GRAF ISOLA

The firm: GRAF ISOLA was founded in 1994 and 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 industry – both domestic and foreign – as well as public authorities.

GRAF ISOLA has 25 qualified lawyers including six 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 co-operates based on a best friends philosophy.

Areas of practice
Banking and finance: the firm provides advice on the full range of banking law and on all types of financing, in particular acquisition and project financing. 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.

Competition and antitrust: the firm has extensive expertise in (national and European) merger control, cartels and antitrust proceedings, dawn raids and internal audits, abuse of market dominance proceedings, structuring of distribution systems and co-operation agreements between companies.

Compliance and 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.

Corporate/M&A: 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.

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.

Dispute resolution and litigation: GRAF ISOLA is a top-tier firm for all types of complex commercial litigation and arbitration – both domestic and international. The firm has extensive experience in arbitration proceedings under all leading institutional rules and has become increasingly well known for its work in high-profile cases in the areas of restitution of looted art, social media/data protection, telecommunication, white-collar crime and shareholder disputes.

Employment law and expats: advice 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).

Estate planning/trust and estates: leading expertise on counselling individuals, enterprises and family-run businesses on asset structuring and succession planning.

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.

Insolvency and restructuring: the firm has for decades long been a leading firm for insolvency and restructuring and has in recent years advised on almost every major insolvency/restructuring case in Austria. Key strength areas include in particular: advice on restructuring and insolvency (in and out of court), insolvency administration, distressed M&A, voidance law, capital replacement law, capital maintenance law, insolvency dispute resolution and international insolvency law.

IP and IT: advice on all areas of intellectual property law and information technology spanning from the registration of trade marks, strategic advice on trade mark creation, and development and the protection of all sorts of intellectual property claims (including patent rights).

International trade/foreign trade law and 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.

Projects/procurement and infrastructure: the firm is renowned for its advisory work on large-scale projects especially in the infrastructure and transport sector (PPP projects and project finance), leading expertise on preparation and structuring of procurements, conduct of procurement proceedings and on advising private bidders in their procurement participation (classic and sectorial area).

Real estate and construction: the firm provides comprehensive advice relating to real estate and property spanning real estate transactions in the form of asset and share deals, project development, real estate financing including collateral agreements, developer and condominium agreements, building rights agreements, rent/lease (commercial and housing), leasing, special licence agreements and Austrian property transaction law.

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.