Law Firms: DLA Piper Vienna Expands with New Appointments
DLA Piper Vienna's €35M growth driven by global focus and leadership shifts
DLA Piper Vienna has made several key promotions: "We are growing through international mandates," says Managing Partner Christoph Mager.
In recent months, the Vienna office of DLA Piper has seen leadership changes across multiple practice areas—particularly in Real Estate, Capital Markets, IP/IT, and Tax. What is driving this shift?
Christoph Mager: In Austria, our goal is to increase revenue, primarily through international mandates. In 2022, our turnover was around €20 million; three years later, it has risen to €35 million. As part of this strategy, we have also expanded into new core areas, such as Real Estate, which we rebuilt with Birgit Kraml. Additionally, we restructured our tax law group, appointing Philipp Stanek as Head of Tax, among other changes.
Strengthening Transaction Teams
We aim to further shift our focus and are looking to bring in new talent. We also want to bolster our transaction teams and are in promising discussions. Our new appointees are typically specialists with strong reputations, deeply rooted locally but with a clear international orientation.
Philipp Stanek, for example, brings extensive transaction experience—something we prioritize as we seek to expand our deal-making capabilities. IP/IT law today is also far more technical than before, moving beyond traditional intellectual property protection. For a global firm like ours, this shift represents a more relevant business focus. The same applies to capital markets law, where we now have Armin Kammel, a highly skilled expert with an international outlook who also serves as a court-certified expert and conducts examinations for the Financial Market Authority (FMA).
"Locally Anchored, but Internationally Connected"
Does this mean the Vienna office is not just serving the Austrian market but also supporting international business alongside other DLA Piper locations?
Christoph Mager: Our colleagues are locally anchored but maintain international connections, with client relationships that extend across borders. This global focus is crucial for us. While we certainly serve the Austrian market, we do not limit ourselves to it—purely domestic work offers less potential.
For instance, the Austrian capital market sees few IPOs. While there are many bond issuances, they are often less legally engaging due to their standardized nature, with much of the work handled in-house by companies, banks, and insurers. For us, the international capital market presents far more compelling opportunities.
