Austria > Construction > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

The ‘very professional’ and ‘highly specialised’ team at KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH provides ‘very competent advice’ to construction companies and property developers throughout the life cycle of construction projects, from the project development and public procurement stages to representation in construction disputes. Clemens Berlakovits, ‘an excellent lawyer who is very competent and knows the construction business well’, heads the construction department with Georg Karasek, and was promoted to partner in October 2017. He was involved in the drafting of the general contractor contracts for the high-rise Marina Tower project, and is advising Implenia, a leading European construction company, on the construction of the Semmering Base Tunnel. Karasek has ‘huge knowledge of construction law’ and provides ‘very clear’ advice; he is assisting SFL, a leading Austrian facades and equipment construction company, with various major construction projects, including the Science Tower in Graz. Jan Philipp Schifko, who works alongside Karasek and Berlakovits on many of their mandates, was promoted to junior partner in September 2017.

Extremely competent in ‘the area of legal matters, but also technical understanding’ and offering 'very fast communication', Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwalte GmbH & CoKG is able to achieve ‘unprecedented results’ for clients, which mainly consist of contractors, on significant construction projects such as property construction, infrastructure projects, and tunnel and power plant construction. Team head Wolfang Müller represented long-standing client Hochtief Infrastructure in proceedings against Asfinag in relation to highway construction disputes, and also acted for a construction company on the delivery of a high-profile cross-border underground railway project. Thomas Anderl and senior associate Clemens Schöfmann are advising Lenzing on an industrial building construction project, which includes the drafting and negotiation of all the necessary contractual documentation. Senior associate Hannah Schaflinger is also recommended.

CMS handles contentious and non-contentious construction law mandates for a wide range of clients, including construction companies and architects active in the domestic and international sphere, property investors, hotel operators and owners, property developers, and banks. Construction head Nikolaus Weselik advised Porr and Spanish construction company and consortium partner Ferrovial on the drafting of a contract for the €900m Bratislava bypass infrastructure project. For new client Appia Contract, he handled the reconstruction of spa hotel Moorbad in Lower Austria. Acting for the government of the province of Lower Austria (nöGIG), Thomas Hamerl advised on construction contacts, design and planning, as well as public procurement and concessions matters concerning the development and construction of a glass fibre broad network for about 115,000 households and businesses.

Schoenherr (Schönherr Rechtsanwälte)'s construction practice benefits from the expertise of the firm's real estate and regulatory departments when advising on construction contracts, plant construction, infrastructure projects and building permits, as well as energy and infrastructure projects. Michael Lagler and Peter Madl jointly head the construction team; Madl recently acted for Unger Unternehmensgruppe on the turnkey construction agreement between the property owner and general contractor for the construction of a substantial amount of residential and commercial spaces in a redevelopment project pertaining to part of Vienna’s former northern railway station. Lagler and attorney at law Constantin Benes are advising new client Clariant on a €260m project for the construction of a 60MW cogeneration power plant in Romania. Arabella Eichinger is also recommended.

Cerha Hempel’s construction department advises clients on every stage of the project, from the initial acquisition of land to project development and the drafting of planning and construction agreements. Department head Peter Vcelouch is handling several contentious and non-contentious matters for long-standing client Vienna International Airport pertaining to planning and construction contracts, and is acting for SES Spar European Shopping Centers in litigation and on the re-drafting of its model planning, engineering and construction contracts. In addition, he advised new client Aberdeen Standard Investments, one of the largest asset managers in Europe, on an investment into a residential development project in close proximity to Vienna’s main railway station. Matthias Nödl, who was promoted to counsel in 2017, assisted Vcelouch on numerous matters.

Dorda Rechtsanwalte GmbH's construction team stands out for its 'great availability', 'competence in all legal fields' and prompt response times. The team is adept at preparing and negotiating general contractor agreements, but also handles the construction aspects of residential real estate developments. Team head Stefan Artner conducted due diligence for Helvetia Versicherungen on the construction contracts for two residential properties due to be competed in 2020. Klaus Pfeiffer advises TK Maxx on general contractor and architects agreements, as well as on construction and operation permits.

Müller Partner Rechtsanwälte’s team focuses on the drafting of a wide variety of construction contracts and claims management, including litigation ensuing from construction projects. Other areas of expertise include advising contractors on the filing of, negotiation and feasibility of claims for increased costs, as well as representing clients in arbitration and expert determination proceedings. Katharina Müller and Bernhard Kall jointly head the team.

Vavrovsky Heine Marth Rechtsanwälte’s ‘highly skilled’, ‘highly efficient’, ‘solution-oriented’ and ‘completely reliable’ construction department specialises in advising real estate developers in the residential sector, particularly during the development phase, for example by negotiating and drawing up general contractor agreements. Department head Daniela Kager is ‘pleasant to work with’ and ‘extremely motivated’; she regularly acts for private real estate developer fourreal, and is currently assisting the client with  a large-scale residential project in a major Vienna neighbourhood. In addition, the team handles construction matters for Austrian real estate funds. The ‘approachable’ Christian Marth is a ‘gifted strategist’ who also has ‘impressive commercial awareness’ and ‘communication skills’; he advised ERSTE Immobilien on the acquisition of a substantial mixed-use development in Vienna, including negotiating and drafting.