KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH

Philipp Hecke (36) has been promoted to Counsel in KWR’s Construction & Real Estate team. He advises national and international clients – in particular construction companies, clients, project developers, civil engineers and property firms – on all aspects of construction and property law. His advisory practice focuses in particular on construction contract law and the legal support of complex construction and property projects. With Philipp Hecke as Counsel, KWR is consolidating its leading position in construction and property law, thereby ensuring it continues to provide the highest quality of advice to its growing client base. “Philipp Hecke’s promotion is another chapter in KWR’s success story, which spans more than 20 years. It is our firm’s firm aim to offer our lawyers the best opportunities to continue their careers with us and to progress to partner level. I am delighted that Philipp Hecke is now working as a counsel in our team and is thus making a significant contribution to the success of our practice groups,” said KWR partner and firm spokesperson Clemens Berlakovits. About the counsel: Philipp Hecke has been an attorney at law at KWR since 2024 and was appointed counsel in 2026. He specialises in construction and property law.         He began his legal career in 2018 as an associate with Georg Karasek. After passing his bar exam with distinction, Philipp Hecke moved to the legal department of an internationally active construction group, where he also served as an authorised signatory. Before returning to KWR, he gained further experience in construction and public procurement law at a renowned Viennese law firm.

KWR advised its long-standing client, UBM Development AG, on the successful placement of its latest green bond with a nominal value of 58 million euros. The entire proceeds from this capital markets transaction will be used for sustainability-related financing. Once again, as in the past, investors were invited to participate in an exchange offer, under which the previous green bond maturing in 2023 could be exchanged for the new green bond. UBM Development is one of the leading developers of timber construction projects in Europe. The strategic focus in the premium segment is on major cities such as Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt and Prague. Besides this, UBM operates as a pioneer of Affordable Housing in urban areas with a demand, also outside of major cities. With over 150 years of experience, UBM offers all development services from a single source, from planning to marketing. The company’s shares are listed on the Prime Market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, the segment with the highest transparency requirements. Raiffeisen Bank International AG acted as Sole Global Coordinator and Paying Agent, and, together with Montega Markets GmbH, as Joint Lead Manager and Joint Bookrunner. Legal advice to the Issuer on this transaction was provided by KWR’s experienced capital markets team, led by Partner Dr. Christian Temmel, MBA, and Partner Dr. Christian Knauder-Sima (both Co-Lead). Raiffeisen Bank International AG and Montega Markets GmbH were advised by the Wolf Theiss capital markets team (led by Dr. Claus Schneider, LL.M., and Mag. Sebastian Prakljacic). Dr. Christian Temmel, MBA, says: “We are pleased to have once again provided legal advice to UBM Development AG on a green bond issuance. UBM’s consistent success in issuing bonds not only reflects its market standing among investors but also demonstrates that UBM’s sustainable focus contributes significantly to its successful presence in the capital markets.”

KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH has advised listed PORR AG, one of the 100 global leading construction companies, as issuer's counsel on the successful issue of its first Hybrid Convertible Bond. The Hybrid Convertible Bond in the nominal amount of EUR 150 million was offered to institutional investors by way of an Accelerated Bookbuilding (Reg S only) which took place on 22 September 2026. At the same time, a Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding was conducted in the course of which existing shares of PORR AG were sold on behalf of certain subscribers of the Hybrid Convertible Bond who wished to sell such shares in short sales to purchasers procured by the Joint Global Coordinators and Bookrunners in order to hedge the market risk. On KWR’s side, the transaction was led by Christian Temmel and Christian Knauder-​Sima, both partners in KWR’s capital markets team. “It was a pleasure to advise our client PORR AG on this unique and complex transaction. The strong investor demand is a clear indication of PORR’s outstanding position in the European construction industry”, said Christian Temmel. BofA Securities, Raiffeisen Bank International in cooperation with ODDO BHF and UniCredit acted as Joint Global Coordinators and Bookrunners in relation to this transaction. The Joint Global Coordinators and Bookrunners in the transaction were advised by DORDA Rechtsanwälte, Vienna (Tibor Varga) and Linklaters, Frankfurt (Alexander Schlee (lead), Catrin Retzmann). Lilja & Co, headed by Kai Lutrov, acted as financial adviser to PORR AG.

KWR KARASEK WIETRZYK Rechtsanwälte GmbH has promoted five former counsels to partner status. The firm is thus consistently continuing its course of sustained growth and strengthening its key practice areas in public commercial law, construction and property law, public procurement law, as well as in dispute resolution and energy law. The following five lawyers have been promoted to partner: • Mag. Sarina Illo Ortner has been part of the KWR Energy team since 2014 and specialises in public commercial law, primarily regulatory law and public construction law. She was admitted to the bar in 2018 and appointed as counsel in 2024. She represents leading companies, predominantly in administrative proceedings. • Dr Andreas Herrmann has also been with KWR since 2014 and has been registered as a solicitor since 2018. He was promoted to counsel in 2024. His practice focuses on construction and property law; he also advises national and international property investment funds. • Dr Julian Ring joined KWR’s construction and property law team in 2018, where he has been practising as a solicitor since 2021 and as a counsel since 2024. His focus is on construction contract law as well as tenancy and housing law. • Mats Schröder, LL.M. has been with KWR since 2012 and has been registered as a solicitor since 2018. He was also appointed as Counsel in 2024. He specialises in public procurement law and handles extensive procurement procedures, both above and below the thresholds, for public contracting authorities. • Nicolas O. Zenz, LL.M., BSc has been with KWR since 2019; he was appointed as a solicitor in 2020 and as Counsel in 2024. Together with S. Illo Ortner, he heads KWR’s Energy Team, where he is responsible for all private law matters, ranging from sector-specific contract drafting and advice in the field of (renewable) energy to dispute resolution. In addition, he specialises primarily in arbitration and B2C and consumer law. “As a partnership, we are absolutely delighted to welcome Sarina Illo Ortner, Andreas Herrmann, Julian Ring, Mats Schröder and Nicolas O. Zenz to our partnership. We offer young talent an environment in which they can develop to their full potential in line with their strengths, whilst being actively supported and guided by us on their path to partnership. All five new partners have been with KWR since their trainee days and are, both professionally and personally, among the absolute pillars of our firm. The path we have chosen is bearing fruit. The promotions of proven experts underline our sustainable growth, even in an economically challenging environment. We are thus taking another major step forward in our KWR 2035 firm strategy and sending a clear signal to our staff and the market. At KWR, people are still made into partners. We offer genuine prospects, not just empty promises. With this expansion, we are significantly lowering the average age of our partnership and are now among the youngest partnerships of established large law firms in Austria. This, too, is another important management decision aimed at positioning our firm for a sustainable and forward-looking future,” said KWR partner and firm spokesperson Clemens Berlakovits.