The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Wolf Theiss is ‘on the expensive side, but well worth it’, and has ‘a can-do attitude’ which is ‘extremely helpful in getting complex transactions done’. Its recent work includes advising on the debt restructuring of SW Umwelttechnik for a J banking consortium led by Erste Bank. It also advised on a joint venture financing of a wind farm in Bulgaria, worth €34m. Richard Wolf heads the team of five partners.

Within Capital markets, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Wolf Theiss’ capital markets group, led by Richard Wolf, acted for metal recycling company Scholz AG on its first bond issuance in Austria, valued at €150m; and also assisted Telekom Austria on the establishment of its €2.5bn EMTN programme, and subsequent €750m bond issuance. It has ‘excellent legal and market knowledge’, and a team of ‘excellent negotiators’.

Within Central and Eastern Europe, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Wolf Theiss ‘has become the go-to firm for the central and eastern European region’, and its ‘smart, international mindset’ also ‘offers local solutions’. It has expertise in energy-related work, and recently advised on a wind farm transaction in Romania. It also assisted the Vienna Insurance Group on the acquisition of a real estate portfolio across the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, valued at €150m. Horst Ebhardt and Christian Mikosch’s experience in the region provides ‘a strong strategic vision’ and enables them to ‘assess risks in a sophisticated manner’.

Within Corporate and M&A, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

The lawyers at Wolf Theiss ‘work hard and are on time, and the results are excellent’. The firm is also valued for its ‘strong strategic vision on deals’, and is ‘well worth’ the price. It assisted the Italian state holding company Cassa Depositi e Prestiti on its acquisition of an 89% stake in Trans Austria Gas Pipeline, a deal valued at €710m and involving regulatory and competition issues. It also acted for RWE Beteiligungsgesellschaft on its acquistion of a 12.85% share in energy provider KELAG from Kärntner Energieholding Beteiligungs (KEH). Dieter Spranz is ‘a tough negotiator’, and Christian Mikosch ‘a great strategic thinker’.

Within Dispute resolution, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Wolf Theiss’ ‘upscale’ practice ‘acts on its own initiative’, and attracts praise for its ‘high dedication and quality’. Recent highlights include representing an Austrian Bank in a major financial dispute over a swap agreement with an Austrian municipality, where the legality of the contract was called into question and €450m sought by the opponent. In arbitration, it advised the Danish Polish Telecommunication Group under UNCITRAL rules in a dispute over a major share of Poland’s telecoms infrastructure, winning a €400m award for its client. Christoph Liebscher is ‘always accessible and delivers on time’, and Holger Bielesz is ‘a very competent lawyer’.

Within EU and competition, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Noted for its ‘outstanding expertise’ and ‘service-driven approach’, Wolf Theiss advised América Móvil on the acquisition of what is now the second-largest stake in Telekom Austria, which was subject to rigorous merger control analysis by the regulators. The firm is also representing a major retail chain in a construction material cartel case before the Austrian competition authorities. The team’s ‘very broad range of experts’ is led by Günter Bauer, who ‘finds the necessary balance between in-depth analysis and a business-oriented approach’. Peter Thyri recently left to join Weinrauch Rechtsanwälte.

Within Employment, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Wolf Theiss ‘gives high-quality advice at a competitive price’, has ‘a profound business understanding’, and shows ‘inter-cultural awareness’ on deals. The practice is handling more banking sector work, including advising on the regulations surrounding bank bonuses. It also assisted on Inter IKEA Centre Group’s sale of two large centres in Austria. Other active clients include Raiffeisen Bank International, BAWAG PSK, Eli Lilly, and Deutsche Telekom. Ralf Peschek has ‘a good feeling for the commercial value’, and Matthias Unterrieder is noted for cross-border advice.

Within IT and telecommunications, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,

Wolf Theiss is highlighted for its ‘in-depth business knowledge’ and ‘very quick response times’, and acts for an impressive array of international companies including Facebook, Google and Swarovski. Georg Kresbach has ‘outstanding expertise’ in IT matters.

Within Insolvency and corporate recovery, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,

Wolf Theiss advised a group of Austrian banks (led by Erste Bank) on the restructuring of the debt of environmental technology company SW Umwelttechnik, valued at €80m. It also assisted Erste on the restructuring of a project finance facility for a sports stadium in Split, which involved the Croatian government and is indicative of the firm’s CEE capabilities. The team has grown in recent years and now comprises 15 fee-earners, notably Eva Spiegel and Christian Hoenig.

Within Intellectual property and media, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,

Wolf Theiss’ IP practice prides itself on its CEE capabilities. It represented Crocs Inc in a Romanian case relating to infringement of design rights; and also assisted the client in relation to counterfeit clogs sold in Austria. Among ‘a very broad range of experts’, Georg Kresbach is ‘outstanding’. Google, Novartis and Hugo Boss are also clients.

Within Private client, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,

Wolf Theiss is valued for its broad range of services, ‘in-depth knowledge and contact base’, and ‘highly capable, experienced individuals’. The team continues to advise on high-profile private foundation work for foreign investors, and is increasingly active assisting with prenuptial agreements. Clemens Schindler ‘particularly shines’.

Within Public procurement, Wolf Theiss is a second tier firm,

‘Very efficient and incredibly dedicated to getting the job done’, Wolf Theiss’ large-scale work over 2012 included acting for Vienna International Airport on its terminal extension project, valued at €800m. It also advised the Ukrainian economic ministry on the development of its national public procurement legislation, including the potential accession to the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement. Practice head Manfred Essletzbichler is ‘a vastly experienced specialist in public procurement law’. Senior associate Johannes Schnitzer left the firm to establish his own practice.

Within Real estate and construction, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

Wolf Theiss’ ‘exceptional’ real estate practice is an ‘indispensable asset’ and noted for its ‘in-depth knowledge’ and ‘very constructive’ approach. In response to current market conditions, the firm created a subsidiary service dedicated to real estate restructurings, primarily for banks and other financial institutions. Elsewhere, it advised Abercrombie & Fitch on its entry into the Austrian market and its opening of stores in Vienna, Graz and Salzburg. Peter Oberlechner provides ‘very target-oriented’ advice, and Lothar Wachter is ‘first rate’.

Within Tax, Wolf Theiss is a first tier firm,

The team at Wolf Theiss advised America Movil on the tax issues relating to its acquisition of 5% of the outstanding shares in Telekom Austria, involving issues arising in Austria and the CEE region. It is also experienced in the reorganisation of private equity funds. The practice appointed international tax lawyer Elinore Richardson as co-head of the team, and Clemens Schindler is highly rated. Aéroports de Paris, Siemens, and Morgan Stanley are also clients.