CERHA HEMPEL

Managing Partners: Albert Birkner, Clemens Hasenauer

Number of lawyers worldwide: over 200

Languages: Armenian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Tagalog

Firm Overview

CERHA HEMPEL is one of the leading corporate law firms in Central and Eastern Europe with its headquarters in Vienna. With a team of over 200 lawyers, the firm guarantees its clients experience and expertise in all areas of corporate and commercial law, both in Austria and Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past 25 years, CERHA HEMPEL has been involved in a large number of the most significant transactions in Austria. The fact that the firm understands its clients’ businesses has helped CERHA HEMPEL achieve a high rate of success. It is no coincidence that CERHA HEMPEL is the first port of call for a number of long-term clients whom the firm advises comprehensively on all of their day-to-day legal matters. This expertise — combined with the firm’s years of experience in Central and Eastern Europe and its Lex Mundi network — ensures that its clients receive high-quality and sound advice, across disciplines and across borders.

Main Areas of Practice:

M&A and Corporate

We focus not only on classic M&A, but also on private equity transactions, and we specialise in resolving complex, often cross-border issues in a practical and commercially-oriented manner. Due to the diversity of our clients, we have developed particular expertise in public M&A, including takeover law and regulatory compliance under financial markets laws.

Antitrust & Competition

Our clients benefit from our comprehensive experience and pre-eminent track record in many of the highest profile cartel proceedings and most prominent Phase II merger control proceedings in recent years. Our Antitrust & Competition Practice Group advises and represents Austrian and international clients before national and European competition authorities in all areas of national and European competition law.

Banking & Finance

CERHA HEMPEL supports its clients in the borrowing and investment decisions they make, such as in the context of financial and liquidity planning and treasury operations. It advises both borrowers and lenders alike. Recognised as a leading corporate law firm in the regulatory sector, CERHA HEMPEL advises international banks on establishing Austrian branches and offices and with respect to selling and trading securities in Austria. As advisor to over 100 managed investment funds which it represents in Austria regarding trading and compliance issues, CERHA HEMPEL has extensive expertise in the banking and finance sector.

Capital Markets

CERHA HEMPEL has handled the largest capital markets transactions in Austria over the past 25 years and has set the standards for this area. It handles all aspects of IPOs, capital increases and bond issuances, advising potential issuers and underwriters on due diligence issues, as well as preparing prospectuses in accordance with international standards and drafting documentation for capital increases.

Real Estate & Construction

CERHA HEMPEL supports its clients in everything from project development, negotiating and drafting financing agreements, preparing planning and construction agreements, to residential and commercial leases and claims management.

Litigation & Arbitration

Whether it be construction disputes, unfair competition, contractual interpretation, insurance law, warranty issues, or damages in contract or tort, CERHA HEMPEL’s success rate is enviable. The team at CERHA HEMPEL covers the entire spectrum of corporate and commercial law, and focuses on giving its clients a clear picture of the opportunities and risks involved. Members of the firm act as arbitrators, chairpersons and counsel.

Employment

Our team of employment law specialists provides advice on all aspects of employment law, from individual employment to ­collective bargaining, from contract drafting to specific terms of employ­ment, and options for greater flexibility in employ­ment relationships.

Tax Law

CERHA HEMPEL offers clients comprehensive expertise on the tax-optimised structuring of transactions, especially with respect to mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructurings, as well as group taxation, holding structures, inbound and outbound investments, debt and equity financing and the taxation of financial instruments.

Public Law & European Law

CERHA HEMPEL advises and represents clients before public administrative authorities and courts, as well as the European Court of Justice regarding questions of aviation law, public procurement law and telecommunications law, all of which the firm has been handling since such sectors were liberalised by the EU. The firm’s lawyers have achieved an above-average rate of success in such cases. CERHA HEMPEL also has many years’ extensive experience in commercial licensing law, healthcare law, university law, construction law, environmental law, and medical and pharmaceutical law.

White Collar Crime

For many years, CERHA HEMPEL has been one of the leading law firms providing advice on white collar crime. We regularly advise and represent Austrian and international companies, corporate bodies and private individuals in all areas of white collar crime, including in connection with allegations of financial crime, corruption, property crime and economic sanctions, to name but a few.

International Experience

With offices in Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest, Prague, Sofia and Ljubljana CERHA HEMPEL possesses an extensive network in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, together with broad-based expertise and many years’ experience.