Cerha Hempel

Contentious Business

Senior Partner / Head of Department Contentious Business, specialised in Litigation & Arbitration, Corporate, Public Law & European Law, Real Estate & Construction, IP & Unfair Competition, Private Clients & Trusts.

Irene heads the Contentious Business Department of the firm, with a team of approximately 20 lawyers. She has been practising law for more than 25 years and is also a former managing partner of the firm. Irene is a passionate litigator and arbitrator and advises domestic and international clients on commercial and civil law.

Admitted 1992, (Attorney at Law), Austria Functions:

Chair of the Management Committee Honorary Professor of Private Law (Civil and Commercial Law), Institute of Economics and Law, Faculty of Economics and Information Technology, University of Vienna, since 2003 Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC) (Board Member) Bundesbeschaffung GmbH (Supervisory Board Member) LEX MUNDI Global Chair Emeritus Litigation Arbitration Dispute Resolution Contact Person of LEX MUNDI The World‘s Leading Network of Independent Law Firms Examiners for the bar examination in Vienna (Board Member), since 1995 ÖGEBAU (Member of the scientific advisory council) Legal publication „bauaktuell“ (Advisory Board Member)

Irene Welser became a Partner at CERHA HEMPEL before she turned 30. She heads the Contentious Business Department of the firm, with a team of approximately 20 lawyers. She has been practising law for more than 25 years and is also a former managing partner of the firm. Irene is a passionate litigator and arbitrator and advises domestic and international clients on commercial and civil law. She has a strong academic background and in 2003 she was appointed the youngest ever Honorary Professor (of Private Law) at the University of Vienna. ​ Irene became the first female board member of the Vienna International Arbitral Centre. She is also a LEX MUNDI Global Chair Emeritus Litigation Arbitration Dispute Resolution and a member of numerous other advisory boards. Irene regularly lectures and speaks at international conferences and seminars around the world.

German, English, French, Italian

Vienna Bar Association International Bar Association Austrian Arbitration Association ASA - Association Suisse de l‘Arbitrage Arbitral Women LCIA - The London Court of International Arbitration CELA - Chinese European Legal Association Verein der Freunde Rechtswissenschaft Scottish Arbitration Wiener Advokatengesellschaft UNION Lex Mundi - The World's Leading Association of Independent Law Firms

University of Vienna (Mag. iur. 1986, Dr. iur. 1998); Hon. - Prof. 2003