Banking and finance (Tier 1)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a ‘keen and profound understanding of banking issues and a professional attitude’. The team attracted some top mandates in 2010, including continuing to advise Erste group on various project financings in eastern Europe, and also advising the Swiss Zürcher Kantonalbank on its acquisition of Austria’s Privatinvest Bank. Edith Hlawati heads up the six-partner team.

Capital markets (Tier 1)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is ‘really outstanding’ and the team, led by Edith Hlawati, has ‘very good industry knowledge and is prompt and helpful’. The firm was one of the few that managed to advise on both equity and debt capital markets work in a tough market, picking up new share issuances for both Simonsfeld and Wienerberger in 2009/10. The practice also represented Strabag on the placement of €100m worth of notes on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Peter Knobl is recommended.

Central and Eastern Europe (Tier 1)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has ‘an excellent understanding of the CEE markets and culture’ and ‘lawyers who understand the business rationale of their clients’. The firm is a heavyweight presence in the region with offices in numerous jurisdictions. Highlight work for 2010 included acting for construction giant Strabag in merger control proceedings before several competition authorities regarding the establishment of a €1bn joint venture with Lafarge Cement. Peter Hoffmann heads up the group, which also features the ‘outstanding’ Albert Birkner and newly made-up partner Thomas Trettnak, who is a ‘talented dealmaker’. Clients particularly praise Benedikt Spiegelfeld: ‘We admire both his passion for the profession and his integrity. He is the senior partner you wish to have on your side when negotiations reach a critical point,’ according to one.

Corporate and M&A (Tier 1)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati delivers advice that is ‘highly practical and useful, and so is value for money. Its lawyers understand the business rationale of their clients’. The team has some enviable clients, including CEE construction company Strabag, Raiffeisen International Bank and OMV. Edith Hlawati is ‘prompt and helpful’, and Benedikt Spiegelfeld and Clemens Hausenauer are also recommended.

Dispute Resolution (Tier 1)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a great reputation in both litigation and arbitration proceedings. Managing partner Irene Welser has developed a stronger profile in international arbitration proceedings in recent years, and is chairing an ICC arbitration involving a CEE telecoms business. The firm continues to advise Hewlett-Packard in various court proceedings against Neuroth and Magirus. Benedikt Spiegelfeld is rated for arbitration work, and Peter Vcelouch provides advice that is ‘high quality and directly to the point’.

EU and competition (Tier 3)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a broad range of EU and competition law experience including advising on abuse of dominant position and state aid cases both at national and EU level. The well-respected Peter Lewisch and Bernhard Kofler-Senoner lead the five-partner team, which represented CEE construction giant Strabag in merger control proceedings before the European Commission and the Austrian competition authorities relating to its €1bn merger with Cemex. The team remains active in unfair competition proceedings, with recent work including representing Yves Rocher in a case referred to the European Court of Justice.

Employment (Tier 3)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is able to deliver ‘timely and accurate solutions to every single problem in a very sensitive and complex environment’. In 2010 the team picked up big-name new clients such as the Austrian motorway company ASFINAG, and continues to develop its expertise in data protection. The ‘pragmatic and hands-on’ Julian Feichtinger leads the team and has solid experience in employment litigation and collective bargaining issues. Barbara Klinger is also highly rated.

IT and telecommunications (Tier 1)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is strong on both the IT and telecoms sides, with a longstanding client base that includes Telekom Austria and Hewlett-Packard. The practice had a strong 2010 capitalising on a number of M&A deals in the IT sector. The team has a particular focus on data protection law, and advised Yellow Pages France on the acquisition of Austria’s 123people, a website that allows users to search for personal data. Julian Feichtinger is the go-to name for IT law.

Insolvency and corporate recovery (Tier 2)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is valued for its ‘excellent responsiveness, practical solutions and commercial advice beyond the recital of statute’. The practice had a busy 2010, including advising Barclays Capital on the €500m insolvency restructuring of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds and its group companies in Austria. Benedikt Spiegelfeld and Irene Welser head the team.

Intellectual property and media (Tier 3)
Irene Welser leads the team at CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, which advised Toyota in two trade mark infringement actions, including one before the Supreme Patent and Trademark Senate.

Public Procurement (Tier 2)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati has a solid track record representing contracting and public authorities on tendering procedures. The two-partner team advised Vienna International Airport on the procurement of X-ray machines, displays, furniture and other equipment. Irene Wesler heads the team, and is assisted by senior attorney Michaela Siegwart.

Real Estate (Tier 2)
The ‘solution-orientated’ Peter Vcelouch leads the team CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, which is noted as delivering ‘value-for-money’ advice that is ‘directly to the point’. It advised on some enviable deals including representing German asset manager Union in the acquisition of the Rund Vier building.

Tax (Tier 2)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati leverages off its corporate team to advise on tax issues related to restructuring and financing transactions among others. Clemens Hasenauer and Johannes Prinz led a team that advised Wiener Börse Central, an Austrian gas hub operator, on stamp duty matters relating to the establishment of a new gas exchange.

BELARUS

Legal Market Overview (Tier 2)
Clients commend the ‘international standards’ at CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati FFLC, which is ‘very convincing and excellent in all aspects’. The ‘highly trustworthy and professional’ managing partner Sergei Makarchuk ‘combines international experience with knowledge of the local particularities’. Clients include Deutsche Bank, Expedia, Lukoil and Raiffeisen Zentralbank Austria.

BULGARIA

Banking & Finance (Tier 3)
Overseen by Peter Hoffmann from the firm’s Vienna head office and assisted by the ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ Boyko Guerginov in Sofia, CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati EOOD’s banking and finance group advises a balanced mix of corporates and banks. As well as receiving a regular pipeline of work from Kaufland Bulgaria including financing mandates, the team has also handled regulatory work for Commerzbank.

Real Estate (Tier 3)
CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati EOOD excels in work at the nexus of real estate and projects. Boyko Guerginov and Ralitsa Gavrilova advised Alfa Energy on a due diligence report provided for the purposes of developing solar power plants.

HUNGARY

Merger & Acquistions (Tier 3)
Ilona Rónay-Csordás and Andrea Presser head up the team at CHSH Dezsö. The firm advised AGFA on the major cross-border merger of group companies in Austria and Hungary, as part of its restructuring programme, as well as advising ING Leasing Hungary on several matters, and handling a Hungarian acquisition for a prominent German pharmaceuticals company.

Project Finance (Tier 3)
CHSH Dezsö has added UniCredit Bank Hungary to its client list. The team was also appointed to the Erste Bank Hungary panel, with Edina Nagy advising it on several restructuring matters.

Real Estate (Tier 3)
The team at CHSH Dezsö provides a ‘high-quality legal service’, and works with a number of large real estate developers in Hungary. It worked on a €44m acquisition for Allianz, and also advised Strabag PFS on facility management options. Szabolcs Perlaki heads up the practice and is noted for his ‘extensive experience’.

ROMANIA

Corporate & M&A (Tier 4)
Mirela Nathanzon heads up the corporate team at CHSH Gilescu & Partnerii S. C. A. Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, which has particular expertise in agricultural matters. The firm advised Agri Consortium on its share capital increase and other corporate law matters, including various changes to its corporate structure. Clients report that the firm displays ‘an impressive level of practical knowledge and the ability to provide fast solutions in a reliable manner.

SERBIA

Competition (Tier 1)
JPM Jankovic, Popovic & Mitic in cooperation with CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati ‘provides services in a professional and high-quality manner’. Recently instructed by Syngenta group and Slovenian bank NKMB on merger control issues, the team has also advised medical and construction sector clients on the implementation of antitrust compliance programmes and restrictive practices. Head Milica Subotic is praised for her ‘quick response time; good business logic in combination with excellent legal knowledge; passion for work; and winner mentality’

Corporate, M&A and privatisation (Tier 2)
Milica Subotic at JPM Jankovic, Popovic & Mitic in cooperation with CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati receives praise for her ‘good business logic in combination with excellent legal knowledge’, and was instrumental in closing the sale of one of the largest dairy companies in Serbia; and providing advice to Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor, Slovenia, in connection with the acquisition of state-owned credit bank, Kragujeva. The firm is equally adept at advising domestic and European clients.

Real Estate (Tier 2)
At JPM Jankovic, Popovic & Mitic in cooperation with CHSH Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati, ‘the level of service is excellent and very proficient’. The four-lawyer team’s ‘knowledge of the appropriate legal regulations is profound and exemplary’, and has been invaluable to state-owned Srbijagas in its joint venture to construct an underground gas storage depot with Gazprom. The team has prepared documentation for the acquisition of new premises for two international embassies, and advised Bauhaus on the acquisition of a retail site. Uros Markovic and senior lawyer Ivan Petrovic impress clients with their style of work.

SLOVAKIA

Banking, Finance & Capital Markets (Tier 2)
CHSH Siska & Partners S. R. O. Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati’s Bratislava team is led by managing partner Karol Šiška, who has notable experience on cross-border lease financing. Ladislav Poloma is another key figure in the 11-lawyer team. The group’s recent work has included a heavy diet of real estate and renewable energy project financing, including advice on regulatory and bankruptcy issues. Clients include real estate leasing company Bawag, GE Money and Austrian banking and financial groups such as Volksbank, Raiffeisen and Hypo Alpe Adria.

Corporate & Commercial (including M&A) (Tier 2)
A ‘highly professional law firm’, CHSH Siska & Partners S. R. O. Cerha Hempel Spiegelfeld Hlawati is recommended for serving international clients. Practice head Karol Šiška specialises in leasing matters, particularly of a cross-border nature. Ladislav Poloma led on Honeywell’s restructuring of domestic operations. Other clients include Procter & Gamble and real estate developer Mid Group. Senior attorneys Jozef Bannert and Ivana Šedová are recommended, as is the ‘very responsive, precise’ associate Zuzana Mikulová.

Source: The Legal 500: Europe, Middle East & Africa, 2011 Edition