Barnert Egermann Illigasch Rechtsanwälte GmbH

The firm: BARNERT EGERMANN ILLIGASCH is a leading full-service Austrian law firm with specific strengths in corporate/M&A, banking and finance, competition law, employment law, real estate and dispute resolution. BARNERT EGERMANN ILLIGASCH was founded in 2004. Since then, its lawyers have grown a substantial and diversified client base and have made their name in the legal and business communities, being consistently ranked in the highest tiers.

All partners have extensive backgrounds in high-profile international transactions as well as in international work and have obtained training in magic circle and other leading international law firms before joining BARNERT EGERMANN ILLIGASCH. They provide advice with the knowledge and experience of a leading international law firm while maintaining all the benefits of flexibility, transparency and efficiency a smaller firm can offer.

Areas of practice
Banking and finance:  The banking and fnance team has extensive experience in advising Austrian and international banks, funds as well as national and foreign companies on all aspects of banking law and financings of all kinds. The main focus is on providing legal advice to borrowers or lenders (or other financing parties) in complex financing transactions in a national and cross-border context; given its excellent contacts with foreign law firms, the team can provide tailor-made cross-border support for financing transactions. The team regularly advises on unsecured and secured (syndicated) loan financings (in particular, acquisition financings, asset financings and project financings) as well as on structured financings, trade financings, leasing transactions, factoring transactions and cash pooling structures. Furthermore, the team regularly advises credit institutions and financial institutions on regulatory and supervisory law issues of banking law and lending law. In this context, the focus is on the advancing digitalization of the financial sector, FinTech companies and digital assets. The range of legal advice is rounded off by the team’s comprehensive activity in capital markets transaction, for example in the issuing of securities of all kinds or other capital market instruments.

Corporate/M&A: The corporate/M&A team has extensive experience in advising on M&A transactions in Austria and on a cross-border level. It acts for large Austrian and international corporates, financial institutions and funds. Team head Michael Barnert advises on large-scale public and private M&A transactions and joint ventures. Moreover, he is active in corporate restructurings and corporate disputes.

Competition: The competition team has long-standing experience in advising on all aspects of EU and Austrian competition law, including cartel investigations, merger control and compliance matters. The firm represents clients before the Austrian competition authorities, civil courts as well as the EU Commission, and also handles foreign direct investment control matters before the Austrian Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs. Clients include private sector companies, industry associations, public utilities and other public bodies/authorities. Team head Isabella Hartung regularly holds lectures, has published numerous articles and is co-author of a textbook on Austrian competition law.

Dispute resolution: The team advises national and international clients in litigation matters before Austrian courts as well as administrative authorities and in arbitration proceedings. The firm has specialist experience in labour law and corporate litigation.

Employment: The employment team represents before civil courts and gives advice to renowned national and international businesses in all areas of employment law. The team also advises in cross-border M&A transactions, including downsizing and remuneration changes. Team head Clemens Egermann has ample experience with, inter alia, structuring of group-wide company benefits, compensation systems and reward programs (executive and non-executive); he also advises on mobility strategies and assists with employee assignments as well as domestic and cross-border transfer of employees.

Energy: The energy practice deals with regulatory matters, including proceedings before the regulatory authority E-Control and administrative courts. The team also has experience with competition-related issues (such as long-term contracts) and M&A deals in the energy sector.

Public law: Our public law team advises national and international companies, public bodies and private clients on all aspects of public law and represents them in official and administrative court proceedings. 

Real estate: The track-record in real estate includes, amongst others, advice on commercial real estate development projects, advice on various hotel projects and advice to high-net-worth individuals on asset planning and structuring, in particular with regard to succession planning (such as the establishment of private foundations and re-structuring within group companies) with a focus on real estate issues.