Dispute resolution: commercial litigation in Austria

‘The team has a very strategic and result-oriented approach to litigations and their management. It is very effective, reliable and responsive.’

‘Mr. Christian Klausegger is an expert and leading professional in his area of work. As the entire team, he has a very result-oriented and pragmatic approach to both the case handling and the litigation management.’

‘Christian Klausegger is used to work with international clients and cases, has an excellent understanding of the impact of foreign law aspects on Austrian cases, has an IT background which makes him very valuable for clients from the IT sector and also knows and understands the way international clients operate.’

‘We highly appreciate the very high quality of legal advice, including capital market issues, as well as proceedings at court and before the Public Prosecutor. They are very reliable, always in time and deliver solutions with a win-win approach.’

‘Dr. Stefan Albiez is a very smart negotiator, a very good lawyer and always keeps the best for his client in mind.’

‘This team is really experienced in pursuing claims and in court proceedings and they also help with negotiations. The preparation of claims going into court has been extraordinary. We fought several disputes with this team. The combination of support in writing contracts and the knowledge of contracts makes dispute discussions easier and faster.’

‘Mrs. Ingeborg Edel’s experience is extraordinary and she is very thorough in investigating the facts. It does not matter if it is night or the weekend, whenever we needed fast support we got it. Also her analysis about the chances of a win was always very honest and helpful for the next steps.’

‘Dr. Klausegger has the ability to analyse very complex legal issues.’

‘I found all members of the team to be very helpful, responsive and very reassuring.’

‘The partners were all very good and responsive. They were also commercial in their approach and gave good easy-to-understand advice.’

‘Very good professionals and good focus on details.’

‘They cover all legal aspects, private and business, and clearly provide their expertise through a very personal approach.’

‘The team is personable; quick feedback, availability, trust level. For all business transactions with a pleasant mixture of wit and humour.’

‘I think the relationship is something special. All team members I’ve been working with are always available and very keen to support me/us in all manners.’

‘Very good professionals and good focus on details.’

‘Involvement for the benefit of the client.’

‘This firm is unique in that it has full and in-depth knowledge of the Austrian law, provides very accurate analysis of all court proceedings, which help in determining strategy planning for a case, is always prompt in their response and is very aggressive in protecting their clients’ rights in the Austrian courts.’

‘Bettina Knoetzl: A heavyweight in litigation and always the first point of contact for litigation in Austria.’

‘Leading in dispute resolution in Austria.’

‘Bettina Knoetzl: Extensive knowledge, empathetic, highly competent.’

‘Very competent and helpful, good and creative ideas for the conduct of the proceedings. The team was always available and provided continuous information.’

‘Especially Katrin Hanschitz was very competent and experienced and contributed decisively to the success of the proceedings.’

‘I appreciate the support from one central point of contact over various legal topics. The feedback is highly professional and always linked to recommendations how to proceed and which actionable items needs to be considered.’

‘Bert Ortner has a superb service orientation and a quick response time. I like the attitude to cover not only the legal topic of an issue but also to take the bird’s view on all various impacts of a situation. He is a brilliant challenger and provides clear recommendations. Overall a partner you like to work with, he is energetic and problem-solving.’

‘What makes Wolf Theiss’ dispute team unique is the profound experience and the knowledge of the team members at every level. The collaboration between different practice groups works well, therefore it is easy to reach the expertise of different practice groups when needed. Also, they have a good network and maintain good relations with consultants in other jurisdictions.’

‘Clemens Trauttenberg is very knowledgeable and experienced. He has a hands-on approach, is solution-oriented and is able to offer the best solutions that suit his clients’ needs best.’

‘They always prioritise their clients’ interests.’

‘Outstandingly skilled, first-class reputation. Not cheap, but definitely worth the money.’

‘We rely on Eva Spiegel, one of the most senior partners of team. She litigates a broad range of disputes, from IP to insurance, insolvency and distressed transactions. Very professional, always swift turnaround.’

‘The collaboration with Wolf Theiss’ commercial litigation practice works smoothly. The team consists of highly motivated individuals, who are experts in their field. The billing is done on a regular basis and is transparent.’

‘Eva Spiegel is obviously top notch. She has such an incredible expertise and working with her is fun because she is simply brilliant. No less can I say about Alexander Zollner, who is a rising star, and I think he will make it very far. His commitment and zeal are outstanding. He is smart, thinks one step ahead and grasps the relevant information quickly. Moreover, he has a good sense of humour.’

‘The team around Irene Welser works very professionally and has given me perfect advice on my long court proceedings and has always given me the best advice on how to deal with my case.

‘Irene Welser tried very hard to win the case. The pleadings were extraordinary, which you can see in comparison with the pleadings of the other side.’

‘I find it unique that no matter how complex the topic is, a complete and comprehensive review takes place within a very short time. All aspects are regularly examined.’

‘Michaela Siegwart leaves nothing to chance, nothing escapes her attention. She always points out all problems and possible solutions that present themselves. The same applies to Irene Welser, who does an outstanding job, especially in mediation.’ 

‘The team around Holger Bielesz and Irene Welser is outstanding and smart. They have been a tireless and indispensable resource for our group of companies.’

‘Their advice and transparency, advising against actions just to increase the amounts on their billing statements have been a true lifesaver in countless instances. This leads to much more precise and focused attacks and better outcomes for their clients.’

‘Their knowledge in commercial litigation and their insights into the specifics of forensics and the software and IT landscape let them stand out in a very small market like Austria but even shine in an international setting.’

‘The team around Dr. Bielesz and Prof. Welser is one of the rare occasions, where you feel they are just as fired up to win the battles  as you are, with you in the trenches and still later on the victory road.’

‘CMS’ dispute resolution team has helped us with its cross-border links to other CMS offices and Europe-wide practice group network and know-how.’

‘Thomas Böhm is always responsive, eager to help and able to use his CMS-wide network and looks at the legal issue from the client’s point of view.’

‘The outstanding team handles cross-border and domestic litigation in a variety of areas. They are very well coordinated, very friendly and very competent – with an excellent knowledge.’

‘As a client, one feels very well looked after and in good hands.’

‘Schoenherr has a huge team with different experts for any legal case you have to deal with.’

‘Fast response time, they give you the feeling that you are very important even if your case is not a huge one.’

‘Professionalism; there are contacts for all areas of law.’

‘Reliability, availability and commitment.’

‘Strong litigation practice with a particular focus on private enforcement cases.’

‘Florian Neumayr is a smart litigator. It is always a pleasure working with him.’

‘Competent analysis and prompt implementation.’

‘The team is particularly strong in real estate and construction-related disputes. The team members are very experienced, many of them senior. They are sharp and efficient. They have great knowledge of the real estate industry.’

‘Nikolaus Vavrovsky is an excellent litigator, who sees the whole picture – legally and business-wise. He is persistent, assertive and persuasive. Most of all, he looks at a matter from all angles and has an impressive depth of strategic analysis. He is a valuable partner, very professional, anticipatory and hands-on.’

‘My first contact is Dieter Heine, a brilliant litigator, mediator and negotiator and one of the most experienced and capable competition law specialists in Austria. He brings vast legal know-how, impressive commercial understanding, great technical expertise and remarkable creativity to the table. He is an efficient problem solver, instantly able to pin down issues and come up with strategies to resolve them.’

‘Another individual to be mentioned is Nina Sterzl, who never ceases to impress me with her legal know-how and ambition for her clients. She is a great lawyer to have by one’s side.’

’My first contact for years and already decades has been Dieter Heine, who is a high-calibre strategic mastermind and unmatched in competition law litigation. Forceful in court and persuasive in negotiation, a creative thinker and refined professional, who always sees the bigger picture.’

‘Nina Sterzl has also been on our team for years. Highly knowledgeable in competition law matters, an out-of-the box thinker like Heine and absolutely dedicated to her clients. We are happy to have her on board.’

‘In-depth knowledge of the market, the ability to quickly build networks – also internationally – and to use them, great flexibility to adapt to changing situations, pragmatic access to new challenges, flat hierarchies.’

‘The practice is highly specialised; they are not trying to cover everything/ not trying to pretend to be experts in everything – if some additional knowledge is needed, it will be brought in from external experts and will be integrated. I very much appreciate this approach!’

‘Lukas Aigner is so passionate and committed to what he is doing! His exceptional and wide-ranging legal expertise and economic knowledge makes him outstanding. With his customer-orientated and solution-driven work style, it is a great pleasure to work with him.’

‘The firm has extensive experience in resolving disputes before ordinary courts as well as arbitral tribunals.’

‘Due to its vast litigating experience, the firm’s competence in developing efficient strategies to enforce or defend claims is especially noteworthy. Consequently, the economic aspects are always given great consideration in the decision-making process and strategy, which is naturally of great importance from the client’s point of view.’

‘The team is very quick in responding and attorneys are very easily accessible, which stands out to me. Further, the team is in constant consultation with us to find the best solution and they go the extra mile in this regard.’

‘Complete honesty, even when they don’t instantly know the answer, they tell you so and get to work to figure out the case as soon as possible. Also, when they aren’t experts in a specific field, they refer you to colleagues who are.’

‘The matters of our firm are mainly handled by Lukas Aigner and Johannes Lehner. Lukas Aigner has profound experience concerning the enforcement of contentious claims, especially in capital market law cases. Johannes Lehner has a broad background in commercial law, so that both stand out as a team with remarkable assertiveness in litigation proceedings.’

‘My collaboration with Brandl & Talos has already been going on for several years. These lawyers know and understand business as much as they do law, and act to address the economic, capital markets, tax as well as corporate aspects of the case.’

‘It is rare to find this business understanding combined with a broad-reaching expertise in capital markets law, corporate law and criminal law, all at an equally high level.’

‘The team is very hard-working and I was impressed by their ability to work fast and precise despite the size of the case and the amount of information.’

‘My lawyer with Brandl & Talos is Christopher Schrank. He is a specialist criminal defence lawyer with a special focus on corporate and capital markets law. He has extensive experience in investor fraud cases and knows how to handle extremely large claims. For me, because of the extremely large economic and reputational value of this case, I needed someone like Christopher, with the right type of experience in investment, corporate law, fraud allegations and criminal defence. He is very precise and thorough and brings a wealth of experience that is worth every penny.’

‘A very thorough service.’

‘A perfect team. Very diverse and complementary capabilities in the teams chosen.’

‘Alexander Klauser: Excellent knowledge of courtroom processes. Very organised.’

‘Gerald Otto: Very strong case analysis; excellent reactivity to cases created by the adversary.’

‘The team is always reachable, clear and structured in our cooperation. There is no “lost” communication time and the team was also very helpful when a new employee of our association took over the task.’

‘The team and especially Mr. Klauser are precise in their answers. They also say clearly, if they consider a case to be lost. For me the most important issue lays in their capability to create a “one level playing field” between the weaker and the stronger parties.’

‘I really enjoy Mr. Klauser’s focused communication and clearly structured processes.’

‘bkp’s senior partner Alexander Klauser is one of Austria’s leading experts in consumer law. In the courtroom, he is an outstanding litigator.’

‘bkp is unique in the sense that there is no other law firm in Austria of their size with a specialisation in consumer law and, in particular, collective redress. We have been working with bkp successfully for more than 20 years.’

‘The litigation team is of top quality: their advice is concise, well-argued and provided nimbly and flexibly.’

‘Dr. Claudine Vartian has unparalleled skill in litigation and a deep understanding of the most advantageous way to approach appeals in the Austrian courts. She is highly intelligent, runs an extremely efficient team and is always available when we need her, even on very short notice, which is much appreciated.’

‘Strong client commitment; tasks are accomplished not only to an extraordinary high level but also promptly. Always available and ready.’

‘We work almost exclusively with Andreas Daxberger. An outstanding, extremely client-orientated and solution-oriented lawyer with determination, he has great expertise and especially his social competence is outstanding, just the lawyer you want to have in difficult times.’

‘Simple processes, simple coordination. A feeling what the customer really wants and needs. Open-minded to new developments and the market climate and unbelievably – also open to price negotiations.’

‘Flexibility; adjustment to customer demands; practical orientation; gentleness; vast knowledge.’

‘Specific know-how in all relevant law areas. A global network with lasting regional relationships.’

‘A broad perspective which goes above legal implementation; this is based on the understanding of the personal or business context of a legal necessity. A friendly, yet professional relationship where one will always find a helping hand.’

‘Mario Spanyi is an excellent attorney- his pragmatism and creative solutions make him stand out from other attorneys.’

‘The team around Jana Eichmeyer is characterised by quick reactions, team spirit and high quality of work.’

‘Jana Eichmeyer is – in addition to the unreservedly high quality of her work – an ideal sparring partner in strategic matters.’

‘Very customer-oriented firm in commercial law.’

‘Easy to reach in case of questions; takes care of the customer and explains legal details in an understandable way.’

‘There is a lot of competence, on the other hand, the law firm is small enough to give the client the feeling of personal care.’

‘Stephan Lenzhofer’s team is distinguished by its competence.’

‘I have the impression that the individual departments exchange information and cooperate well. I appreciate the direct and uncomplicated contact, the quick response times and the fact that they do not beat around the bush, but get to the point. The billing is fair, especially in comparison with other lawyers and consultants.’

‘Stephan Lenzhofer is an excellent lawyer. I have noticed that he has worked extremely broadly throughout his career. He recognises content, context and argues very quickly. His appearance in court is also highly professional, competent and convincing. He acts fact-based and his legal argumentation is very well received by judges.’

‘Competent, friendly, customer needs are very well understood and good solutions are offered, broad coverage of all legal fields.’

‘Promised time and cost frames are met.’

‘Very experienced and well-connected lawyers.’

‘The law firm specialises in interdisciplinary collaboration among partners.’

‘An excellent team. Extremely hardworking. P&P will leave no stone unturned in ensuring they do everything they can to put their client in the driving seat. They know what they are doing and they do it very well.’

‘Nikolaus Pitkowitz is very experienced, sound and calm.’

‘Roxanne de Jesus is tireless in the pursuit of her client’s interests and highly intelligent. Roxanne is a very good cross-examiner.’

‘Mr Pitkowitz and Mrs Roxanne de Jesus. Absolutely competent.’

‘It is an internationally focused and knowledgeable team, which can bring its wide experience to bear on local litigation whilst appreciating the different cultural requirements of its clients.’

‘Nikolaus Pitkowitz is extremely user-friendly, has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is a delight to work with.’

‘Excellent knowledge.’

‘Great leadership and strategy from Nikolaus Pitkowitz. Roxanne de Jesus is an absolute star.’

‘Profound legal knowledge in commercial litigation, quick elaboration of the complaint, good and timely information about all legal issues.’

‘Special knowledge in competition law, excellent response times.’

‘The team (we have worked with Wolfgang Kapek and Stefan Turic in particular) has won many cases for us in recent years or has at least reached the best possible results. They are very reliable and understand our business and the sector we’re in very well. From what we have seen, the team has grown substantially in the last year.’

‘The two partners Wolfgang Kapek and Stefan Turic handle our litigation cases. For our needs, they form an ideal team. They know our sector very well, which is a huge asset.’

‘Great team, efficient work with very good mood at the same time; appreciate the creativity in finding solutions for difficult questions.’

‘Very high in quality, precise answers, they get to the point of the problem.’

‘Very precise and convincing writing, tactical and forward thinking, possible reactions of the opponent are considered at an early stage and taken into account in the strategy.’