KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH > Vienna, Austria > Firm Profile
KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH Offices
HERRENGASSE 1
1010 VIENNA
Austria
KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH > The Legal 500 Rankings
Austria > Dispute resolution: arbitration and mediation Tier 1
With an emphasis on commercial arbitration, investment protection and arbitration-related court proceedings, KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH is sought out by major regional and global corporations and is equipped to handle matters across an array of sectors, such as construction and engineering, energy, automotive, IT and healthcare. The team has noted expertise in matters spanning multiple jurisdictions and is jointly steered by Florian Haugeneder, who has vast experience as counsel and arbitrator under the rules of all major arbitral institutions as well as a ‘broad level of expertise and a good understanding of the need of clients,’ and Patrizia Netal, whose broad practice includes construction and engineering, post-M&A and energy matters and international sales contracts. Natascha Tunkel specialises in matters related to new technologies in areas such as life science or intellectual property, while Kirstin McGoldrick’s workload extends to matters involving multiple jurisdictions and multi-contract disputes.Practice head(s):
Florian Haugeneder; Patrizia Netal
Other key lawyers:
Jurgita Petkute; Natascha Tunkel; Sophie Wotschke; Kirstin McGoldrick
Testimonials
‘Jurgita Petkute is a very professional, dedicated lawyer who never leaves questions unattended. As a co-arbitrator, this is very valuable and appreciated.’
‘Very reliable and competent law firm and probably one of the best in Austria in the area of dispute resolution. Diverse team, that also employs native English speakers.’
‘Florian Haugeneder: very experienced and competent partner with a broad level of expertise and a good understanding of the need of clients. He is reliable and delivers very good quality.’
‘Kirstin McGoldrick: talented and reliable lawyer, easy to talk to, very communicative and very competent.’
‘The team has strong experience and practical knowledge in the field of arbitration proceeding. They are exceptionally competent and experienced. All lawyers are very responsive and we appreciate the open communication with the team. Resources are used efficiently.’
‘Florian Haugeneder is a great mind and brilliant arbitration expert, highly professional and with excellent rhetorical skills, which he showed several times during the arbitration proceeding his team assisted for several years.’
‘Natascha Tunkel: excellent legal and rhetorical skills, she is exceptionally responsive and caring about client’s interests and needs. She is extremely calm and brilliant as a speaker.’
‘The Knoetzl team is a truly market leading mix of experience, contacts, and responsiveness, bringing a first-class service in a complex, fast moving dispute; they show great pride in their work and have strong client skills.’
Key clients
Casinos Austria International GmbH/Casinos Austria AG
Work highlights
- Represented Casinos Austria in an ICISD investment arbitration against the Argentine Republic arising out of the expropriation of their gaming business in Argentina.
Austria > Dispute resolution: commercial litigation Tier 1
Consisting of ‘smart lawyers and excellent team leaders,’ KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH demonstrates prowess at the intersection of commercial litigation and white collar crime, and is regularly instructed by clients from an array of industries, including energy, banking and finance, construction, gaming, healthcare, and life sciences. Bettina Knoetzl leads the team and is praised by clients for her ‘sharp strategic mind,’ with her broad practice encompassing investor protection, liability claims and a variety of corporate, banking and insurance disputes. Judith Schacherreiter was appointed a judge at the Commercial Court in Vienna in December 2023.Practice head(s):
Bettina Knoetzl
Other key lawyers:
Katrin Hanschitz; Bert Ortner; Valentina Spatz; Natascha Tunkel
Testimonials
‘Always available. Partners take care of the case personally, and have good in-depth knowledge. Clients benefit from the great experience of the lawyers.’
‘Bettina Knoetzl is outstanding. Very strong presence in court, knows what she is talking about.’
‘Exceptionally competent, available and quick and accurate in processing.’
‘Extraordinarily experienced, competent and able to develop innovative ideas and solutions to problems. Very accessible and approachable. Very strong in pursuing the agreed goals and enforcing them in legal disputes.’
‘Very dedicated and focused. Smart lawyers and excellent team leaders. Detail oriented with strong follow up in every sense. Hard workers indeed.’
‘Bettina Knoetzl is a genuine leader and an excellent legal mind. A delight to work with.’
‘The team is very competent, professional and available at short notice.’
‘I consider Bettina Knoetzl to be the top litigator on the Austrian market. Bettina is not only a top expert in a variety of matters of material law (such as banking, finance, corporate, and civil law), she has a sharp strategic mind and an incredibly positive energy to throw in for her client, which is why Bettina’s reputation reaches far beyond the boundaries of the country.’
Key clients
Facebook/Meta
Dr. Heinz Schaden
Austria > Dispute resolution: white-collar crime (including fraud) Tier 2
KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH is mainly instructed by companies and business executives, and equipped to handle criminal investigations, the representation of clients in trial, as well as compliance advice and the tracing and recovery of diverted assets. Thomas Voppichler, who is especially well versed in advising clients on compensation claims for damages due to embezzlement, fraud and bribery, was appointed as practice head in March 2023. Former lead Bettina Knoetzl continues to support clients in international investigations.Practice head(s):
Thomas Voppichler
Other key lawyers:
Bettina Knoetzl; Natascha Tunkel
Testimonials
‘Bettina Knoetzl is razor sharp.’
‘The team has a perfect spirit, perfect performance is what we wanted and what we got.’
‘Outstanding knowledge not only of the legal issues but also of the voluminous files and evidence.’
‘Fantastic team that clients love and trust implicitly.’
‘Exceptionally competent, available, quick and accurate in processing.’
‘Extraordinarily experienced, competent, and able to develop innovative ideas and solutions to problems. Very accessible and approachable. Very strong in pursuing the agreed goals and enforcing them in legal disputes. Very experienced and helpful in preparing for official interrogations and interviews.’
‘Full-service firm with a lot of experience and most reliable.’
‘Thomas Voppichler remains extremely calm in difficult and important moments, which gives us a feeling of security at all times. With his high level of professional expertise, he then prepares us for negotiations in the best possible way.’
Work highlights
- Representing several (former) executives of Austrian subsidiaries of international corporations in criminal proceedings against accusations brought up in the context of Austrian bankruptcy proceedings.
- Advising an international corporation in fraud proceedings covering investigations by the EU Anti-Corruption Agency.
- Representing an international real estate fund in criminal investigations.
KNOETZL HAUGENEDER NETAL Rechtsanwaelte GmbH > Firm Profile
The firm: KNOETZL is a leading Austrian law firm founded on a handshake by some of the most effective, experienced and perceptive legal minds dedicated to providing the highest quality of advocacy in dispute resolution, business crime, compliance and corporate crisis.
Representing corporate clients in civil and criminal trials and in front of arbitral tribunals is the core of the practice. KNOETZL has a clear mission and a driving purpose: to achieve optimal outcomes for its corporate, financial and governmental clients in their most significant, sensitive and complicated disputes before the Austrian courts, and well beyond. The firm’s approach combines unmatched strategic thinking and decades of peerless experience with the endurance, stamina and commitment required to ultimately win the day.
Since opening its doors in 2016 KNOETZL has dramatically grown in both its international and Austrian name-brand clients, and its top-tier disputes team.
KNOETZL’s lawyers work seamlessly with international partner law firms and industry experts in the CEE and SEE regions and are widely regarded as true leaders and innovators in this market. Highly regarded, top-tier international law firms choose KNOETZL as their local counsel. The team’s diverse skillset covers civil, commercial, sovereign and criminal litigation, focusing significantly on liability claims, corporate disputes, banking, insurance and financial derivatives cases, investor protection, business crime, energy, technology and life sciences. The firm’s services also include asset tracing and effective provisional measures, such as freezing orders and attachments, in the domestic and international context, the enforcement of foreign judgments, and arbitral awards.
Areas of practice: The firm offers its clients the highest quality of advice and guides them through all forms of traditionally available dispute resolution, and creatively structured, alternative dispute resolution.
Winning the cases of its clients drives the firm. KNOETZL is proud of its outstanding track record, securing significant victories in civil court, in front of international arbitral tribunals and in criminal investigations. Important criminal investigations against the firm’s international and Austrian corporate clients have been terminated under KNOETZL’s guidance. Landmark victories were brought home in the firm’s life sciences practice, where each win is regarded as critical by the international pharmaceutical clients. Every significant arbitration that was resolved led to a victory for the firm’s clients. KNOETZL assisted in achieving favourable settlements in a variety of matters, utilising alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation.
The firm’s dispute lawyers are humbled by the fact that not a single case has been lost to date, and it continues to believe that its specialisation in doing nothing but trial work, advocacy and dispute resolution paired with the firm’s passion for its clients’ matters makes a significant difference.
KNOETZL’s lawyers are tough, smart and effective. Members of its team are routinely called upon to apply their extensive experience in high-value, multijurisdictional disputes, asset tracing and recovery matters. The firm acts, in this capacity, for multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals and major fraud victims. Its close relationships and seasoned teamwork with experienced local and international forensic experts and lawyers in virtually every jurisdiction in the world ensure the firm can help identify, trace, freeze and recover hard financial, book entry, and physical assets with the most effective use of dedicated resources.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset tracing | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Business Crime | White-Collar Crime | Thomas Voppichler | thomas.voppichler@knoetzl.com | +43 1 34 34 000 201 |
| Collective Claims | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Commercial Arbitration | Florian Haugeneder | florian.haugeneder@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 300 |
| Compliance | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Corporate Crisis Management | Timothy J. Pfister | tim.pfister@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 500 |
| COVID-19 | Corona Virus Support | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Data Protection | Katrin Hanschitz | katrin.hanschitz@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 700 |
| Employment | Management | Bert Ortner | bert.ortner@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 900 |
| Enforcement | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Fraud | Corruption | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Intellectual Property | Natascha Tunkel | natascha.tunkel@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 220 |
| Internal | External Investigations | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Investment Arbitration | Florian Haugeneder | florian.haugeneder@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 300 |
| Litigation | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
| Mediation | ADR | Natascha Tunkel | natascha.tunkel@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 220 |
| Unfair Competition | Katrin Hanschitz | katrin.hanschitz@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 700 |
| Whistleblowing Systems | Bettina Knoetzl | bettina.knoetzl@knoetzl.com | +43 676 844 133 200 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Katrin Hanschitz | Katrin Hanschitz is a partner at KNOETZL and has been so since… | View Profile |
|
Florian Haugeneder | Florian Haugeneder is a Partner at KNOETZL. He has more than 15… | View Profile |
|
Bettina Knoetzl | Bettina Knoetzl is a Partner at KNOETZL, and has about 25 years’… | View Profile |
|
Patrizia Netal | Patrizia Netal is a partner at KNOETZL. Patrizia has extensive experience as… | View Profile |
|
Valentina Spatz | Partner | View Profile |
|
Natascha Tunkel | Natascha Tunkel is a Partner at KNOETZL and applies over 15 years… | View Profile |
|
Thomas Voppichler | Thomas is a partner at KNOETZL and heads the firm’s White-Collar Crime… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 23Languages
Bosnian Croatian Czech English French German Hungarian Italian Russian Serbian Slovak SpanishMemberships
ICC FraudnetOther
Contact : Timothy J Pfister (managing partner)International Capabilities
OVERVIEW
KNOETZL is Austria’s first large-scale dispute resolution powerhouse dedicated to high-profile and significant cases that matter. The firm is well-recognised for the passion of its lawyers, high fighting spirits where needed, creativity – while leading the market with unshakable integrity – and a clear, business-oriented approach.
Their diverse practice handles civil, commercial, sovereign state, corporate and fraud litigation, as well as international commercial arbitration, investment protection and arbitration-related court proceedings. Active across a range of industries, KNOETZL’s international orientation proves an exceptional feat in the otherwise domestically positioned Austrian legal landscape. The strength and global renown of KNOETZL springs largely from the firm’s first-to-market, predominance in advocacy, and strategic weaponry deployed for clients – a step acknowledged as ascendant by the international market. Since then, the clients’ demand for sophisticated, effective and powerful litigation counsel and results brought about have proven this step to be perfectly on target.
Both this innovative singularity as well as KNOETZL’s excellence warrant the recognition of their lawyers as true leaders in various categories by industry directories. Bettina Knoetzl’s expertise as department head of the firm’s dispute resolution practice has been notably acknowledged as the first European lawyer to have been named “Lawyer of the Year” by a highly-regarded international legal commentator in 2017.
THE CLIENTS
International, reputable law firms value the expertise and work ethic of KNOETZL lawyer, and the firm continues to be engaged to act as Austrian disputes counsel by distinguished international firms, corporate decision-makers and general counsels.
The members of KNOETZL’s arbitration and litigation teams have acted successfully in some of the largest, most well-known and complex disputes in Latin America as well as the CEE and SEE regions. KNOETZL offers a deep market knowledge of a range of jurisdictions, amounting to an array of clients, including:
– Facebook
– Stadtwerke Klagenfurt
– Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
– Bayer Pharma
– GoDaddy.com
– Casions Austria International GmbH
– Dr Heinz Schaden, former mayor of Salzburg
THE TEAM
KNOETZL is best known for taking the unique approach in Austria to provide a diverse team of highly skilled lawyers and legal advisers to offer truly international and focused advice. The firm’s open and inclusive culture provides a unique environment where talent can thrive on supportive guidance and encouragement, allowing for the teams’ diverse proficiency in a number of languages, including Albanian, Armenian, Bosnian, Croatian, Dutch, English, Italian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Serbian, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese.
KNOETZL’s specialists have raised their collective practices to a new, higher level of advocacy to litigate in Austrian or regional courts, to mediate or to act in arbitrations across the CEE region and globally.
THE NETWORK
KNOETZL boasts having and maintaining its own, non-exclusive, but monitored and reviewed impressive global network, working seamlessly with international partner law firms and industry experts in the CEE and SEE regions. The distinct ability of team members to collaborate with other firms, experts and in-house counsel ensures high standards and perfect handling of the most complex cases. Particularly the partners’ involvement in various organisations nurture KNOETZL’s unique network, including:
– the International Bar Association
– Transparency International (Austrian Chapter)
– the ICC-FraudNet
– the Austrian Chapter of the Club Español del Arbitraje
– The Austrian Arbitration Association
– ArbitralWomen
– the Vienna International Arbitral Centre
- Dispute resolution: arbitration and mediation
- Dispute resolution: commercial litigation
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution: white-collar crime (including fraud)