Dorda has advised Berlin-based electric scooter sharing company Emmy on its expansion into Austria.

Binder Groesswang has advised industrial holding company Mutares SE & Co. KGaA on a notarized, binding offer to acquire the business of Q Logistics GmbH, a logistics subsidiary of Osterreichische Bundesbahnen-Holding Aktiengesellschaft. Wolf Theiss advised OBB on the transaction.

Wolf Theiss has advised Erste Group Bank AG in its capacity as sole book-runner and sole lead manager of S Immo AG's EUR 100 million, 2%, 10-year bond issuance. Cerha Hempel reportedly advised S Immo.

Schoenherr and Pastor & M.Monche Abogados have advised Black Toro Capital, the owner of the Spanish motorcycle manufacturer GasGas, on a joint venture with Austria's KTM Industries AG.

Cerha Hempel has successfully represented Austrian Power Grid AG, Austria's transmission system operator, before the EU General Court, in its challenge to the order by the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators that the German-Austria electricity price zone be separated.

The Vienna office of Taylor Wessing has announced that it will be joined by current Benn-Ibler Partners Ivo Deskovic and Peter Solt, along with another five lawyers and three assistants, at the beginning of next year.

In its decision of 18 September 2019, the Austrian Higher Administrative Court ("VwGH") found that the operation of an electric filling station does not constitute the operation of an electricity company and is thus subject to the rules of the Austrian Trade Act ("GewO").¹

Dorda has launched a new Construction Group, co-led by Partner Stefan Artner and Counsel Gunnar Pickl.

Schoenherr has helped found SASR Alpha Fifty-Seventh Investment Management GmbH — the first limited liability company in Austria ever founded by digital means.

Brandl & Talos has advised Sportradar Group, a Swiss provider of sports data and content, on the acquisition of Optima, a Spanish sports betting and gaming omni-channel platform. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year.

Dorda has advised real estate fund KGAL KETA Grundstucksgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG on the sale of two office buildings in Vienna to IW Property Tau GmbH Asset Deals and an unnamed investment fund company. Financial details were not disclosed.

Wolf Theiss has advised Manzanita US Investments LP on the acquisition of a majority stake in high-end natural cosmetics company Susanne Kaufmann, including a share swap with a UK holding company. SCWP Schindhelm and Honert & Partner advised the shareholders of Susanne Kaufmann on the deal.

White & Case and Weber & Co. have advised documentation agent, coordinator, and mandated lead arranger SEB on the provision of a EUR 1 billion financing to the Voestalpine steel and technology group. Cerha Hempel reportedly advised Linz-based Voestalpine on the deal.

Be prepared – Know what's coming: Two new Directives – Directive (EU) 2019/770 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services ("Digital Content Directive"), and Directive (EU) 2019/771 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods ("Sale of Goods Directive") – will have a major impact on the provision of digital content and on the sale of goods. We have therefore started a special bi-weekly edition of our Legal Insights service dedicated to providing you with the most relevant legal information on those Directives.

Wolf Theiss has advised MRB FerCon on the acquisition of Iron Foundry in Herzogenburg, Austria, via a management buyout of George Fischer Casting Solutions, a division of George Fischer. George Fischer was advised by Cerha Hempel.

Austria’s political scene felt some tremors in the past few weeks following snap elections. Unsurprisingly, potential coalitions became a primary subject of discussion. “The Conservatives won in a landslide, with almost 38% of the vote, with Social Democrats taking a very distant second. with around 21%,” reports DLA Piper Country Managing Partner David Christian Bauer. Another notable result of the election is the low 16% vote for the far-right Freedom Party – the recent coalition partners of the conservatives – following insinuations of corruption. “The Conservatives will most certainly form the Government and any coalition that gets formed will have to go through them,” says Bauer, emphasizing that the Freedom Party will face strong challenges to return to rule, with the scandals and “internal turmoil they’re experiencing.”

Binder Groesswang has advised the Gilde Buy Out Partners private equity fund and 17 other sellers on the sale of the Austria-based Powerlines Group GmbH to French energy group ENGIE Ineo, following a bidding process. Allen & Overy and Eisenberger & Herzog reportedly advised ENGIE Ineo on the deal.

Wolf Theiss has advised Raiffeisen Bank International AG on the issue and listing of a EUR 750 million Green Bond. White & Case advised a syndicate consisting of Barclays Bank Ireland PLC, Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Raiffeisen Bank International AG, Societe Generale, and UniCredit Bank AG on the issuance.