Team size: Six

Can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently (cases, transactions, projects, anything like that)?

I provide legal advice on our quarries, cement plants, and the supply of cement. As a market leader, we cannot escape from fair competition law. For instance, sanctions related to Ukraine/Russian war introduced new challenges to our practice. In addition, there are few long-term projects that I am currently carrying out, which includes M&A transactions for the acquisition of new mining areas and target companies.

The main project that our team has focused on to reduce waste and carbon print is C2PAT Project. C2PAT (Carbon to Product Austria) is a joint project between Austrian corporations Lafarge (cement company), OMV (oil and gas company) Borealis (chemical company focusing on polyethylene and polypropylene) and VERBUND (Austria’s largest electricity provider). The aim of this project is to create a cross-sectoral value chain and to build a full-scale demonstration plant that will be able to capture 100 percent of Co2 emission from Lafarge’s existing cement plant in Mannersdorf, Austria. While VERBUND provides green hydrogen to capture the Co2 (about 10,000 tonnes per annum), OMV turns the captured Co2 into renewable-based hydrocarbons that can be used as fuels. With the project value more than €100m, Borealis will turn the hydrocarbons into feedstock for plastics.

Establishing a suitable JV vehicle, we negotiated terms of the joint venture agreement amongst four project partners. Whilst covering global IT corporations envisaging the use of CO2 plastic for their hardware, we prepared fund applications by negotiating terms with technical suppliers. Our team also undertook Recycling Centre Mannersdorf project which entails the use of demolition and other industrial waste as raw material and/or alternative fuel in our cement plant.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

The cement industry is a well-established industry; but its biggest weakness is that natural resources are limited. Thus, being open minded is an essential element for an in-house lawyer of the cement industry. We are in a unique position to bring different business partners together to achieve new and better solutions in reducing the use of natural resources and minimising pollution.