The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Austria > Public procurement

Having widened its regional reach by opening a second office in St. Pölten in May 2018, Schramm Öhler Rechtsanwälte continues to attract praise for its broad public procurement expertise, which is frequently drawn upon by contracting and public authorities. With particular know-how in the IT, healthcare and transport sectors, Georg Zellhofer is advising the University of Vienna on the procurement of a new HR-IT system, and, in other work, Gregor Stickler assisted Tiwag Tiroler Wasserkraft with the procurement of framework agreements for services for the implementation of approximately 250,000 electronic smart meters. In September 2018, Christian Eder joined from Graf & Pitkowitz and strengthened the team's data protection offering. Johannes Schramm and Matthias Öhler are also noted.

Wolf Theiss Rechtsanwalte GmbH & CoKG routinely acts for contracting authorities and bidders in public tender and procurement review proceedings. Manfred Essletzbichler, who jointly heads the team with Sebastian Oberzaucher and Silvia Fessl, acted for Porr in review proceedings before the Federal Administrative Court concerning the Brenner Basistunnel infrastructure project, and a consortium of construction specialists received advice on a tender procedure by Asfinag for construction works pertaining to the Karawanks tunnel, connecting Austria with Slovenia. Wolfgang Lauchner was appointed counsel in May 2018.

CMS assists with public tender procedures and PPP projects and has particular expertise in the infrastructure, construction, waste, life sciences and healthcare sectors alongside the transport and technology industries. In recent work, Thomas Hamerl and team head Bernt Elsner assisted Porr with the procurement procedure for the PPP project Berresgasse Campus. Robert Keisler is another key contact.

DSC Doralt Seist Csoklich Rechtsanwälte GmbH's team acts for public authorities and bidders in tender procedures and PPP projects. Practice head Oliver Sturm assisted the municipalities of Frauental and Preding and the town of Deutschlandsberg with the structuring of a PPP project and with procurement procedures for waste management services, and advised the Austrian central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank on procurement proceedings for a digital document storage system.

Eisenberger & Herzog is well versed in acting for public contracting entities and bidders in various stages of national and EU-wide tenders, including review proceedings with a focus on infrastructure and energy sector work. Ulrike Sehrschön and Wilhelm Offenbeck are the practice co-heads.

Advising on PPP projects and related public procurement matters including review proceedings and compliance issues is a central pillar of Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners' practice, which is led by Michael Hecht. Clients include the City of Vienna, Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft and Vienna Hospital Association. Rudolf Christian Pekar is another key member of the team.

Saxinger, Chalupsky & Partners (SCWP Schindhelm)'s 'highly experienced and reliable' team has a strong presence in Upper Austria and advises public authorities on the full spectrum of public procurement law including tender and review procedures, PPP projects and contentious matters. Team head Hanno Liebmann is advising Asfinag on public procurement matters pertaining to the redevelopment of the Arlberg tunnel. Edwin Scharf made salary partner in October 2017.

Binder Grösswang's public procurement team is led by Johannes Barbist and is part of the firm's regulatory practice, which works in close co-operation with its corporate and M&A groups. It assists companies and service providers with general public procurement law matters, review proceedings, tender documentations and tender proceedings.

Cerha Hempel handles various contentious and non-contentious public procurement law matters for predominately contracting authorities such as the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy and Wien Energie but also acts for bidders including Traumatologische Gemeinschaft Burgenland. Irene Welser heads the team, which includes Michaela Siegwart, who made partner in January 2019.

With notable experience in energy, healthcare and life sciences-related work, Dorda Rechtsanwalte GmbH assists tenderers and contracting parties with general public procurement law matters and PPPs. Team head Bernhard Müller assisted OMV with the implementation of a new global tender strategy, and advised GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals on procurement matters pertaining to its tender of FSME vaccines.

Schoenherr (Schönherr Rechtsanwälte) works in close co-operation with its public law team, which is led by Christian Schmelz, and routinely advises on EU-wide tenders, general public procurement law matters and challenging contract award decisions. Counsel Johannes Stalzer is the main contact.