GRAF ISOLA

Partners: Ferdinand Graf, Alexander Isola, Jakob Widner, Armenak Utudjian, Stefan Weileder, David Seidl, Claudia Csáky, Sebastian Mahr

Number of partners: 8

Number of lawyers: 25

Languages: German, English, French

Firm Overview:

GRAF ISOLA, founded in 1994, is one of the leading independent Austrian commercial law firms with offices in Vienna and Graz. The full service firm advises in all fields of Austrian and European business law with a client base from all sectors of domestic and foreign industry and public authorities. GRAF ISOLA has 25 qualified lawyers including 8 partners – most are recognised experts in their field and have years of international experience. The firm is internationally known for its hard work approach and efficient and creative way of handling complex cases in a solution-oriented manner. GRAF ISOLA has an extensive network with international leading law firms across the globe with whom the firm regularly cooperate based on a best friends philosophy.

Main Areas of Practice:

Banking & Finance

Competition & Antitrust

Compliance & White-Collar Crime

Corporate/M&A

Data Protection

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Employment

Estate Planning/Trust & Estates

Insolvency & Restructuring

Insurance Law

Intellectual Property/ IP & IT

International Trade/Foreign Trade Law & Sanctions

Projects/Procurement & Infrastructure

Real Estate & Construction

Regulatory

Banking & Finance:

GRAF ISOLA provides advice on the full range of banking law and on all types of financing, in particular acquisition and project financing. In recent years, the firm has built a strong banking litigation practice involving banking, regulatory and capital markets disputes — it has advised and represented in some of the largest cases/litigations in the aftermath of the financial crisis.

Contact: Stefan Weileder

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Competition & Antitrust:

The firm’s competition and antitrust practice group has longstanding and extensive expertise — it provides comprehensive advice in all areas of European and Austrian competition law. Key strength areas are as follows: merger control filings, cartel/antitrust proceedings, abuse of dominance proceedings and advice on drafting contractual agreements and structuring of distribution systems, dawn raids and internal audits.

Contact: Ferdinand Graf

Email: [email protected]

Compliance & White-Collar Crime:

The firms expertise in corporate criminal law matters is top-notch and the attorneys are especially skilled and qualified when it comes to defending clients in bankruptcy, accounting fraud, financial crimes, breach of trust / embezzlement, corruption and money laundering.

Contacts: Alexander Isola, David Seidl

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Corporate/M&A:

From the very beginning corporate law and mergers and acquisitions have been a core competence of GRAF ISOLA. The firm’s specialists advise on all matters of corporate law — often on complex corporate transactions such as restructurings, spin-offs, mergers and transformations — both in Austria and cross-border. Recent work highlights include advising a prominent Russian conglomerate on cross border restructurings and capital measures and advising one of the largest Austrian publicly listed corporations on the spin-off and subsequent merger of subsidiaries. The firm has gained a strong practice in corporate litigation supporting clients in corporate disputes and representing in corporate litigation — both in judicial and arbitration proceedings.

Contact: Ferdinand Graf

Email: [email protected]

Data Protection:

The firm advises clients on all matters of data protection law and support them in making necessary modifications to their data protection infrastructure, as well as advice about how to deal with a data breach.

Contact:Marija Križanac

Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution & Litigation:

GRAF ISOLA is a top tier firm for all types of complex commercial litigation and arbitration — both domestic and international. The team has wide practical experience in arbitration proceedings under all leading institutional rules, including Vienna Rules, ICC, SIAC, Swiss Chambers, KCAB, UNCITRAL, SCC, Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, Czech, and ad hoc arbitrations. The firm has become increasingly well known for its work in high profile cases in the restitution of looted art, social media/data protection, telecommunication, white collar crime and shareholder disputes.

Contact: Jakob Widner

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Employment:

GRAF ISOLA has for many years been recognised for its high quality work in employment law — advising domestic and international clients on all areas of individual and collective employment law — both in terms of an ongoing consultation as well as in the course of restructurings and business acquisitions (M&A related). Key strength areas include the drafting of all relevant employment law contracts, advising companies on compliance issues regarding labor relations and collective agreements, conflict management, and employment-related litigation.

Contact: Jakob Widner

Email: [email protected]

Estate Planning/Trusts & Estates:

Asset and succession planning pose a major challenge to many wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs. Partner Armenak Utudjian has an excellent reputation and is advising on all aspects of succession planning and asset structuring including advising on related relevant areas such as corporate, real estate and employment — often in collaboration with experts from other practice groups. Key areas include in particular drafting of and execution of wills, enforcement of and defense against inheritance claims, legal issues in connection with structuring foundations and trusts (Privatstiftung).

Contact: Armenak Utudjian

Email: [email protected]

Insolvency & Restructuring:

GRAF ISOLA has decades long been a leading firm for insolvency, restructuring and reorganisation. Practice group co-head Alexander Isola has been ranked for years among the very top lawyers in his field in Austria in all relevant rankings and handbooks. In recent years, this practice group has advised on almost every major insolvency and restructuring case in Austria — on many occasions as insolvency administrator, otherwise as advisor to debtors, creditors, and investors. Areas of expertise include in particular: advice on restructuring, insolvency, and reorganisation — both in and out of court, insolvency administration, distressed M&A, insolvency challenge rights, capital maintenance law and equity substitution, insolvency dispute resolution, international insolvency law.

Contacts: Alexander Isola, Stefan Weileder, David Seidl

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Insurance Law:

The firm specializes in guiding insurance companies and insured entities through complex insurance and damage claims. Services include: handling major claims, coordinating mass litigation, overseeing complex legal proceedings, forensic examinations and risk assessments.

Contact: Sebastian Mahr

Email: [email protected]

Intellectual Property/IP & IT:

Intellectual property is another core competence of GRAF ISOLA. The firm advises and represents clients in all areas of intellectual property law, information technology and data protection compliance. The spectrum of services ranges from all matters concerning trademarks, copyrights, patents and e-commerce among others. The practice group has great expertise and knowledge in data protection law — it has published a great amount on the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation.

Contacts: Claudia Csáky; Marija Križanac

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

International Trade/Foreign Trade Law & Sanctions:

The firm advises clients on the regulations of international trade in goods and services and focus on national and multinational export control restrictions and economic sanctions. The group assists with bespoke contractual arrangements, litigate contentious matters before administrative and criminal tribunals and manage exposure to legal risks through trade due diligence advice.

Contact:Marija Križanac

Email: [email protected]

Projects/Procurement & Infrasturcture:

GRAF ISOLA is renowned for its advisory work on large scale projects — in particular in the area of public procurement. In recent years, the firm has been involved in numerous large-scale projects representing domestic and international companies as well as public sector clients. The public procurement practice consists of advising clients on structure planning and implementing procurement proceedings for complex projects, including the right choice of procedure and assisting in drafting necessary procurement documentation and consultation on setting up and financing procurement companies. GRAF ISOLA regularly assists private bidders in their successful procurement participation. Key strength industry areas include infrastructure and transport.

Contacts:Marija Križanac, Armenak Utudjian

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Real Estate & Construction Law:

The firms highly experienced practice group provides comprehensive advice relating to all matters of real estate including financing. Key areas comprise of drafting and negotiating real estate and sale-purchase contracts — from individual property to real estate portfolios — lease agreements, developer contracts, condominium agreements, relevant public law permits and representation in property related litigation. The client base includes private individuals and investors — both private and institutional — as well as developers.

Contact: Armenak Utudjian

Email: [email protected]

Regulatory:

The firm provides comprehensive advice in a wide variety of areas of public commercial law. Pertaining to pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the services range from product approval to the choice of a suitable distribution structure and advertising restrictions. Further areas are regulations on hospitals and social insurances regarding fees for panel doctors, national insurance contract partner law (ASVG) and legal problems of pension and health care funds.

Contact: Jakob Widner

Email: [email protected]