- Managing Partners: Michael Kutschera, Thomas Schirmer
- Number of partners: 17
- Number of lawyers: 81
- Languages: Croatian, English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
Firm Overview:
Binder Grösswang has been ranked among Austria’s leading business law firms for more than 50 years. Today the firm has more than 80 lawyers and 17 partners and is one of the largest law firms in Austria. Binder Grösswang advises major Austrian corporate, banking and industrial clients.
Main Areas of Practice:
Banking & Finance:
• Regulatory: Counsel to Austrian cooperative banking sector regarding creation of a group pursuant to Art. 3 of the CRD
• Syndicated loan facilities for VERBUND, EVN, Borealis and other Austrian borrowers
• Real estate finance: financing of the acquisition of eight shopping centers, counsel to Helaba
• Project finance for Maissau bypass, counsel to financing banks
Contact: Michael Binder, Stefan Tiefenthaler, Emanuel Welten, Tibor Fabian
Capital Markets:
• Capital increase of Lenzing AG (issuer’s counsel)
• Special real estate bonds of Hypo Wohnbaubank AG, and of of Raiffeisen Wohnbaubank AG, (aggregate volume up to EUR2 billion)
• Debts Issuance Programs for ASFINAG (issuer’s counsel)
• Senior bonds of Lenzing AG, volume: EUR20m
Contact: Florian Khol, Tibor Fabian, Michael Binder
Competition:
• Private enforcement proceedings regarding the escalator and elevator cartel
• Counsel in regard to a major undertaking concerning the freight forwarding cartel case (pending with the Austrian Cartel Court)
• Counsel to an undertaking regarding a recent investigation by the Federal Austrian Competition Authority regarding the ready-to built- market retail sector
• Counsel to an Austrian financial institution regarding the payment cards market
Contact: Raoul Hoffer, Johannes Barbist, Isabelle Innerhofer
Corporate/M&A:
• Counsel to Black Diamond, Inc. on its acquisition of the Austrian PIEPS group
• Counsel to ESTAG and its subsidiaries on the sale of one if its Austrian group companies
• Counsel to Kommunalkredit after its bail-out and nationalisation on its cross border merger with its Cyprus banking subsidiary
• Counsel to GE Healthcare on the acquisition of PAA Laboratories Gesellschaft m.b.H
Contact: Michael Kutschera, Thomas Schirmer, Florian Khol, Michael Binder, Andreas Hable, Gottfried Gassner, Ivo Rungg
Dispute Resolution:
• Representation of a bank in a multi-billion dispute concerning the cancellation and reversal of a share purchase agreement on the acquisition of one of Austria’s largest banks n
• Defense of a multi-national financial services provider against individual and mass claims raised by investors
• Representation of a major Austrian utility in disputes following cross-border finance transaction
• Enforcement of foreign interim measures for a foreign bank, freezing and recovery of substantial assets which had been dissembled through complex contractual and corporate structures
Contact: Christian Klausegger, Michael Kutschera, Johannes Barbist, Stefan Albiez
Employment Law:
• Employment law advice on an international corporate restructuring involving several jurisdictions
• Employment law advice in connection with the conversion of two large-scale enterprises into a European Company (SE)
• Counsel to MeadWestvaco GmbH on the establishment of a European Headquarter and the amendment of the group structure in Austria
• Representation of a major Austrian broadcasting company in a litigation on alleged pension entitlements of a former executive
Contact: Horst Lukanec, Angelika Pallwein- Prettner
Insolvency & Restructuring:
• Counsel to Austrian cooperative banking sector regarding the sale of 46% of the financially weak ÖVAG to the Republic of Austria
• Counsel to one of the largest creditors in the criminal case and insolvency proceedings in relation to Prof. Dietmar Machold, a former world famous dealer of rare string instruments
• Counsel to Valovis Bank AG (as factoring bank) on the insolvency proceedings of Neckermann Versand Österreich AG
• Counsel to Slovensky plynárensky priemysel, a.s. (SPP), leader on the natural gas supply market in Slovakia and key player in the energy sector in CEE, as creditor in connection with insolvency proceedings of CE Gas Marketing & Trading GmbH
Contact: Emanuel Welten, Gottfried Gassner, Thomas Schirmer
Real Estate:
• Counsel to VB Real Estate Services GmbH in the restructuring of a hotel project in prime Viennese location
• Counsel to international luxury goods companies on its ongoing lease business in Austria, in particular in setting up a new flagship store Vienna
• Acquisition of two regional shopping centres in the Czech Republic from CA Immo
• Representation of Immofinanz AG in the sale of the office buildings “SILK 7” and “City Point Vienna”
Contact: Tibor Fabian, Thomas Schirmer
Regulatory:
• Counsel to Austrian cooperative banking sector regarding creation of a group pursuant to Art. 3 of the CRD
• Counsel to public authorities and public undertakings on public procurement law and specific public law aspects
• Representation of businesses in public/environmental law matters, e.g. regarding the compliant operation of business sites
• Representation of major Austrian energy production and distribution entities
Contact: Johannes Barbist, Raoul Hoffer, Michael Kutschera, Michael Binder
Tax:
• Counsel to Novartis regarding the acquisition and integration of EBEWE Pharma
• Public offers of structured products for North American and British banks
• Tax advice to multinational groups regarding their CEE headquarters and Austrian operations
• Counsel to IPIC and aabar regarding acquisitions of participations and their subsidiaries
Contact: Andreas Hable, Christian Wimpissinger
Unfair Competition & IP:
• Legal advice to Riedel Austria on use of its trademarks as Google adwords n Legal defence of a large headhunting agency concerning alleged unfair competition practices
• Opposition proceedings before the Austrian Patent Office, the OIM and WIPO n Efforts against product piracy, e.g. for Breitling S.A., Dior S.A., Estee Lauder Cosmetics GmbH, Givenchy S.A., Guerlain S.A., Hublot S.A., Seiko Epson Corp., Tag Heuer S.A., Veuve Cliquot Ponsardain and Zenith S.A.
Contact: Ivo Rungg
Areas of PracticeBanking & Finance
Capital Markets
Competition
Corporate / M&A
Dispute Resolution
Employment
Insolvency & Restructuring
Real Estate
Regulatory
Tax
Unfair Competition & IP