Category: Austria

Former Baker McKenzie Senior Associate Katerina Schenkova has joined Thyssenkrupp as its new Regional Compliance Officer.

Thyssenkrupp is a German industrial engineering and steel production multinational conglomerate.

Prior to her move, Schenkova worked for Baker McKenzie as an Associate between 2015 and 2019 and as a Senior Associate since 2019. Earlier, she was an Attorney at Law with Cerha Hempel between 2014 and 2015. Earlier still, she was an Attorney with Baker McKenzie between 2011 and 2014. She started her career with Schoenherr where she was a Student Intern and later an Associate between 2007 and 2010.

“I am grateful for my time at Baker McKenzie and I am excited to put my skills and knowledge into good use at Thyssenkrupp,” Schenkova commented. “I am looking forward to my new tasks, advising not only in my core expertise areas of antitrust and anti-corruption but also trade sanctions and data protection. I am taking over a region with an established compliance program and culture and I look forward to further developing and strengthening the role of compliance in the region.”

Originally reported by CEE In-House Matters.

BPV Huegel has advised Immofinanz on the acquisition of a further approximately 38% stake in S IMMO via a share acquisition from CPI Property Group for EUR 608.5 million. Wolf Theiss advised CPI Property Group.

Immofinanz Group is a commercial real estate group whose activities are focused on the office and retail segments in Austria, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and the Adriatic region.

According to BPV Huegel, the transaction resulted in Immofinanz Group now owning approximately 89% of S IMMO. “The purchase price for the transaction amounts to EUR 608.5 million, which corresponds to a price of EUR 21.55 per S IMMO share. This results from the cash compensation of EUR 22.05 to be paid to the minority shareholders of S IMMO in the course of the planned squeeze-out less a discount of EUR 0.50 per share. The transaction will be partly financed through a long-term credit facility of EUR 500 million at market conditions provided to Immofinanz by CPIPG.”

In 2022, BPV Huegel and Wolf Theiss advised on Immofinanz’s increase of shareholding in S IMMO to 50% plus one share (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on December 23, 2022).

The BPV Huegel team included Partners Christoph Nauer, Ingo Braun, and Nicolas Wolski, Attorney at Law Roland Juill, and Associates Barbara Valente and Daniel Maurer.

The Wolf Theiss team included Partners Florian Kusznier and Claus Schneider.

Former E+H Equity Partner Tatjana Katalan and her team have joined Dorda.

According to Dorda, Katalan has experience “in public commercial law, in particular in supporting large-scale projects and in EIA procedures, in renewable energies and infrastructure projects, as well as in the area of public and green compliance.”

Before the move, Katalan spent almost 19 years with E+H, joining the firm in 2006.

“We are very pleased to welcome Tatjana Katalan and her team to Dorda and to further expand our offering,” commented Managing Partner Martin Brodey. “Their expertise ideally complements our range of services and enables us to support our clients even more comprehensively in shaping the energy transition, in connection with infrastructure and other important future projects.” 

”Tatjana Katalan impressed us with her entrepreneurial approach and passion for building something,” added Managing Partner Francine Brogyanyi. “Her career path is an inspiration for young female lawyers. We are proud to have her on our team.”

The team joining Katalan includes Of Counsel, Niklas Gamillscheg, Attorneys at Law Christoph Slamanig, Reinhard Jantscher, Emoeke Hajas, and Marko Katalan, and Assistants Marion Fartek, Daniela Markovec, Mathilde Hohensinner, and Teodora Milovanovic.

Cerha Hempel has advised AT&S on its sale of AT&S Korea to SO.MA.CI.S. Schoenherr, Latham & Watkins, and Kim & Chang reportedly advised the buyers.

Headquartered in Leoben, Austria, AT&S is a publicly listed manufacturer of high-end IC substrates and printed circuit boards. 

SO.MA.CI.S manufactures electronic products.

According to Cerha Hempel, “the sale includes all shares held by AT&S in AT&S Korea, and thus also includes the plant in Ansan, South Korea. The purchase price (equity value) amounts to EUR 405 million, plus interest and minus dividend payments. The transaction is subject to closing of the acquisition of SO.MA.CI.S. by Bain Capital Private Equity, as well as merger control approvals, and is expected to be completed by March 2025.”

The Cerha Hempel team included Managing Partner Clemens Hasenauer, Partners Harald Stingl, Lorenz Pracht, Johannes Prinz, Benjamin Twardosz, and Anna Wolf-Posch, Senior Associate Philipp Schaubach, and Associates Sophie Stock, Hannah Gerbl, Alexander Kainz, and Denise Runceanu.

Schoenherr has advised a group of sellers of Flightkeys on an investment from Insight Partners. E+H, working with Willkie Farr & Gallagher, advised Insight Partners. Deloitte Legal-affiliated Jank Weiler Operenyi and Grohs Hofer reportedly advised other sellers of Flightkeys.

The investment remains subject to regulatory approval.

Flightkeys is a provider of cloud-based flight planning and optimization software.

Insight Partners is a software investor.

According to Schoenherr, “the investment comes at an opportune time for Flightkeys, as the company’s leading solution powers flight planning at some of the world’s largest carriers, with many more currently implementing Flightkeys 5D. The partnership with Insight will enable Flightkeys to accelerate the company’s investments into its strategic roadmap, R&D, and customer service.”

The Schoenherr team included Partner Thomas Kulnigg, Counsel Stephan Roedler, and Attorney at Law Dominik Tyrybon.

The E+H team included Partners Philipp Schrader, Dieter Thalhammer, Judith Feldner, Helmut Liebel, and Dominik Juster, Counsel William Redl, and Associates Franziska Egger, Yvonne Handler, Yvonne Wohlmuth, Marcel Neuhauser, Lorenz Bogensberger, and Lukas Weber.

Editor’s Note: After this article was published, Deloitte Legal-affiliated Jank Weiler Operenyi confirmed its involvement. The firm’s team included Partners Alexander Operenyi and Johannes Lutterotti.

Former Wolf Theiss Partner Birgit Kraml has joined DLA Piper as Partner and the new Head of Real Estate at the firm’s Vienna office.

Before the move, Kraml spent 23 years with Wolf Theiss, joining in 2001 as an Associate and becoming a Partner in 2018. Her primary area of focus is real estate.

“We are thrilled to welcome Birgit to our partnership,” commented Country Managing Partner Christoph Mager. “Her extensive experience and deep industry knowledge will be instrumental in strengthening our market position in Austria and the CEE region and in pursuing our strategic goals.”  

“I am absolutely delighted to be joining DLA Piper as a Partner,” Kraml added. “The firm stands out for its international presence, excellence, and diversity. I look forward to taking on the challenge of supporting such a leading international law firm in expanding its Real Estate Practice in Austria.”

CMS has advised AVL List on the sale of its subsidiary Piezocryst to Spectris. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised the buyer.

The transaction remains contingent on regulatory approval.

AVL List is a technology company specializing in development, simulation, and testing in the automotive industry, and in other sectors including rail, marine, and energy.

Piezocryst Advanced Sensorics is a provider of highly-specialized piezoelectric sensors.

According to CMS, “Spectris, already a world leader in testing equipment and precision measurement due to its subsidiary Hottinger Bruel & Kjaer (HBK), intends to leverage Piezocryst’s full potential to an even greater extent. Piezocryst will remain closely linked to AVL through a strategic partnership, both as a customer and as a partner in innovation and distribution.”

In 2021, CMS advised on Moog Brno’s transfer of part of the business to AVL Moravia (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on October 18, 2021).

The CMS team included Partners Clemens Grossmayer, Florian Mayer, Dieter Zandler, and Gabriela Staber and Lawyer Bernhard Oreschnik.

The Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer team included Vienna-based Partners Ludwig Hartenau, Maria Dreher-Lorje, KatharinaKubik, and Karin Buzanich-Sommeregger, Counsel Gernot Fritz, Principal Associates Anna Binder-Gutwinksi, Benedikt Sprinzl, and Matthias Hofer, Senior Associate Thomas Mollnhuber, and Associates Estella Dannhausen, Tina Fokter Cuvan, Lisbeth Zimmermann, Daniel Metz, Jakob Tschachler, Sabeth Rivero Mendez, Maximilian Klein, Andreas Langer, Miriam Benmoussa, and Sophie Misra as well as further team members in Duesseldorf.

E+H has advised CVI Investments and Heights Capital Management on the restructuring and insolvency proceedings of Fisker. Schoenherr advised Fisker.

According to Schoenherr, Fisker, based in Graz, is a subsidiary of Fisker Group which is itself undergoing Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy in the US and was primarily responsible for overseeing the manufacturing of Fisker electric vehicles.

According to E+H, “with claims against Fisker GmbH totaling in excess of EUR 3.78 billion, this was one of the largest insolvencies in Austria ever. The insolvency court confirmed the restructuring plan of Fisker GmbH on September 16, 2024, which confirmation will – absent an appeal – become finally binding on October 1, 2024.”

The E+H team included Partners Marcus Benes, Christian Joellinger, Mario Spanyi, Karoline Hofmann, Christopher Engel, and Laurenz Liedermann and Associates Sandra Leutl, Rene Renner, and Alexandra Stadlober.

The Schoenherr team included Partner Miriam Simsa, Attorney at Law Hannah Fadinger, and Associates Felix Loewit and Christian Cacic.

Former Wolf Theiss Attorney at Law Georg Knafl and former OEBB-Holding Senior Compliance Expert Erika Stark-Rittenauer have joined E+H as Partners in the firm’s public law department and the firm’s compliance and investigations team, respectively.

Before the move, Knafl spent more than seven years with Wolf Theiss, between 2017 and 2024. He began his career in 2015 with a six-month stint at BPV Huegel.

Before joining E+H, Stark-Rittenauer worked for OEBB-Holding between 2018 and 2024. Earlier, she worked for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer between 2008 and 2016.

Dorda, working with McDermott Will & Emery and Quinz, has successfully advised P95 on its acquisition of the Austrian CRO Assign DMB. 

P95 is an epidemiological and clinical solutions company. According to Dorda, it is “further expanding its global footprint with this acquisition. Assign DMB, renowned for its expertise in clinical data management and biostatistics, particularly in infectious diseases and vaccines, is a perfect complement to P95’s service portfolio.”

The Dorda team included Partner Lukas Herrmann, Senior Associate Georg Durstberger, and Associate Bianca Schamberger.

Dorda did not respond to our inquiry on the matter.