By Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1197, published on Friday, 20 June 2025, the European Commission decided to exclude companies from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from public contracts for medical devices. This applies to contracts with an estimated value of more than five million euros. Furthermore, no more than 50% of the contract value may be passed on to Chinese companies.

Wolf Theiss, working with Clifford Chance, has advised Supernova Invest on the issuance of EUR 550 million senior notes due 2030. Linklaters and Schoenherr reportedly advised the bank syndicate involved.

Schoenherr has advised the shareholders of Timeular on the sale of the company to Graz-based software provider TimeTac.

Wolf Theiss, working with Linklaters, has advised Raiffeisen Bank on the issuance of EUR 300 million 4.191% 6NC5 green non-preferred senior eligible notes due 2031. White & Case reportedly advised the bank syndicate.

Allen Overy Shearman Sterling Counsel Attila Csongrady is set to join Schoenherr as Partner alongside Peter Redo, who will join as Counsel, effective September 1, 2025.

Schoenherr has advised OMV Aktiengesellschaft on the issuance of EUR 750 million in perpetual, subordinated hybrid notes with J.P. Morgan and MUFG acting as the structuring agents and joint global coordinators and BofA Securities, Erste Group, ING, LBBW, and SMBC as the joint bookrunners. Wolf Theiss, working with the White & Case Frankfurt office, advised the bookrunners.

DLA Piper has advised Spanish hotel group Ibersol on its entry into the Austrian market through the takeover of a four-star hotel in Vienna, to be managed under the Ibercity brand. Nomos advised the landlord, GTI Immobilien.

Kinstellar, working alongside Noerr, has advised Strabag on the Romanian, Croatian, Czech, and Montenegrin aspects of its EUR 100 million acquisition of WTE Wassertechnik from EVN. Freshfields advised EVN.

BPV Huegel has advised CPI Europe Group on the sale of the Vienna Marriott Hotel to a joint venture between Evientro and Landfair European Dislocated Opportunities. Binder Groesswang and Saxinger advised the buyers. DLA Piper and Wolf Theiss reportedly advised the buyers as well.

The European Commission (EC) has published a comprehensive communication introducing a playbook for Member States on designing state aid measures to support their objectives under the Clean Industrial Deal. This framework aims to facilitate industrial decarbonisation and the rollout of clean energy and will remain in force until 31 December 2030. The Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) is intended to offer a wide range of companies long-term investment predictability.

Former Herbst Kinsky Attorney at Law Carl Walderdorff has joined Mueller Partner as Equity Partner and the firm's new Head of Corporate and M&A.

Freshfields has advised RTL Deutschland on the acquisition of Sky Deutschland from US media group Comcast. Hengeler Mueller advised Comcast.

Wolf Theiss has advised Winegg Realitaeten subsidiary CWR Realitaeten on the sale of Engerth 173-175 Entwicklungs, the property owner and lessor of the Voco Vienna Prater hotel, to Nowu Hospitality. Hasch und Partner reportedly advised Nowu Hospitality.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has advised Deutsche Bank and Raiffeisen Bank International on the refinancing of financing instruments for Strabag SE.

CMS, working with BakerHostetler, has advised the Alpla Group on its acquisition of KM Packaging.

In a recent landmark decision, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) addressed whether law enforcement authorities were entitled to unlock a suspect's smartphone by forcibly using their fingerprint. The BGH accepted this conduct under the specific circumstances and explicitly ruled out a violation of the prohibition against self-incrimination.

In The Corner Office, we ask Managing Partners at law firms across Central and Eastern Europe about their backgrounds, strategies, and responsibilities. This time around, we dug deeper into a discussion point that came up during our last event: During our annual General Counsel Summit held in Prague recently, we’ve learned that even with the inflation in CEE having hovered around 14-20% in recent years, legal fees have remained static or have even decreased in some jurisdictions. Given that, how has your firm managed to consistently deliver high-quality service under these constraints?

In Austria, workforce restructuring is often necessary for companies facing economic challenges or needing to reorganize. However, the process is heavily regulated, and employers must ensure compliance with legal requirements to avoid complications and potential legal risks. This article outlines the key steps and legal obligations employers must follow when carrying out workforce reductions in Austria, with a particular focus on the importance of detailed planning, timing, and legal compliance.