The Legal 500

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

Wolf Theiss’ BiH practice is led by partner David Ayres, whom clients consider to be ‘experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy’. The local team offers the full gamut of legal services to a predominantly central European client base, in conjunction with other offices in the firm’s network. The firm’s M&A clients in 2008 included GeoPost Paris, Soreltek Belgium and Lexmark International Technologies. The firm also continued advising UniCredit/HVB Group on the merger of HVB Central Profit Banka and Zagrebacka Banka Bosnia. The Bosnian practice benefits from the firm’s strong reputation for banking and financial work, acting locally for major players such as Bank Austria Creditanstalt, West LB, Citibank and ING Bank. Other significant corporate clients include technology companies Nokia Siemens Networks and Cisco Systems. With expertise in employment, corporate restructuring and competition, Wolf Theiss is a ‘go-to’ practice in the jurisdiction for international companies.

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

In addition to acting for international clients such as Apollo Tyres, India and McArthurGlen Europe on the submission of trade mark applications, in 2008 Wolf Theiss also represented SWAG Autoteile with regard to the confiscation of goods by Bosnian custom officials.

Within Legal market,

Both the Federation and RS have separate laws, courts and bar associations, mirroring political fractures. The Federation accounts for the bulk of the economy and consequently Sarajevo houses the major law firms. Domestically, Maric Law Office continues to dominate, with a reputation amongst foreign clients as the most professional and reliable of the home-grown outfits. Three-partner Lawyers Office Bojana Tkalcic-Dulic, Olodar Prebanic & Adela Draganovic is not far behind and recommended sole practitioner Advokat Karabdic Kerim goes from strength to strength. The only international firms present in the market are regional players Law Office Femil Curt and Wolf Theiss, for whom their Bosnian offices represent the realisation of a general policy of ubiquity across Central and Eastern Europe. Whilst the latter firm continues to lead operations from Vienna, the former changed strategy in 2008 and concentrated on creating a more self-sufficient local practice. Both remain the first port of call for foreign investors and the influence of their respective networks guarantees a level of quality that the domestic market struggles to produce. Both are fending off hostility from Bosnian firms and the two bar associations. BiH’s profoundly illiberal legal market continues to discourage the presence of foreign firms. The RS has only a handful of firms, all operating out of its unofficial capital Banja Luka. Attorney at Law Office Ruzica Topic, Advokatska Firma Sajic o.d. and Stevan Dimitrijevic Law Office in cooperation with Karanovic & Nikolic – the one-partner outpost of Serbian operation Karanovic & Nikolic – are the leading players. Observers agree greater liberalisation is needed if the market is to grow and standards are to rise. Despite the modest demand, there remains a shortfall of highly qualified, multilingual lawyers capable of dealing with international clients.

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

Wolf Theiss has an enviable client list encompassing European and international companies, as well as significant domestic mandates including leading Bosnian supermarket chain Interex. In 2008, the firm acted for Cuubus Real Immobilien and M.O.F. Immobilien on real estate projects in Sarajevo, as well as advising PORR Austria on a development in Mostar. Construction clients included Uniqa Real Estate and Triland Development.