Firms To Watch: Commercial, corporate and M&A

LeitnerLaw Attorneys at Law‘s corporate and M&A department handles a variety of M&A transactions, and is well versed in private equity work. Leading the team is Vedran Obradović, who became partner in 2022, and Daniel Lungenschmid is a standout name for M&A mandates.

Commercial, corporate and M&A in Austria

Cerha Hempel

The ‘exceptional industry sector knowledge‘ within the team at Cerha Hempel reaches all areas of corporate and commercial work, and the team provides the full range of services, from strategic corporate governance advice to private equity and venture capital assistance to work on cross-border transactions. The cross-border work leans heavily towards the CEE region, owing to the firm’s offices in the region. Leading the team are Clemens Hasenauer, Albert Birkner and Johannes Aehrenthal. The trio are well supported by senior associate Wolfgang Sindelar, who regularly advises on high-value M&A transactions. Nadine Leitner was promoted to partner in February 2022.


Practice head(s):

Clemens Hasenauer; Albert Birkner; Johannes Aehrenthal


Other key lawyers:

Johannes Prinz; Wolfgang Sindelar; Thomas Trettnak; Heinrich Foglar-Deinhardstein; Nadine Leitner


Testimonials

‘Exceptional legal knowledge and ability. Exceptional industry sector knowledge. Exceptional responsiveness and accessibility.’

‘Johannes Prinz is an extremely knowledgeable and hard-working lawyer.’

‘They have suitable and accessible teams that take care of our issues. I see particular strength in the team’s ability to handle a number of transactions. They are reliable partners in our legal affairs.’

‘Great collaboration between team members and good gender equality.’

‘The team sees the wider picture. They are excellent problem solvers, but do not create additional problems and focus on the issues that matter. Their legal expertise is outstanding. It is combined with business understanding.’

‘For me, Albert Birkner is the best legal adviser for M&A, and other corporate matters. He stays on top of things and gets the job done without getting lost in unimportant aspects. He understands his client’s business and has loads of valuable experience. It is a delight to work with him.’

‘Cerha Hempel has a strong full service team in all major areas of business law. In my view they can perfectly handle numerous transactions at the same time. Accessibility and meeting timelines is never an issue.’

‘Excellent legal expertise and responsiveness, and outstanding partner availability.’

Key clients

XXXLutz Group


B&C Group (in particular B&C Industrieholding GmbH and B & C KB Holding GmbH)


OMV AG


Advent International


AVS Group


RHI Magnesita Group


Teufelberger Group


Minerals Technologies Inc.


AIK Banka a.d., Gorenjska Banka d.d. and Agri Europe Cyprus Limited


Saubermacher Dienstleistungs AG


MK Group


Andlinger & Co GmbH


Astara group


Moodys Corporation


Poke House


San Venture Service GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advised XXXLutz Group on a share acquisition establishing a 50/50 partnership in Black Red White Group.
  • Advised Austrian major stakeholder B&C Group on with the acquisition of 80% shares in the German Atlas Flexibles GmbH, the top holding company of the Schur Flexibles Group, from the US-based private investment firm Lindsay Goldberg.
  • Advised OMV as transaction counsel on the sale of OMV’s filling station business in Germany to the British EG Group, encompassing 285 filling stations in southern Germany with a focus on Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

Schoenherr (Schönherr Rechtsanwälte)

Schoenherr (Schönherr Rechtsanwälte) has a strong track record in large-scale corporate transactions in Austria and supports all types of corporate entities, from market leaders to start-ups. Practice head Roman Perner is at the forefront of the team’s corporate contentious work internationally, and handles mandates concerning domestic corporate reorganisations. Christian Herbst is extremely experienced in private M&A, venture capital, public takeover and corporate finance transactions, and counts many international companies as clients. Another prominent name to note is Markus Piuk, referred to by clients as a ‘personable, knowledgeable, and astute negotiator’, whose practice stands out for its focus on matters related to infrastructure projects within Southeastern Europe. Sascha Hödl also contributes to the practice, and Maximilian Lang is an expert in M&A transactions and Austrian corporate law.

Practice head(s):

Roman Perner


Other key lawyers:

Alexander Popp; Sascha Hödl; Christian Herbst; Maximilian Lang; Markus Piuk


Testimonials

‘What makes the team unique is the understanding of business challenges and not sole focus on legal topics. They are great advisers.’

‘Markus Piuk understands the business goal.’

‘The Schönherr team provides excellent service across all dimensions. They are quick to react to questions or requests for support, provide great legal advice, and are shrewd negotiators.’

‘Excellent team, extremely hardworking, always available.’

‘Markus Piuk is personable, knowledgeable, and an astute negotiator.’

Key clients

Starwood Capital Group


Sanofi


COFAG – COVID-19 Finanzierungsagentur des Bundes GmbH


Kellogg’s


UBS Europe SE


immigon portfolioabbau ag


VERBUND AG


UNIQA Group


OMV AG


AddLife


UNICORN-Biotech Holding GmbH


RFR


voestalpine Stahl GmbH


Deutsche Post AG


ECOwind Handels- & Wartungs GmbH


UniCredit Bank Austria AG


Erste Group


Funke Mediengruppe


Bilfinger Industrial Services Österreich GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advised Starwood Capital Group on the public takeover offer for VSE-listed CA Immobilien Anlagen AG.
  • Supported Sanofi with all legal aspects of the acquisition of Origimm Biotechnology GmbH from Origimm’s CEO and founder, and Atlan Privatstifting.
  • Advised PALFINGER AG on the reversal of the cross-shareholding with the SANY Group, a Chinese equipment manufacturing group.

Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwälte GmbH & Co KG

The versatile team at Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwälte GmbH & Co KG is led by Horst Ebhardt and Florian Kusznier, who have handled some extremely high-profile domestic transactions as well as a range of commercial and corporate matters. The ‘perfectly organised team of professionals from different fields’ also enables the group to advise a range of clients, spanning financial institutions, technology companies, high-growth companies, and start-ups. In a recent highlight, Hartwig Kienast advised Austrian technology start-up Prosus on a substantial funding round.

Practice head(s):

Horst Ebhardt; Florian Kusznier


Other key lawyers:

Doris Buxbaum; Clara Gordon; Sarah Wared; Christian Mikosch; Hartwig Kienast


Testimonials

‘Great technical knowledge, pro-business thinking. A perfectly organised team of professionals from different fields.’

‘Practitioners are very dedicated to the project they work on. Hard-working, professional, diligent and with pro-active approach. Respecting the business needs and overall dynamics of the transaction.’

‘Very high level of legal knowledge, commitment and responsiveness. Specific industry expertise.’

‘Efficient and respectful of deadlines.’

‘Due to the fact that Wolf Theiss is a large international law firm with partner law firms in numerous European countries, complex issues relating to different legal areas as well as cases with a foreign connection can be processed quickly and efficiently. The diverse range of services and the international orientation are essential aspects for us.’

‘Clara Gordon has provided us with excellent support on several M&A transactions. She showed great commitment both in the course of the sales process and in various accompanying legal issues. Even in times of particularly high pressure, she was able to keep an overview and answer all inquiries quickly and extremely carefully. Above all, I appreciate her intelligence, her perseverance and her solution-oriented way of working.’

‘Excellent client representation, very professional negotiation skills, great availability and solution orientated.’

Key clients

Agrofert


Prosus


Raiffeisen Bank International AG


CPI Property Group (CPIPG)


Convotis GmbH


Wiener Städtische Versicherung AG (VIG)


Providence Strategic Growth Capital Partners, LLC


RWA Raffeisen Ware Austria AG (RWA)


Waterland Private Equity Investments BV


European Laboratory Services S.à r.l.


Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC)


Elvaston


Bain Capital, LLC.


Infracapital Green UK Ltd


Work highlights


  • Acted as lead counsel to CPIPG on obtaining merger control clearance across multiple jurisdictions including Austria and advised CPIPG on all Austrian law aspects of a €2.5bn bridge loan facility for financing the transaction.
  • Advised Czech-based group AGROFERT on all legal and regulatory aspects of its acquisition of Borealis’ nitrogen business across Europe.
  • Advised Prosus on the GoStudent €300m funding round, one of the largest investments ever for an Austrian technology start-up company.

Binder Grösswang

Lauded for its prowess in transactions, the ‘approachable, knowledgeable and commercially minded‘ group at Binder Grösswang is regularly involved in high-value M&A deals in Austria. Sector knowledge within the team runs the gamut when it comes to corporate, commercial and M&A issues. Private equity transactions are a key area of expertise for Thomas Schirmer, who is praised as a ‘great team mentor with deep market and legal insights‘. Notably, Andreas Hable‘s practice covers international tax structuring work, corporate governance issues, and successions planning mandates, among other areas, and Philipp Kapl is singled out by clients as ‘an absolute star individual‘.

Other key lawyers:

Thomas Schirmer; Andreas Hable; Florian Khol; Gottfried Gassner; Christian Zwick; Philipp Kapl; Michael Kutschera


Testimonials

‘A very proactive, innovative and creative firm. They always offer unique and tailor-made solutions for each and every case.’

‘Great transactional practice. They have the right balance between focusing on legal issues and keeping the commercial impact in mind.’

‘Thomas Schirmer – quick, responsive, commercial and to the point.’

‘Always approachable, knowledgeable and commercially minded.’

‘Thomas Schirmer – great team mentor with deep market and legal insights.’

‘An absolute star individual is M&A partner Philipp Kapl. Philipp is developing a highly prestigious and loyal following. Super sharp, and extremely client-friendly.’

‘My go-to partner is Thomas Schirmer, who is quick to answer, very hands-on, and pays attention to detail.’

‘The team has a great expertise and is very professional. However, what makes the difference is the pragmatic thinking and ability to simplify complicated situations/cases.’

Key clients

Mayr Melnhof


Lenzing


OMV Supervisory Board


Insight Partners


Aptiv


ING Bank N.V.


BNP Paribas


Birkenstock


Vertellus / Pritzker Private Capital


Continental AG


Nissan Europe


SK Capital Partners, LP


Blockpit


Gittis Naturprodukte GmbH


Founder, co-shareholder and managing director of ORIGIMM Biotechnology GmbH


Benford Capital


ChargePoint Holdings, Inc.


Gemspring Management LLC and TMP SuperHoldCo LLC (Radancy)


DCC Energy Ltd, TEGA – Technische Gase und Gastechnik GmbH


Azelis Holding S.A.


Bankhaus Carl Spängler & Co. Aktiengesellschaft, Wüstenrot Versicherungs-AG, Ärztekammer Salzburg


Work highlights


  • Advising Nissan on the sale of its Austrian Dealer and Distribution Network.
  • Advising Insight Partners on an investment in PSPDFKit.
  • Advising Aptiv on the investment in TTTech Auto.

bpv Hügel

bpv Hügel offers clients a ‘one-stop-shop for all corporate issues‘ and specialises in corporate transactions. Much of the work is multi-jurisdictional in nature, and the group benefits from the firm’s many offices in central Europe. The ‘solution-orientedElke Napokoj leads the team alongside Thomas Lettau, who is ‘well versed in handling complex deals on both the buy and sell sides’. Elsewhere, Florian Gibitz is a key team member and has recently worked on matters in the hydropower sector.

Practice head(s):

Elke Napokoj; Thomas Lettau


Other key lawyers:

Florian Gibitz; Christoph Nauer; Stefan Gaug


Testimonials

‘bpv Hügel provides a one-stop-shop for all corporate issues.’

‘We have a long-standing successful working relationship with Elke Napokoj. She is extremely solution-oriented and helps us define better terms and conditions in various transactions while never losing focus. You can rely on her assessments.’

‘Clearly one of the best corporate teams in the market. High-quality practice capable of handling both domestic and cross-border transactions.’

‘Thomas Lettau is a highly reputable attorney. Very diligent and well versed in handling complex deals on both the buy and sell sides.’

‘A very versatile skill set and industry knowledge.’

Key clients

IMMOFINANZ AG


RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG


Valenva SE


Unibail-Rodamco Westwood S.A.


BP Europa SE


VERBUND AG


OMV Aktiengesellschaft


AnaCap Financial Partners


BAWAG P.S.K


Cemex S.A.


International Airlines Group


Vueling Airlines SA


Hookipa Biotech AG


REHAU Group


Enso hydro


Sapura Offshore SDN BHD


STRABAG SE


Zeus Packaging Group


AVS Marketingberatung Gesellschaft m.b.H.


DDS Digital Documentation Systems GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advised IMMOFINANZ as target company on competing takeover offers by CPI and S IMMO.
  • Advised Microsoft Corporation and Point 72 Venture on their investment in blackshare.ai GmbH.
  • Advised on two consecutive cross-border mergers of Irish credit institutions into a leading Austrian credit institution.

CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Key sector strengths for practitioners at CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz Rechtsanwälte GmbH span the financial services, industrial and telecoms industries, with the latter two as key areas of recent growth for the practice. Peter Huber and Rainer Wachter lead the team, which displays a ‘global understanding and approach to topics of various legal environments‘; the group has a focus on foreign investors investing in both Austria and the CEE region. On the transactional side, Florian Mayer is a key name to note as a ‘highly dedicated expert who combines M&A expertise with strategic thinking’.

Practice head(s):

Peter Huber; Rainer Wachter


Other key lawyers:

Florian Mayer; Alexander Rakosi; Johannes Reich-Rohrwig; Clemens Grossmayer; David Kohl


Testimonials

‘Strategic and option oriented approach. Broad expertise is used for finding the best way to serve my interests rather than only advising on standard approaches.’

‘Florian Mayer – highly dedicated expert who combines M&A expertise with strategic thinking and delivers with best practice customer success mindset.’

‘David Kohl and Clemens Grossmayer have excellent knowledge and a very good relationship. Highly recommended.’

‘The team works hand in hand with the client. It has a global understanding and approach to topics of various legal environments. The team also has experts for each relevant legal area (corporate, taxes, labour, etc.).’

‘Valuable qualities: knowledge of the industry, great engagement with our needs, suggestion and presentation of alternative solutions, fast response to our demands, and they are easy to work with.’

‘The team is used to working on multinational transactions and with multinational teams, and they do this extremely effectively and efficiently. Their input is obviously based on profound knowledge of the law and yet pragmatic, clear and very solution-oriented. They are very pleasant to work with.’

‘Our go-to person is Florian Mayer. Florian is used to working on and coordinating multinational transactions including several work streams and does it extremely smoothly. He quickly understands what is important and what is not, identifies obstacles early in the process and is also able to come up with out-of-the box solutions quickly, if necessary. Florian is very smart, reliable and solution-oriented.’

‘The team quickly understands the needs of client and is able to deliver top-notch and tailor-made solutions at short notice and in a very efficient manner. Great team!’

Key clients

ALPLA


Arena Hospitality Group (AHG)


Deutsche Telekom


Greiner AG


IBIDEN Co., LTD


Investors into Rohlik


Mayr-Melnhof Holz Group


REWE


Siemens


Talenthouse AG


DORDA Rechtsanwälte GmbH

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.’

E+H Rechtsanwälte GmbH

E+H Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s corporate and M&A team ‘has great knowledge of M&A transactions‘, an area of focus for practice co-head Alric Ofenheimer, who specialises in private M&A transactions in particular, including private equity and cross-border matters. Practice co-head Peter Winkler is noted for his ability to deal with time-sensitive and critical matters for major clients. The team’s deep bench also includes Josef Schmidt, who is ‘able to bring his extensive knowledge to bear in negotiations‘ and often handles private equity mandates, utilising his extensive banking and finance knowledge.

Practice head(s):

Alric Ofenheimer; Peter Winkler


Other key lawyers:

Clemens Lanschuetzer; Josef Schmidt; Marco Steiner; Philipp Nidal Karaman


Testimonials

‘The team has great knowledge in M&A transactions and is very clear in their communication with their clients. They proceed very strategically and are able to incorporate the economic aspects of the transaction into their work in the best possible way.’

‘Josef Schmidt is able to bring his extensive knowledge to bear in negotiations. He is a great support to his clients.’

‘The group is professional and very capable.’

‘The individuals who we were privileged to work with perfectly managed to read the situation and challenges even beyond the legal case.’

Peter Winkler was a perfect, reliable, very professional and experienced leader in all the cases we worked on together.’

‘Josef Schmidt and Peter Winkler are our main contacts. They are excellent lawyers, always available, quick, hands-on and very pragmatic. We are absolutely satisfied with their services.’

Key clients

KBC Bank Group


BRANDL TALOS Attorneys at law

With 'a perfect balance of rock solid expertise, high speed and pragmatism', BRANDL TALOS Attorneys at law's M&A group has recently seen a notable volume of recruits, particularly at the junior end. In the team, Roman Rericha is ‘one of the leading names in Austria when it comes to technology M&A’ and Thomas Talos is 'an outstanding, pragmatic and commercial lawyer' who excels in international M&A transactions, with particular knowledge of the gaming, leisure and entertainment sectors; the pair jointly lead the practice. Associate Stephan Strass is a key name for transactional work.


Practice head(s):

Roman Rericha; Thomas Talos


Other key lawyers:

Stephan Strass; Markus Arzt


Testimonials

‘The national and international footprint of BRANDL TALOS’ M&A team, led by Roman Rericha and Thomas Talos, is significantly increasing.’

‘Thomas Talos is one of the leading M&A lawyers in Austria, focusing on international M&A transactions mainly in the gaming, betting, leisure and entertainment sector. Thomas is an outstanding, pragmatic and commercial lawyer who knows the industry inside out. Thomas drives transactions and is the go-to professional when it comes to international M&A transactions in the gaming and entertainment sector.’

‘Roman Rericha is focused on transactions in the technology sector (including life-sciences and biotech) and one of the leading names in Austria when it comes to tech M&A. Further, Roman is the leading expert for venture capital transactions in Austria. He is very respectful, solution-driven and reliable when push comes to shove during a transaction. I believe that he is one of the best M&A experts out there and it is always a pleasure to work with him.’

‘Stephan Strass already has an outstanding market reputation and leads a broad range of M&A projects for a variety of clients mainly from the tech sector. Stephan is very hands-on, extremely experienced and always available. He has a dedicated focus on the life sciences and biotech sector and advises many clients also on commercial transactions. Stephan is, without any doubt, one of the few rising stars in the Austrian M&A market.’

‘What makes Brandl Talos’ M&A team unique is the perfect balance of rock solid expertise, high speed and pragmatism. They are laser focused on what really matters, strategic and tactically very savvy. They have a strong network of experts to support the deal with tax and other transaction advisory services as well as international legal expertise where required.’

‘I very much valued Roman’s Rericha very strategic mindset, focus on what really matters, experience and pragmatism. I could fully trust that he would always advise me in a way that would minimise actual risk rather than confuse us with theoretical risks and hide behind convoluted disclaimers. He skilfully navigated us through the entire process.’

‘Stephan Strass was lightning fast and razor sharp in his analyses.’

Key clients

SPORTRADAR AG


Ring International Holding AG


aws Fondsmanagement GmbH (AWS Mittelstandsfonds and AWS Gründerfonds)


GVC Holdings PLC


Tipico Group Limited


APEX Ventures


C-QUADRAT


Allcyte GmbH


Quadrille Capital


MOSTLY AI Solutions MP GmbH


Hadean Ventures


AC Immune SA


LEA Partners


Capiton


Cavalry Ventures


Work highlights


  • Advised Sportradar AG on its $8bn IPO on Nasdaq, the 10-year global partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL), the acquisition of Vaix Group, and the formation of a joint venture with Ringier Group.
  • Supported Ring International Holding AG with the acquisition of the Burger King master franchise business in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark from Umoe Restaurants AS.
  • Advised the shareholders of Allcyte GmbH on the sale to Exscientia group, a leading clinical-stage pharmatech company headquartered in the UK and listed on Nasdaq.

DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach Rechtsanwälte GmbH

DLA Piper is lauded for its ‘extraordinarily profound know-how’ in relation to corporate transactions. Managing partner Christoph Mager is particularly concerned with multinational M&A deals and complex international reorganisations. While the team handles mandates from a broad range of sectors, the group is particularly noted for its life sciences expertise, exemplified by the experience of newly appointed practice head Elisabeth Stichmann, who counts Pfizer as a key client; she is praised by clients as 'very knowledgeable, client friendly, and just great to work with'.

Practice head(s):

Elisabeth Stichmann


Other key lawyers:

Sabine Fehringer; Maria Doralt; Christoph Mager


Testimonials

‘Their breadth of knowledge of the various laws applicable to the transaction makes it a smooth process. The attorneys are terrific to work with.’

‘Elisabeth Stichmann is the partner leading our transaction. Elisabeth is very knowledgeable, client friendly, and just great to work with. I feel very comfortable that we are receiving sound legal advice and guidance.’

‘This is a team with extraordinarily profound know-how. They listen carefully and quickly. They also understand the main issues and find straight forward solutions.’

‘Maria Doralt is outstanding in the way she communicates with conflicting parties. She is calm, clear and understandable. What makes her special is that she not only has profound knowledge but that she loves her job and the clients are not just people paying her fees but people she personally cares about.’

‘The DLA Piper team assisted us in a very complex corporate acquisition and formation to our complete satisfaction. In addition, all questions or concerns can be handled professionally and promptly.’

‘Elisabeth Stichmann was my contact person. We particularly appreciated Elisabeth’s very high level of expertise in the field of M&A. In addition, Elisabeth has very good stakeholder management and negotiation skills in addition to her legal knowledge.’

‘Maria Doralt is just outstanding in how she brings together commercial understanding and legal knowledge.’

‘DLAs team works together as true team, members are not afraid to open up a relationship to other colleagues if it is for the benefit of the project/client. So, the needed know-how was always included at a very early stage, saving important time and providing better solutions.’

Key clients

Deere & Company


Graphic Packaging


Renaissance Insurance Group


J.M. Huber Corporation


Maguar Capital GmbH & Co KG


Utopia Music AG


Qualcomm Technologies


Knorr Bremse


Heidelberger


Kurant


VTB Bank


Erber AG


Gebauer & Griller


UniCredit S.p.A.


FFF Real Estate


Gazprom


Danaher Corporation


General Electric


Pfizer


Ardagh Group


Atos


Work highlights


  • Advising Deere & Company on acquiring the majority ownership in Kreisel Group, a leading pioneer in the development of immersion-cooled battery technology.
  • Advising Graphic Packaging on its $1.45bn acquisition of AR Packaging, a manufacturer of fibre-based consumer packaging, from CVC Capital Partners Fund VI.
  • Advising Utopia Music AG on the 100% acquisition of Original Egg GmbH, which operates the platform ForTunes, a social and streaming analytics service for musicians.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners has recently extended its scope of work pertaining to M&A transactions in a range of sectors including the banking, IT, and payment services industries. Another key element of the practice is real estate transactions, and particularly those undertaken by Austrian banks. Founding partner Markus Fellner leads the group alongside Paul Luiki, who has a specific focus on cross-border transactions, Florian Kranebitter and Lukas Flener.

Practice head(s):

Markus Fellner; Paul Luiki; Florian Kranebitter; Lukas Flener


Work highlights


  • Advising UniCredit Bank Austria on the enforcement of its minority rights as shareholder of 3Banks Group.
  • Advised SORAVIA on the acquisition of the shares in Hospiz am Arlberg.
  • Successfully advised BAWAG Group on the acquisition of online broker Hello bank! Austria from the French financial group BNP Paribas.

Herbst Kinsky Rechtsanwalte GmbH

Herbst Kinsky Rechtsanwalte GmbH is a key name in the market for venture capital and start-up-related work, and is praised by clients as 'outstanding in what it does'. Names to note in the team at partner level are Philipp Kinsky, Phillip Dubsky, Florian Steinhart, Wolfgang Schwackhöfer, and Christoph Wildmoser. Carl Walderdorff is the key practitioner at associate level and has a breadth of knowledge spanning corporate, M&A, venture capital and start-up issues.

Practice head(s):

Phillip Dubsky; Philipp Kinsky; Florian Steinhart; Wolfgang Schwackhöfer; Christoph Wildmoser


Other key lawyers:

Carl Walderdorff


Testimonials

‘Herbst Kinsky is outstanding in what they do. Great and efficient collaboration. Very competent team and leadership. They have been consulting us very thoughtful and foresighted in legal matters.’

‘Philipp Kinsky is our main contact person. His profound know-how in venture capital has helped us get most efficiently through our financing rounds with the best outcome.’

‘Herbst Kinsky has depth of experience in advising ventures and start-ups across a range of topics.’

‘Christoph Wildmoser was an exceptional legal counsel throughout our founding journey. Always on call, and provided clear and succinct advice. His dedication to making our deals a success went far beyond what we would have expected from a lawyer.’

‘Florian is extremely reliable and always considers the right balance between the founder’s and investor’s interests. He also seeks simplicity and tries to reduce complexity.’

‘Very good accessibility when you need legal help. Very good team.’

‘Strong network and good expertise. A very good legal partner.’

Key clients

CAE. Inc


Equistone Partners Europe Limited


Molten Ventures


Nestle SA


Softbank Investment Advisers


Refurbed GmbH


Amaniki GmbH


Austrian Growth Capital Fund


Waterdrop Microdrink GmbH


PhagoMed GmbH


ams AG


MAIT Group


Work highlights


  • Advised CAE Inc on the €370m acquisition of the Sabre AirCentre portfolio from Sabre GLBL Inc.
  • Advised SoftBank Investment Adviser on its $120m investment in Adverity GmbH.
  • Advised the founding team as well as the other shareholders on the €150m sale of PhagoMed Biopharma GmbH to BioNTech SE.

Jank Weiler Operenyi

Jank Weiler Operenyi advises a range of both Austrian and international clients on a broad spectrum of public and private M&A transactions and corporate restructurings, and also acts in corporate litigation. Alexander Operenyi has ‘a wealth of experience in significant corporate transactions and has a laser-sharp focus on all relevant client needs’; he heads up the team together with founding partner Maximilian Weiler.

Practice head(s):

Alexander Operenyi; Maximilian Weiler


Other key lawyers:

Andreas Jank


Testimonials

‘Hands-on mentality, easy to reach.’

‘Andreas Jank has a lot of experience. He is very client-oriented and solution-focused.’

‘Very precise but pragmatic approach, solution oriented, brings complex issues strictly to the point. Very high technical quality.’

‘Maximilian Weiler and Alexander Operenyi are top class. Great quality and great communicators. Very efficient.’

‘Very strong team with hands-on mentality and great work ethic.’

‘Alexander Operenyi has a wealth of experience in significant corporate transactions and has a laser sharp focus on all relevant client needs.’

‘Very high quality, super focused, lots of experience.’

Key clients

Metric Capital Partners LLP


Telefonica Tech


Waldviertler Sparkasse Bank AG


T-Mobile Austria / Deutsche Telekom


JBS USA Holding Lux S.à r.l.


Stiftung Fürst Liechtenstein


Johann Offner Werkzeugindustrie Gesellschaft m.b.H.


Sparfell Aviation Group SA


IVM – Holding GmbH


IBB Group


ECOLAB Group


Allianz Investmentbank AG


Paulaner Group


Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy


Nintendo of Europe GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advising Metric Capital Partners LLP on a €45m acquisition of 20% shareholding in ELK Group S.à.r.l, holding company being direct or indirect shareholder to various Czech and Austrian entities.
  • Advising Johann Offner Werkzeugindustrie Gesellschaft m.b.H. on the acquisition of the hand tool business of KRENHOF AG (asset deal) and the sale of its entire shareholding in KRENHOF AG to Pankl Racing Systems AG (share deal).
  • Advising ECOLAB Group on an international restructuring, including three cross-border mergers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Croatia to Austria.

KPMG Law - Buchberger Ettmayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Led by Wendelin Ettmayer, the KPMG Law - Buchberger Ettmayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH team has continued to increase its presence in the Austrian and international market, with particular strength in the financial industry, TMT, and energy sectors; a significant part of Ettmayer’s practice revolves around the TMT sector.

Practice head(s):

Wendelin Ettmayer


Other key lawyers:

Stefan Arnold; Stephanie Sauer


Work highlights


  • Advised Nürnberger Lebensversicherung AG on the sale of its Austrian subsidiary to Merkur Versicherung in an auction process.
  • Advised and represented members of the Swarovski family (both before arbitration courts as well as state courts) in connection with shareholder disputes resulting from the restructuring of the Swarovski group.
  • Advised Verbund as shareholder of Smatrics on the acquisition of a minority share in EnBW Mobility.

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH (SCWP Schindhelm)

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partners Rechtsanwälte GmbH (SCWP Schindhelm)‘s team fields ‘excellent technical experts who are well networked‘. One such practitioner in the group is Lukas Leitner, who is also qualified in New York and is notably experienced in cross-border mandates. Leitner often supports practice group head Immanuel Gerstner on high-profile corporate mandates. Fellow practice head Franz Mittendorfer is the go-to team member for highly complex transactions and is renowned for his transactional structuring knowledge.

Practice head(s):

Immanuel Gerstner; Franz Mittendorfer


Other key lawyers:

Sebastian Hütter; Wolfgang Lauss; Lukas Leitner


Testimonials

‘The team has excellent technical experts who are also well networked. It gives excellent advice. The employees are available at all times.’

‘Very professional. High level of competence.’

Key clients

Hexagon Composites ASA and Hexagon Purus ASA


Invest Unternehmensbeteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft


Unimarkt Gruppe GmbH


Soravia Investment Holding GmbH (part of Soravia Group)


Invest Unternehmens-beteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft


AVV Investment GmbH


JR Investment GmbH


Pollmann International GmbH


Energie AG Oberösterreich


IFA Institut für Anlageberatung AG


Work highlights


  • Advising Invest AG on its participation in the €400m management buy-out of Austrian’s leading pharmaceuticals wholesaler Herba Chemosan Apotheker AG.
  • Advising innovative Norwegian sustainable technology companies Hexagon Composites ASA and Hexagon Purus ASA on their investment in Austrian company Cryoshelter which has patented a liquid gas technology for use by trucks and buses.
  • Advising AVV Investment and JR Investment on multiple deals with an aggregate value of €160m.

Schindler Attorneys

A standout feature of Schindler Attorneys‘s practice is its depth of experience in private equity mandates, and practice co-head Florian Cvak is a prominent practitioner in this area. Among the other experienced names in the practice is fellow co-head Clemens Schindler, who is praised as ‘a real expert in Austrian and international M&A and corporate areas’; much of his work is multi-jurisdictional, particularly within Europe.

Practice head(s):

Clemens Schindler; Florian Cvak


Other key lawyers:

Martin Abram; Katharina Schindler


Testimonials

‘Quality and capability of key players is excellent.’

‘Clemens Schindler is a real expert in Austrian and international M&A and corporate areas. What makes him different from other M&A lawyers is his knowledge and experiences in tax law, which enables him to provide clients with one-stop services in this area.’

Key clients

Aptean Corporation


Allianz


Accent Equity


ACTS Group


Afinum


AIG


Alba Communications


Alstom


Alten SA


Ardian


Armanda Investments


Asker Healthcare Group


AYKA Solutions


Be Charge s.r.l.


Carlyle Group


Capvis


Checkrobin


Christof Group


Evoco AG


FUJIFILM


Work highlights


  • Advising Aptean on the acquisition of Ramsauer & Stümer Software GmbH, an Austrian developer of ERP software.
  • Advised Evoco AG on the acquisition of minority stakes held by aws Mittelstandsfonds Beteiligungs GmbH & Co KG in three Austrian companies, namely A.M.I. Holding GmbH, Document.One GmbH and Communi5 Technologies GmbH.
  • Advising FUJIFILM on the parallel acquisition of its local distributors in Austrian and Slovenia.

Baker McKenzie Rechtsanwälte LLP & Co KG

The group at Baker McKenzie Rechtsanwälte LLP & Co KG regularly assists clients with high-value M&A deals, often acting for blue-chip clients listed in Austria and abroad; the practice also has a particular niche in public takeovers. Gerhard Hermann and Eva-Maria Ségur-Cabanac lead the team and regularly work on multi-jurisdictional public and private M&A transactions and private equity mandates.

Practice head(s):

Gerhard Hermann; Eva-Maria Ségur-Cabanac


Other key lawyers:

Phillip Stanek


Testimonials

‘They really listen to the customer and come up with quick and reliable solutions.’

‘Gerhard Hermann and Phillip Stanek: very fast to understand the brief and provide a comprehensive service.’

‘Very strong team of professionals with broad range of expertise. Very responsive, solution oriented and pragmatic.’

Key clients

Thales


Sunstar Suisse SA


Koch Industries


Accenture


Amundi Asset Management GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advised Accenture on the acquisition of ARZ Allgemeines Rechenzentrum GmbH.
  • Advised Amundi Asset Management GmbH on the acquisition of 100% of the shares of the robo-adviser, Finventum GmbH.
  • Advising Thales on all pre-closing restructuring steps in Austria and general corporate law issues in Austria in connection with the sale of the global Ground Transportation System Business to Hitachi Rail.

Barnert Egermann Illigasch Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Barnert Egermann Illigasch Rechtsanwälte GmbH assists many prominent clients in the banking sector. Founding partner and practice head Michael Barnert has extensive experience advising on M&A transactions domestically and internationally, and is well supported by experienced transactional practitioner Alina Regal. Regal is also a key contact in the practice for start-up, venture capital and private equity related work.

Practice head(s):

Michael Barnert


Other key lawyers:

Alina Regal


Key clients

Accenture GmbH


Autobahnen- und Schnellstraßen-Finanzierungs-Aktiengesellschaft


Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA/Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co KG


Curium Netherlands Holding B.V.


EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG


EVN AG


PORR AG


Sky Österreich Verwaltung GmbH / Sky Österreich Fernsehen GmbH


Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding GmbH


Swarovski Family


Verkehrsauskunft Österreich VAO GmbH ua


Verkehrsverbund OstRegion (VOR) Gesellschaft m.b.H.


Wolfram Senger-Weiss


Work highlights


  • Advised Accenture on the acquisition of Allgemeines Rechenzentrum GmbH, a technology service provider specialising in the Austrian banking sector, and on various IT service agreements with numerous banks.
  • Advised EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG on the acquisition of a 25.1% stake in e-mobility services provider SMATRICS GmbH & Co KG, Austria, from VERBUND, Austria.
  • Advising members of the Swarovski family on all shareholder matters, and on all issues with regard to the restructuring of Swarovski as well as on various procedures before the arbitral tribunal and state courts.

DSC Doralt Seist Csoklich Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Fielding ‘well-trained and experienced lawyers‘, the group at DSC Doralt Seist Csoklich Rechtsanwälte GmbH is particularly strong in public takeovers. The varied client based ranges from individuals to SMEs to stock exchange listed companies. The team is led by ‘outstanding M&A and corporate lawyerChristoph Diregger and Christoph Leitgeb, who has niche knowledge of the entertainment and healthcare sectors.

Practice head(s):

Christoph Diregger; Christoph Leitgeb


Testimonials

‘Absolute experts in their field. Extremely professional, extremely responsive, and a great team.’

‘Christoph Diregger is outstanding.’

‘The team consists of very well-trained and experienced lawyers. The team is very responsive and efficient, always delivering top quality legal services based on the meticulous analysis of the legal matter at hand. Under the leadership of Christoph Diregger, the team works like clockwork, acting quickly in a very solution and business oriented manner. Analyses and recommendations are shared quickly and directly with the client.’

‘Christoph Diregger is an outstanding M&A and corporate lawyer who always focuses on his clients’ commercial goals. His skills are particularly noticeable in complex and time-critical situations, in which he always strives for legally and economically sound solutions.’

Key clients

A1 Telekom Austria AG


BAWAG Group AG


Best Gaming Technology GmbH


BRM Burgenländische Risikokapital Management AG


CA Immobilien Anlagen AG


S IMMO AG


ViennaEstate Immobilien AG


Wiener Privatbank SE


Work highlights


  • Advised a major telecoms provider on the establishment of an industry changing joint venture with a leading European media corporation.
  • Advising a stock exchange listed gaming technology company on an intra-group capital increase and corporate restructuring.
  • Advising a major German real estate group on the cross-border merger of its Austrian subsidiary with a German corporation.

EY Law - Pelzmann Gall Größ Rechtsanwälte GmbH

EY Law - Pelzmann Gall Größ Rechtsanwälte GmbH‘s workload includes cross-border reorganisations and restructurings, as well as M&A transactions and joint ventures. Another element of the practice is public takeovers and representing clients before the Austrian Takeover Commission. This is a field of expertise for Mario Gall, who leads the team alongside Helen Pelzmann.

Practice head(s):

Helen Pelzmann; Mario Gall


Other key lawyers:

Georg Perkowitsch


Testimonials

‘Super availability and the customer is looked after very professionally.’

Key clients

BWT Aktiengesellschaft


Grosso Tec


SkiStar AB


Link Mobility Group


Anticimex


Kawasaki


Stommpy Group


Work highlights


  • Advising an international hotel group on the acquisition of an international hotel group engaged in Austria, Germany, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
  • Advising Grosso Tec on the acquisition of a shareholding in S&T AG including a public takeover offer to the shareholders of S&T AG.
  • Advising SkiStar AB on the sale of St Johanner Bergbahnen in a structured auction process.

PHH Rechtsanwälte GmbH

The team at PHH Rechtsanwält:innen GmbH stands out for its ‘business-oriented approach‘ and has recently set up a commercial desk to advise clients on commercial law issues and day-to-day operational work. Managing partner Rainer Kaspar is hailed as a ‘brilliant negotiator‘ and also works on distressed transactions. Lukas Röper is the group’s banking M&A expert.

Practice head(s):

Rainer Kaspar


Other key lawyers:

Matthias Fucik; Philip Rosenauer; Lukas Röper


Testimonials

‘A very competent and pragmatic adviser. They are highly competent in this corporate finance / M&A / Private Equity sector and supported the negotiations in a very pragmatic way. We can highly recommend PHH.’

‘We worked with Rainer Kaspar and Matthias Fucik who managed all work streams and the entire deal. Both are highly competent, have a very good market overview and are familiar with recent developments which they combine with knowledge of the legal framework in Austria.’

‘The firm has always been there when we needed them. Furthermore, we always had a partner on the transactions.’

Key clients

EuroChem Group AG


Planmeca OY


SOVA Capital Limited


Cipio Partners GmbH


Verteisit AB


Drees & Sommer SE


Insta Communications GmbH


Techem Messtechnik GmbH (Techem Group)


Sidion GmbH


Invest Unternehmensbeteiligungs AG


Nuki Home Solutions GmbH (NUKI)


HSH Chemie GmbH


Banijay Germany GmbH


Work highlights


  • Acted for EuroChem Group AG as counsel in a bidding process and advised on all Austrian law related issues that arose in connection with the potential acquisition of the fertilizer and nitrogen business of Borealis group.
  • Acted as counsel to US blank check company Cohn Robbins Holdings Corp. on all Austria related matters in connection with a de-SPAC transaction to acquire a stake in Allwyn Entertainment AG.
  • Acted for SOVA Capital Limited as counsel in connection with the acquisition of Austrian Posojilnica Bank.

Taylor Wessing enwc Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Described as a ‘a true local, regional and international powerhouse‘, Taylor Wessing enwc Rechtsanwälte GmbH's practice is led by Raimund Cancola, whose experience in cross-border transactions is a key asset to the team. The firm’s bench strength has been bolstered by the addition of Philipp Zumbo, who recently joined the team from Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners and has a deep knowledge of matters relating to the enforcement of shareholders’ rights.

Practice head(s):

Raimund Cancola


Other key lawyers:

Claudia Steegmüller; Philipp Zumbo


Testimonials

‘Taylor Wessing’s corporate team is a true local, regional and international powerhouse. They are dedicated, sophisticated, business savvy and up to date on the latest trends and technologies. They use their international network to the advantage of their clients, always being diligent, clear, and structured. Their strength lies in building trusting and long-lasting relationships, which distinguishes them from other competitors. A fantastic combination of brainpower and skill, as well as value for money.’

‘Claudia Steegmüller is our first point of contact for all corporate and commercial law matters, as well as M&A transactions. She is a brilliant lawyer with the knowledge and ability to handle a variety of issues that fall outside the purview of her areas of expertise while still providing the highest calibre of service.’

Key clients

Campfire Solutions GmbH


Career Partner GmbH


Hyper Ventures


SET Ventures


Ross Video Ltd.


Temasek


Wefox


amedes group


Angelini


AviaRent


DKV Mobility Services Group


Encavis AG


Eternit Österreich GmbH / Swisspearl Group


Festo


Haberkorn


KGAL


Körber Group


Lafarge


Nestlé SA / Nestlé Österreich GmbH / Nespresso


Norske Skog AS / Norske Skog Bruck GmbH


Work highlights


  • Advised German Encavis AG on its recent follow-up deal with Austria’s largest regional energy provider Wien Energie.
  • Advised Eternit / Swisspearl on its sale of Dach & Wand to an SPV of the Stark Group.
  • Advising Temasek Holdings on a cross-border investment as part of a series B investment round in Waterdrop Microdrink GmbH, an Austrian company specialised in the development, production and distribution of food supplement products.

Eversheds Sutherland | Stolitzka & Partner RAe OG

Practitioners at Eversheds Sutherland | Stolitzka & Partner RAe OG are praised for delivering ‘an excellent service at a very high level‘ to clients in the industrial, real estate and technology sectors. Silva Palzer and Alexander Stolitzka are the duo heading up the team and are well supported by Lukas Plösch, a team member with experience in Austrian venture capital investments and distressed transactions.

Practice head(s):

Silva Palzer; Alexander Stolitzka


Other key lawyers:

Lukas Plösch


Testimonials

‘Excellent service at a very high level.’

‘Alexander Stolitzka and Lukas Plösch deliver an outstanding level of service and legal support.’

Key clients

nLIGHT, Inc


Horizon Therapeutics plc


Kering Group


Experian


Horizon Group


Netcetera Genomics Group


Global People Group


Inmunotek GmbH


NBC Universal


Microsoft


Work highlights


  • Advised the NASDAQ-listed US company nLIGHT, Inc on the acquisition of the entire business of the insolvent Plasmo Industrietechnik GmbH by way of an asset deal.
  • Advised Horizon Therapeutics on its entry into the Austrian market.
  • Assisted Kodak Alaris International Limited on the sale of its Austrian business.

GRAF ISOLA

Noted for its ‘ability to strategise about different legal avenues‘, GRAF ISOLA concentrates on all types of M&A, including distressed M&A transactions. Practice leaders Ferdinand Graf and Andreas Edlinger have significant experience in M&A work; Edlinger is also well versed in corporate restructurings.

Practice head(s):

Ferdinand Graf; Andreas Edlinger


Testimonials

‘Perfect choice for corporate clients, both domestic and international. Excellent performance in litigation, insolvency including restructuring, banking and corporate law. Several partners are also admitted in the US.’

‘Ability to strategise about different legal avenues and then deliver the documents necessary.’

‘Excellent hands-on and solution-oriented approach. Ability to quickly resolve difficult situations and good business understanding.’

Key clients

LUKOIL


Leggett & Platt group


BayWa


Pfaff Werkzeug- und Formenbau


Andritz


cortical.io AG


Dexia Credit Local


Kompas K/S


Peter Lisec Privatstiftung


VKR Holding


Erdöl-Lagergesellschaft mbH


Sozialbau


VKR Holding A/S (VELUX),


Work highlights


  • Advised the Leggett Platt group on merging its operative business in Austria, Schukra Berndorf.
  • Assisted BayWa with acquiring shares in a highly innovative Austrian food start up.
  • Assisting with selling the ‘construction and operation of photovoltaic systems’ business of McStrom, an energy reseller that focused on renewable energy.

Graf Patsch Taucher Rechtsanwälte

The ‘very competent and experienced team‘ at boutique firm Graf Patsch Taucher Rechtsanwälte has a work load which includes corporate restructurings, private equity mandates and international M&A; the latter is an area of expertise for team head Wolfgang Graf, who has an ‘impressive track record in international transactions‘. Running the team alongside Graf is Bernd Taucher, who is an experienced transactional lawyer.

Practice head(s):

Bernd Taucher; Wolfgang Graf


Testimonials

‘It is a small, but very competent and experienced team. I see fast deliveries and excellent quality of work.’

‘Wolfgang Graf clearly stands out. He is fast, reliable, uncomplicated and has an impressive track record with international transactions. Wolfgang has excellent negotiation and drafting skills and is great with people.’

‘Graf Patsch Taucher Rechtsanwälte GmbH has very professional and highly qualified staff. The practice has specialists in different areas of law and it helps when dealing with complex issues.’

Key clients

UniCredit AG/ Dentons LLP


Butchershop Global


EFS Consulting Gesellschaft m.b.H.


Novoarc GmbH


Storyblok GmbH


Proofcheck GmbH


Denkstatt GmbH


BehaviorQuant


New Mobility – NME Enterprise GmbH


Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Limited


International Road Dynamics Group


Borealis AG


Caplinko Holding GmbH


RENAFAN group


Canopy Growth Corporation


HEAD Group


IDEAL Live Marketing GmbH


VBR Innovations GmbH


Monbat Group


RABCAT Computer Graphics GmbH


Work highlights


  • Supported Canopy Growth as Austrian counsel with selling the German/Austrian C³ Group to Dermapharm for around €120m.
  • Advised the Semizen group on the sale of the group to techbold and on its integration within techbold.
  • Supported EFS Consulting as transaction counsel with its investment in the Austrian target company “New Mobility Enterprise – NME GmbH”.

Grama Schwaighofer Vondrak Rechtsanwälte

Grama Schwaighofer Vondrak Rechtsanwälte‘s team is led by Bernd Grama, whose expertise lies in M&A, corporate law, and corporate litigation, and is described as ‘business minded with a wealth of experience‘. Grama is well supported by Philip Vondrak, who specialises in complex transactions and ‘navigates the interconnections between corporate and tax laws very well’.

Practice head(s):

Bernd Grama


Other key lawyers:

Mirza Benca; Philip Vondrak


Testimonials

‘A fantastic firm. Still a boutique but serving all the areas we need. Partners are very responsive and hands-on.’

‘Bernd Grama is an outstanding lawyer and our lead contact in the firm.’

‘Philip Vondrak is a fantastic lawyer and excels at complex transactions, navigating the interconnections between corporate and tax laws very well.’

PwC Legal Austria-oehner & partner

PwC Legal Austria-oehner & partner‘s managing partner and practice co-head Christian Öhner has a varied client base comprised of financial and strategic investors as well as private clients. Co-head Michael Lind, who is ‘an outstanding professional in his field‘, works on M&A transactions, joint ventures and restructurings. The team has recently expanded its work in the mid-cap market and has been notably active in large corporate reorganisations.

Practice head(s):

Christian Öhner


Other key lawyers:

Michael Lind; Mario Steinkellner


Testimonials

‘This is a team that has short response times, a clear understanding of matters, and a clear way of communicating.’

‘Michael Lind has helped us in various M&A transactions. He is clearly an outstanding professional in his field. With his legal support it is possible to keep M&A transactions on track which is extremely important. He communicates clearly and focuses on the important issues. It’s always a pleasure working with him.’

Key clients

Arama Filtre


Austrian Dental Association


bex technologies GmbH


Eder Stahltechnik


Evidensia


firstbird GmbH


IMCD


JCL Logistics


JYSK BW GmbH


Light & Wonder Scientific Games Corporation


Owner of VVG – Vermögens- & Verwaltungs Gesellschaft m.b.H


Schachinger Logistic Holding GmbH


Seedblink Crowd S.A.


Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG


Solarpro Holding PLC


Voyageurs du Monde


Weidplas


yabeo Venture Tech AG


Work highlights


  • Assisted Voyageurs du Monde, which acquired a majority stake in the core business of its Austrian headquartered competitor Eurofun Group.
  • Advising Evidensia in relation to the Austrian market entry via the acquisition of one of Austria’s largest veterinary clinics (Tierklinik Perchtoldsdorf Ost).

Torggler Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Boutique law firm Torggler Rechtsanwälte GmbH employs a holistic approach to assist clients, often family-run companies, with corporate, private client and dispute resolution mandates. Reinhard Kautz and Kathrin Weber jointly head up the team. High-value M&A transactions are key aspects of the group’s workload.

Practice head(s):

Reinhard Kautz; Kathrin Weber


Key clients

bettermoo(d) Holdings Corp


TÜV Austria Holding AG


Cura Domo Holding


Auddy Limited


Swarovski


NVISO GmbH


geomix gmbh


TÜV Austria Holding AG


MTH Group


ARE Austrian Real Estate Development (part of BIG Group)


Frey Wille Group


MaxLinear Austria


Work highlights


  • Advised TÜV Austria Holding AG on its acquisition of 60% of the shares in an Austrian company focusing on AI solutions and data analysis software.
  • Advised a subsidiary of Cura Domo Holding on the acquisition of the 24-hour care business form Help-24 GmbH.
  • Advised Canadian bettermoo(d) Holding Corp on the acquisition of 80% of the shares in an Austrian producer for vegan cheese.