October 2024 saw Philipp Hecke return to KWR Karasek Wietrzyk Rechtsanwälte GmbH, adding combined construction and procurement law experience to the firm’s offering; he was previously with Schiefer Rechtsanwälte GmbH. This augments the firm’s expertise in construction contract, project management and planning matters, with Paul Schmidinger taking the lead on infrastructure project-related matters. Contentious matters form a core part of the firm’s practice, with name partner Georg Karasek, Clemens Berlakovits and Jan Philipp Schifko acting for parties engaged in claims for additional costs, damages and those tied to construction defects. Vinzenz Waldhof joined the partnership in October 2024, maintaining a practice that spans both damages and architect’s fees disputes and contract drafting, with Julian Ring tackling contentious and non-contentious matters of construction and architectural law.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Enormous expertise, solution-oriented and systematic approach.'
- 'Philipp Hecke displayed the highest level of professionalism.'
- 'We value the wide range of practices the firm provides, and also the supplemental know-how.'
- 'Julian Ring is a very hand-on advisor, with a strong focus on practical solutions. During all of our interactions I had the impression that efficiency and quality goes hand in hand.'
- 'Jan Philipp Schifko works perfectly, and we are very satisfied.'
- 'We have been working with KWR for a good year now. The team that supports us consists of three people, all of whom are extremely well coordinated; we can always reach each individual or the entire team at short notice, and all correspondence is extremely professional and always goal-oriented. We never once had the impression that we felt left alone during the entire period of cooperation.'
Key clients
- Wirtschaftskammer Österreich
- AT & S Austria & Systemtechnik AG
- Propel Industrial Holding GmbH
- hochform Architekten Ziviltechniker GmbH/3xn Architekten
- Drees & Sommer Projektmanagement und bautechnische Beratung GmbH
- at home Immobilien-GmbH, WISEG Wiener Substanzerhaltungsg.m.b.H. & Co KG
- Energie Graz
- You Will Like It Living GmbH
- SL-Bauconsult GMBH
- Linienreich Generalplanung & Projektmanagement GmbH
- Industriellenvereinigung Salzburg
- NÖ Landesimmobiliengesellschaft m.b.H..
Work highlights
Advised hochform Architekten Ziviltechniker GmbH and 3xn Architekten in connection with the negotiation of the general planning contract for a large infrastructure project.
Advised the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber on the complete renovation of the House of Austrian Industry in Brussels, including the drafting of construction and planning contracts, negotiations with project partners, handling legal issues relating to project implementation, and coordination with local counsel.
Advised Energie Graz on the drafting of a total of eight partial general contractor agreements in connection with two projects concerning the construction of renewable energy power plants.
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Practice head
Clemens Berlakovits; Georg Karasek; Jan Philipp Schifko; Paul Schmidinger; Vinzenz Waldhof
Other key lawyers
Philipp Hecke