daimler, Amazon, Dell and Chanel. It is advising and representing McArthurGlen, a leading operator of factory outlet centres, before the competition authorities and the Cartel Court. Günter Bauer is highly recommended for his merger control experience; he ‘will never let you down’ and is ‘very responsive and analytically strong’. In 2010 the team was bolstered by the hire of competition specialist Jochen Anweiler from O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Brussels.
Employment
Within Employment , Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Wolf Theiss handles many of the largest employment matters in the market, such as advising UniCredit Group and Bayerische HypoVereinsbank on the employment issues relating to their merger, which potentially sees 15% of staff at both companies affected. The team has seen a significant up-turn in work resulting from restructuring and the drive to save costs. The ‘pragmatic and sharp’ Ralf Peschek heads the team and is a favourite among clients. The team is valued for its impressive response times, and ‘workable, pragmatic solutions’.
IT and telecommunications
Within IT and telecommunications, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,
Wolf Theiss continues to have a strong reputation for IT and telecoms litigation, and has also developed good experience in digital copyright issues. Georg Kresbach leads the team, which advised a global IT sector player on data protection, regulatory and antitrust issues relating to a product in Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Insolvency and corporate recovery
Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,
Wolf Theiss’ insolvency and restructuring team has close ties with the firm’s excellent CEE and corporate practices, and had an active 2010 advising on a number of large restructurings. Christian Hoenig leads the three-partner team, which also features Eva Spiegel. The firm advised York Capital Management as a major creditor of low-cost carrier SkyEurope during the latter’s €32m insolvency and restructuring in 2010.
Intellectual property and media
Within Intellectual property and media, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,
Wolf Theiss had a busy 2010 advising an impressive roster of media and pharmaceutical clients, and is notable for its expertise in digital copyright cases. Georg Kresbach heads up the team, which advised the worlds largest generics manufacturer Actavis in court proceedings to overturn an injunction to sell a generic drug in Austria. Other clients include the European Central Bank and a global IT sector player.
Legal market overview
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.
Private client
Within Private client, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,
At Wolf Theiss Clemens Schindler is a firm favourite with clients, and is praised as ‘very proactive and dedicated to his clients’. The team represented the heiress Sophie Huvos Czernin in seeking €400m compensation from the Austrian government over the forced sale of her family’s Vermeer painting to the Nazis in 1940.
Public procurement
Within Public procurement, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,
Austrian giant Wolf Theiss has a heavyweight reputation in the public procurement arena, and continues to hire into its ‘excellent team of young and committed lawyers’. Practice head Manfred Essletzbichler ‘has the ability to rapidly identify the most crucial problems and knows how to solve them’. The team continues to advise Vienna International Airport on an €800m construction tender for the terminal extension project.
Real estate
Within Real estate, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Wolf Theiss is consistently seen as a market leader. Peter Oberlechner leads the team, which continued to represent a developer of factory outlet stores and the Vienna Insurance group on a complex joint venture for the €150m conversion of Salzburg Airport terminal, the largest shopping centre in western Austria. The group also advised Mereit on the €212m sale of its stake in the major property company that owns the IZD Tower in central Vienna.
Tax
Within Tax, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,
Wolf Theiss has ‘a thoroughly researched approach which is appreciated by the client’. Niklas Schmidt heads the team, which advised York Capital as a creditor of budget airline SkyEurope on various tax, insolvency and reorganisation matters. Clients praise Clemens Schindler as a ‘lawyer you definitely want to have on your side’: ‘strong both in civil law and tax law matters and able to provide direct access to other specialised professionals in his firm’.
What we say worldwide
Please choose another Wolf Theiss office to view full details of what we say in that region, or choose from this list to view a specific editorial reference in context.
Austria
Offices in Vienna
- Legal market overview : Legal market overview
- Banking and finance : Banking and finance
- Capital markets : Capital markets
- Central and Eastern Europe : Central and Eastern Europe
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution : Dispute resolution
- EU and competition : EU and competition
- Employment : Employment
- IT and telecommunications : IT and telecommunications
- Insolvency and corporate recovery : Insolvency and corporate recovery
- Intellectual property and media : Intellectual property and media
- Private client : Private client
- Public procurement : Public procurement
- Real estate : Real estate
- Tax : Tax
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Offices in Sarajevo
- Legal market overview : Legal market overview
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Intellectual property : Intellectual property
- Real estate and construction : Real estate and construction
Bulgaria
Offices in Sofia
- Legal market overview : Legal market overview
- Banking and finance : Banking and finance
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Real estate and construction : Real estate and construction
- TMT : TMT
Croatia
Offices in Zagreb
- Banking, finance and capital markets : Banking, finance and capital markets
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Foreign investment, projects and privatisation : Foreign investment, projects and privatisation
- Real estate : Real estate
- Shipping : Shipping
Czech Republic
Offices in Prague
- Banking, finance and capital markets : Banking, finance and capital markets
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution : Dispute resolution
- Real estate and construction : Real estate and construction
Hungary
Offices in Budapest
- Competition : Competition
- Dispute resolution : Dispute resolution
- Employment : Employment
- Energy : Energy
- Mergers and acquisitions : Mergers and acquisitions
- Project finance : Project finance
- Real estate : Real estate
- Tax : Tax
Romania
Offices in Bucharest
- Banking, finance and capital markets : Banking, finance and capital markets
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution : Dispute resolution
- Energy and natural resources : Energy and natural resources
- Public private partnership and procurement : Public private partnership and procurement
- Real estate : Real estate
Slovakia
Offices in Bratislava
- Leading market overview : Leading market overview
- Banking, finance and capital markets : Banking, finance and capital markets
- Corporate and commercial, including M&A : Corporate and commercial, including M&A
Slovenia
Offices in Ljubljana
Ukraine
Offices in Kiev
- Banking, finance and capital markets : Banking, finance and capital markets
- Corporate and M&A : Corporate and M&A
- Real estate and construction : Real estate and construction
Serbia
Offices in Novi Beograd