Commercial, corporate and M&A in Austria

‘We consider them by far the most competent and most professional M&A legal advisors in CEE region. The level of their professionality, their systematic approach to any topic that might arise and their dedication to such transaction and whole process is something you simply do not get from other legal counsels.’

‘Very renowned practice in Austria, with long track record.’

‘Thomas Trettnak is our go-to lawyer.’

‘Albert Birkner is, without any doubt, the best lawyer I have ever had privilege to work with. First of all, there is not a topic in M&A transaction that he does not know, in depth. Secondly, he is not just a pure advisor that rejects any responsibility, quite contrary, he truly leads the discussions, defends his clients’ points of view, negotiate on your behalf…I mean, I have worked with dozens of law offices and nothing can match the work of Albert Birkner. Extremely dedicated professional.’

‘Strong know-how, very good business relation, client focused, reliable.’

‘Full service law firm with excellent quality of advice and service in all legal areas. High quality of client updates.’

‘Clemens Hasenenauer: Exceptional legal knowledge and ability, exceptional negotiation skills and business oriented advice.

‘Johannes Prinz: Exceptional legal knowledge and ability, excellent negotiation skills and business oriented advice.’

‘Experienced and knowledgeable partners.’

‘Always available for clients and try to make it happen on short notice if necessary.’

‘The team is definitely top-notch in the Austrian and CEE M&A arena and especially on smaller deals they also cover much of the execution jobs otherwise handled by financial advisors. I found this very helpful. In this context, they also provide all relevant IT support (including interim VDRs; translation tools; VDR set-up support).’

‘My main contact at Schoenherr is Markus Piuk. He is extremely fast, always available, and very business-minded. He always comes up with solutions and also does not shy away from also giving straight answers on more delicate subjects or when there is pressure mounting on him from other stakeholders in a project. He simply gets things done.’

‘The M&A Team has exceptional knowledge in handling complex cap tables and deal structures. The collaboration is very hands-on and 24/7 if needed. Especially during the pandemic the team was very flexible in terms of ways of communication but always made it possible to have meetings in person if needed.’

‘Dr. Thomas Kulnigg is an outstanding lawyer. He has in-depth knowledge in M&A but also in several hi-tech and fintech industries, outstanding negotiation skills, high flexibility (even though he is handling several high-end deals at the same time), a very hands-on approach, and is also always able to think out of the box if needed. He is also a very good leader, managing his small but great team in a very good manner.’

‘The team around Markus Piuk is exceptional. They not only cover legal topics but really develop unique solutions.’

‘Top regional firm, very hands-on and practical in solutions – strong M&A, PF, and regulatory practices.’

‘Excellent mix between the right size to be able to provide expert knowledge in each relevant legal area but still of a size that makes clients feel “close” to (senior) partners, who are still involved in the daily business and client work.’

‘Excellent level of expertise, hands-on approach, easy to work with; solution oriented.’

‘Great internal interaction between the departments in the law firm.’

‘Excellent and reliable international network when handling international cases.’

‘It’s as easy to communicate and co-operate as if you would deal with a well-organized and business-minded in-house legal department.’

‘Thomas Schirmer: strong private equity knowledge, probably best PE lawyer in Austria, commercial reasoning, very nice guy to work with.’

‘Binder Grösswang has a very skilled M&A team which is highly capable of providing top-notch advice to investors seeking to acquire businesses in Austria. The level of service is very high and definitely comparable to any market-leading firms in Austria, the EU, and worldwide.’

‘I recently worked with Philipp Kapl and his team. Philipp is a very fast-thinking advisor who was very capable of identifying the pressure points of our joint client from the very outset of our joint matter.’

‘The team at bpv hügel has specialized in M&A transactions for decades. All aspects of M&A transactions such as corporate law, tax law and competition law aspects on a national and international level are covered by the law firm and its network.’

‘Thomas Lettau specializes in corporate law and M&A transactions. My experience so far in all transactions that I have carried out with him has been extremely positive. In the negotiation rounds himself, Mr. Lettau proved to be a competent, communicative but also a confident negotiator.’

‘The team works strictly focused on the client’s interest, with a very time- and cost-efficient approach. Briefing of the team is very straightforward. Access to the team is always easy and calls are returned promptly and with good answers.’

‘Elke Napokoj quickly gets to the key points in any discussion and is capable of providing creative solutions that fit the client’s needs.’

‘Strong know-how, reliable partner.’

‘bpv Hügel is the first choice in Austria in the area of corporate law / M&A. The firm always delivers the right solution in an extremely short time.’

‘Thomas Lettau has an incredible amount of transactional experience and is one of the leading lawyers in this field in Austria. He is an excellent negotiator and always finds a solution.’

‘Good coverage of different sectors by partners and employees.’

‘CMS has a strong network covering almost all CEE jurisdictions and they appear to be closely integrated and really work as a team. This facilitates the execution of cross-border M&A transactions, as it allows us to have the benefit of local expert knowledge in several involved jurisdictions but still having efficient, centralized transaction management and execution from the corporate team in Vienna.’

‘Clemens Grossmayer is very pragmatic, commercial and goal-oriented, he is a calm negotiator and also ensures that every process runs smoothly and efficiently, we were always happy to have him on our side.’

‘Mario Maier really stood out as well and impressed us with his excellent drafting skills and quick response times.’

‘Know-how, quick response and availability of the team.’

‘Simply a top-quality law firm.’

‘I have worked most with Jürgen Kittel, an M&A partner. He is very responsive, knowledgeable, pragmatic and experienced in international transactions.’

‘They provide clear advice.’

‘Very responsive.’

‘Very professional and experienced M&A team under the leadership of Dr. Jürgen Kittel, innovative and pragmatic approach regarding typical and non-typical M&A issues.’

‘Dr. Kittel is a hands-on, business-oriented lawyer, who facilitates all necessary support to get the deal done.’

‘Austrian practice with a great international network; places diversity and technology on top.’

‘Martin Brodey understands extremely well his clients and the industry they are in, extremely efficient and well organized creative solutions.’

‘Very strong individuals (e.g. Josef Schmidt) working seamlessly in a team -broad spectrum of services in-house.’

‘Very responsive -commercial problem-solving ability to assess escalation points.’

‘Very efficient, reliable, great responsiveness and reasonable billing.’

‘Highly professional and thinking about all possible events.’

‘Good understanding of the industry and a clear view for the relevant decisions to be taken.’

‘We are grateful to work with Peter Winkler and Philipp Schrader. They are both experts in M&A transactions in the Austrian banking sector. Peter Winkler is a trusted advisor in M&A transactions as well as in banking regulatory matters. He has an extremely quick grasp and thinks towards long-term success.’

‘In our opinion, Eisenberger Herzog is one of the top law firms in Austria. Especially their know-how in complex cross-border transactions as well as their reputation on the market are outstanding.’

‘Swift, reliable, focused on solutions, efficient and reasonable billing.’

‘What I appreciate of WT team is their flexibility in providing the client what they need in an expedite and efficient manner, also cost-wise, while maintaining a very high quality of the legal support.’

‘Christian Mikosch is an outstanding lawyer, with a deep understanding of the commercial aspects and reason of any legal support requested. Christian is an amazing business partner and cooperates with the client in an integrated and efficient manner.’

‘Solution provider, great knowledge of M&A Transactions, perfect in negotiations.’

‘Professionalism transparency competence are the strengths of WT.’

‘I really appreciate the support of the partner Mr. Christian Mikosch: he is a brilliant lawyer, offering always smart and business-oriented solutions. Moreover, he is always available, reachable and answers quickly until the requested deadline. He is able to understand the needs granting effective support.’

‘Strong footprint in CEE.’

‘We are working with BRANDL TALOS for several years now and they still manage to impress us with the quality of their services, their reliability and the response times. Believe that when it comes to funding structuring, corporate and M&A, the team of BRANDL TALOS is outstanding both in terms of experience and value for money.’

‘Roman Rericha is our key point of contact – he is very experienced, always available and guides us not only through the legal but – even more important – also through the commercial issues of a transaction. I can – without any reservations – fully recommend this firm which I believe is one of the best in the Austrian market.’

‘Roman Rericha is very smart and has an incredible understanding of economic matters. He is available 24/7 and – without compromises – supports us in getting issues solved and transactions done. Further, I really appreciate Roman’s respectful negotiation style; this is particularly important in venture capital transactions as you are partnering with emerging companies for years.’

‘Markus Arzt is an exceptionally experienced M&A lawyer who regularly solves difficult situations excellently due to his calm negotiation style. Believe that he is one of the rising stars in the Austrian markets and may – without any reservations – recommend him as one of the outstanding market players.’

‘Thomas Talos is one of the most experienced and highly recognized M&A professionals in Austria. In case he takes on an engagement, he is extremely committed to achieving the best possible outcome – I am really impressed by him.’

‘Believe that the corporate/M&A team is one of the most underestimated teams in the market. What really differentiates them in relation to other M&A practices is that they are working in small and dedicated teams consisting of very experienced professionals – as a result, the transactions run very efficiently and smoothly. They always keep an eye on the (commercially) sensitive issues and do not get lost in unimportant details.’

‘Thomas Talos is one of the most experienced and outstanding M&A professionals in Austria. He is extremely smart and always available – working with Thomas is really a pleasure and I am impressed by his exceptional skills. He has an incredible understanding of the commercial relevant issues of a transaction and is always committed to go the extra mile to achieve the best possible results.

‘Roman Rericha is very active in the private equity/venture capital sector and is one of the most successful M&A professionals at the age of 40. Roman is extremely focused on the (commercially) relevant issues of a transaction and does not get lost in academic discussions. Roman is extremely reliable when push comes to shove during a transaction and was always available to support us when needed. Roman is a tough negotiator but always very respectful of the other side.’

‘Christoph Mager: he has an outstanding feeling for the client’s needs.’

‘Elisabeth Stichmann: very diligent, excellent sense of identifying risks.’

‘DLA Piper has a broad range of legal consultants and can cover a big variety of topics. Billing is very flexible and pragmatic.’

‘I have worked on a major project led by Maria Doralt. To me, Maria Doralt is the best corporate lawyer I have ever met. She has it all – legal excellence, business drive, pragmatic solutions, clear communication and integrity.

‘Clear interface per project – high motivation and reliability – high professional and personal skills.’

‘Very good experience with different people key contact: Elisabeth Stichmann, Vienna, outstanding performance.’

‘The Austrian team has a very strong understanding of the ways of American business, and does an excellent job bridging local considerations against the global perspectives.’

‘Elisabeth Stichmann is tremendously responsive, creative, and intelligent. She is willing to step in and help at a moment’s notice.’

‘Very diverse team with a different focus and key areas of knowledge; very customer oriented and able to deal with a start-up-founder, but also with a big corporate client.’

‘They all are always very professional, open and service-oriented. I never had such great experiences with others. They all know what’s going on and are always looking for solutions even in complicated situations.’

‘From a company’s perspective that fully relies on outside legal expertise, the one-stop-shop approach is very efficient and convenient. We obtain profound and highly experienced legal expertise in all fields required – commercial, labour law, investments. Our requests are centrally coordinated and efficiently routed to the experts who complement and stand-in for each other where needed.’

‘We appreciate the outstanding responsiveness and the individual 1:1 consultancy where required. Each partner fully understands our needs and demands and promptly provides tailored guidance and services.’

‘The practice of Herbst Kinsky has an excellent reputation in the start-up and VC/PE market with exceptional experience and know-how in this sector. The team is very versatile and responsive and easily handles international matters due to their strong international network. One of their strengths is certainly the problem-solving and goal-oriented approach of their highly committed and competent lawyers.’

‘We appreciate the work with Carl Walderdorff who is exceptionally competent, versatile, focused, efficient, accurate and pragmatic. He is smart and extremely committed and hard-working to work out the best solution for his clients both from a legal as well as a commercial perspective. At the same time, he has a very friendly and refreshing personality. Carl is really one of the most trustworthy persons I know and it is a real pleasure to work with him.’

‘Markus Fellner is very knowledgeable in the banking space and a very energetic counsel. He negotiates very passionately for his client.’

‘Out of the box thinking, solution oriented.’

‘Markus Fellner – top in banking law.’

‘Paul Luiki – international approach.’

‘Strong and efficient Team, always reachable and short response time. Excellent standing in the market, well connected and excellent industry know-how.’

‘Extremely short response times; proven industry expertise.’

‘Working with the team for years now and I am still impressed by the professionalism, speed and precision that is part of the everyday contact/collaboration! We have had a broad range of contacts in the field and are sticking with FWP now for these reasons.’

‘FWP has an outstanding team. We have been working with them for many years regarding various topics.’

‘Very proactive, easily reachable.’

‘Very responsive, proactive and pragmatic; Unique understanding for both, legal and commercial issues; Very committed with hands-on qualities; Pragmatic and solution-oriented work style.’

‘Maximilian Weiler and Alexander Operenyi are outstanding partners. Both are definitely among the top corporate lawyers in Austria as both are able to think outside the box to find the optimum solutions.’

‘Great experience in M&A transactions; very accurate and quick; great cross-border experience.’

‘Mr. Alexander Operenyi is very experienced in M&A transactions. He has a great strategic approach.’

‘Mr. Weiler is Austria’s top reorganization expert.’

‘Alexander Operenyi is highly skilled in fulfilling clients’ demands in a balanced and reasonable way, without jeopardizing or weakening the client‘s legal position. His knowledge about the M&A matter is outstanding.’

‘Hard working, fast, very responsive, precise, great overview, well organized.’

‘Fast reaction, competent advice, solution-oriented.’

‘Very broad range of competencies in all legal areas; high level of experience;’

‘Stand-out partner: Sebastian Hütter, very good negotiating skills; extensive competencies; highest commitment in projects.’

‘Despite the broad range of services they are real experts. But also their strong network abroad recently has been very helpful for us. We have 100% trust in them!’

‘We mainly work with Martin Abram and Clemens Schindler. It is great to have strong lawyers at the table. Clemens Schindler is a real high performer and deal maker. When it comes to tax issues, other lawyers need to call an expert while he solves the problem. He has a great teamwork with Martin Abram, who deals with all the day to day issues on such projects and had been very diligent with the contracts and paperwork.’

‘Katharina Schindler – She has a great know-how in the art sector.’

‘A key strength of the firm is its multidisciplinary ability to advise us, being strong not only in core legal issues but also in financials and with an entrepreneurial mindset. Also having two partners as counterparts is very helpful to us as clients since responsiveness is always ensured. Also, the way they partner up the team combines the strength.’

‘Clemens Schindler – His legal skills are top, but likewise important is that he really gets the things done.’

‘Martin Abram is a true delight to work with. He is very knowledgeable too.’

‘Katharina Schindler – You could see that she is a specialist in that topic. The other involved advisors were impressed by her know-how.’

‘Key strengths and capabilities: profound expert knowledge, trustful cooperation, reliable in terms of execution and deadline keeping.’

‘The individual people are extremely involved in the cases and you can tell in this office you are not just any number, but a valued customer.’

‘The team is always available for the client and you feel extremely well cared for.’

‘Especially when comparing the fees to some of the other Viennese firms recently, Doralt Seist Csoklich continues to offer excellent value for money as the projects are staffed efficiently and with the right level of expertise.’

‘Christoph Diregger has a great understanding of what is really needed from a business perspective and how to make it work legally. Especially when it comes to the “high end” of corporate law issues, he knows how it is done. You do not get a “no” but a “maybe not this way, but here is how you should do it”’

‘Very good generalist approach by partners. Very goal-orientated and efficient. Absolutely top in efficiency, clarity and knowledge of the law.’

‘Dr. Diregger: very quick and sharp thinker, able to give good advice almost always immediately, identifies with the client and is absolutely reliable, in particular when help is really needed. Very good at judging and describing situations, mindful of all aspects.

‘I want to draw attention to Silva Palzer as she is always available, comes back with answers and proposals right in time and is able to find the right approach to all issues I came across with.’

‘The personal contact combined with a lot of experience and knowledge makes a unique experience. The variety of specialists gives a good feeling to get expertise in any field. The quick response of the partners is essential when you need support.’

‘Experience, pace of success and personal contact to the same person makes the individual stand out compared to competitors.’

‘The Team is very experienced and has always a practical approach, also when urgent, the team react reacts very quickly and offers useful advice.’

‘Mr Stolitzka has always advised and represented us extremely competently and at a very high technical level; incredibly dedicated, friendly and helpful and is even available during vacation.’

‘The team regularly advises our company on complex international issues. I would say their expertise is unique – experts of such calibre are rare in any market. Top-level professionals with a matter-oriented approach, being experts in their business sector. Attention to clients’ needs and details.’

‘Professional high-level approach of Andreas Edlinger.’