Michael Lind, the former Head of Legal at Raiffeisen-Holding Niederoesterreich-Wien, has joined PwC Legal in Austria.

When it comes to clearing a path in a forest to construct and operate an overhead electrical power line, electricity grid operators face various legal issues.

Long-time CMS Partner Johannes Trenkwalder will join photovoltaic plant developer Green Source as Legal Counsel and Principal.

One of the most important issues facing businesses in CEE is the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on litigation and arbitration. In-person court and arbitration hearings have become problematic, if not impossible, and the importance of certain boilerplate contract clauses has skyrocketed. Zsolt Okanyi, Global Head of Dispute Resolution at CMS, Malgorzata Surdek, Head of Dispute Resolution at CMS Poland, and Daniela Karollus Bruner, Head of Dispute Resolution at CMS Austria, evaluate the current situation.

Schoenherr has advised joint lead managers DZ Bank, Erste Group, Helaba, and Raiffeisen Bank International on the successful issue of notes by Upper Austrian-based Oberbank Aktiengesellschaft, which was advised by Wolf Theiss.

“The political situation in Austria is as stable as it ever was,” says Eisenberger & Herzog Partner Marco Steiner. “Everybody’s eyes are pointed towards the government’s handling of the crisis, especially given that we are right now in a third lockdown. However, the government will need to get right on with its reform agenda as soon as the crisis begins to die down.”

Tax specialist Clemens Willvonseder will become Partner at Binder Groesswang’s on February 1, 2021.

Cerha Hempel has advised Switzerland's Stadler Bussnang on a EUR 240 million tender procedure for the sale of up to 20 new fire-fighting and rescue trains to the Austrian Federal Railways.

CHG Czernich lawyers Arnold Autengruber, Clemens Handl and Daniel Tamerl have become new Equity Partners at the firm.

Herbst Kinsky has advised the founders of the company and investor eQventure on the sale of 100% of their shares in Xaleon to TeamViewer. Eisenberger & Herzog advised the buyer on the deal.

BPV Huegel has advised Austria’s Herold and Dortmund-based Dogado Group — both subsidiaries of the EDSA Group — on their merger. Allen & Overy advised the EDSA Group, and SIWE Rechtsanwalte Sinzger & Partner also advised the Dogado Group.

Fellner Wratzfeld & Partners has advised the founder of GREENoneTEC, Robert Kanduth, on his repurchase of 51% of the shares in GREENoneTEC Solarindustrie from China’s Haier Group. Fangda Partners in China and Weber & Co. in Austria reportedly advised the seller on the deal.

Former Vaillant Group Austria Head of Legal and Compliance Manager Maria Lepuschitz has joined the INNIO Group as Regional General Counsel for EMEA.

Baker McKenzie has advised Kelag on the acquisition of 25 power plants in France and Portugal from the RWE Group. Local expertise for Portugal was provided by the Portuguese law firm Abreu Advogados, while the Dusseldorf office of Clifford Chance advised the RWE Group on the deal.

K-B-K Kleibel Kreibich Bukovc Hirsch and the law firm of Leopold Hirsch have merged to form KBK Hirsch in Salzburg.

Arabella Eichinger, Andreas Natterer, and Michael Woller have been promoted to Equity Partner, Marcin Aslanowicz, Bojan Brezan, Vid Kobe, and Maximilian Lang have been promoted to Contract Partner, and Marko Frantar has been promoted to Local Partner as part of Schoenherr's recent promotion round.

Schoenherr is advising Starwood Capital Group on its offer for a public takeover of VSE-listed CA Immobilien Anlagen AG.

Binder Groesswang has helped the Wustenrot Group set up its own bank for private customers.