Category: Publications

Michal Dobrowolski (45) has about 20 years of transaction experience in M&A and private equity. bpv Huegel continues its strong, dynamic growth in M&A and private equity with this team expansion.

Vienna, 04 December 2025. bpv Huegel will strengthen its Corporate/M&A and Private Equity practice from January 2026 with the addition of Michal Dobrowolski. With Michal, the firm gains an experienced M&A and private equity specialist from Freshfields. He brings in-depth experience in significant and complex international M&A and private equity transactions, as well as venture capital investments.

His expertise also includes transactions in the US, Asia and Africa, with a primary focus on Europe (DACH) and CEE. Michal’s practice covers all major industries, with a particular focus on private equity, the energy and telecoms sector, as well as real estate and carve-out transactions.

His arrival underscores bpv Huegel’s strategic positioning as one of the leading firms for high-profile national and international transactions.

“Michal brings tremendous transactional strength and an international focus as seasoned advisor. With him on board, we are consistently continuing our highly dynamic growth in M&A and private equity,” says Christoph Nauer, Co-Managing Partner of bpv Huegel.

“bpv Huegel is a transaction powerhouse with a unique offering in tax and antitrust/merger control, which are of particular relevance to transactions. I look forward to working with the team to further expand its international focus,” adds new Partner Michal Dobrowolski.

Michal Dobrowolski holds a doctorate (Dr. iur.) from the University of Vienna. He is admitted to practice in Austria (since 2009) and as a solicitor (England & Wales) (since 2022/23). Michal Dobrowolski is the author of various publications on corporate law matters.

He advises in German, English and French as well as Polish (second native language), a valuable skill for his transactional work in CEE. Michal Dobrowolski worked at Freshfields in Vienna, about 20 years (since 2006), including over 10 years as counsel.

Press release

The international sales process for the renowned Vienna Marriott Hotel at Parkring Vienna has been successfully completed with its acquisition by an international consortium of investors.

Vienna, 01 July 2025. bpv Huegel provided comprehensive advice to CPI Europe group (S IMMO) on the sale of the Vienna Marriott Hotel to an international consortium of investors. As part of its strategic realignment, CPI Europe is selling the property at Parkring 12a and the hotel business.

The transaction was implemented through share deals and involves the iconic Viennese hotel property, a large-scale, mixed-use inner-city property, as well as the hotel operating company. The transaction value amounts to over EUR 100 million. The closing for the sale of the real estate companies took place on 27 June 2025. The closing for the hotel operating company is scheduled for January 2026.

The buyer is a joint venture between Evientro Ltd and London-based Landfair European Dislocated Opportunities SCSp, which specializes in liquidity solutions in the European real estate market.

Almost exactly 40 years after its opening on 1 July 1985, one of Vienna’s most famous hotels is changing owners. The hotel, with over 300 rooms and suites, was the first Marriott hotel in the German-speaking region. The hotel will continue to be operated by Marriott International under a long-term management agreement.

“The transaction is one of the most significant hotel sales in Vienna in recent years. We are proud to be supporting CPI Europe on this complex real estate and corporate transaction,” said Christoph Nauer, partner at bpv Huegel and co-lead on the transaction.

bpv Huegel’s advisory services covered the international bidding process, complex corporate structuring, drafting and negotiation of transaction agreements, and tax issues. The bpv Huegel team was jointly led by Christoph Nauer (Corporate/M&A), Dominik Geyer (Real Estate) and Roland Juill (Corporate/M&A), and included Nicolas Wolski (Tax Law), Paul Pfeifenberger (Real Estate, Labor Law), Patrick Nutz-Fallheier (Corporate/M&A), Tim Pasternak (Corporate/M&A) and Gerhard Fussenegger (Antitrust Law).

The buyer’s advisors included SAXINGER (lead counsel to the buyer joint venture), AKELA (co-counsel for acquisition financing on the buyer side), Binder Grösswang (merger control on the buyer side), DLA Piper (legal advisor to the buyer in Germany and Luxembourg), Wolf Theiss (legal advisor to the financing bank, UniCredit Bank Austria AG) and BDO Austria (tax law buyer), which also advised on valuation issues relating to the transaction.

The transaction was facilitated by hotel real estate specialist Christie & Co, who acted as advisor and exclusive broker.

Press release

Vienna, 03 June 2025. bpv Huegel successfully advised RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Aktiengesellschaft (RWA) on the sale of its share in AUSTRIA JUICE GmbH to AGRANA Beteiligungs-Aktiengesellschaft.

AGRANA already holds a share in AUSTRIA JUICE and will hold 100% in the company following the acquisition of RWA’s share in AUSTRIA JUICE. AUSTRIA JUICE is a major manufacturer of fruit juice concentrates with headquarters in Kroellendorf (Lower Austria) and 13 production sites in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and China. The company employs around 1,000 people in total. Its turnover amounts to around EUR 330 million.

bpv Huegel already advised RWA on the establishment of the joint venture with AGRANA in 2012.

“We are proud to have been at RWA’s side from the founding of the AUSTRIA JUICE joint venture until its exit more than 13 years later,” said Thomas Lettau, partner and co-head of the Corporate/M&A practice group at bpv Huegel.

The bpv Huegel team was led by Thomas Lettau and also included Christoph Nauer, Nicolas Wolski, Anna Zirkler, Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber and Gerhard Fussenegger.

AGRANA was advised by Schoenherr.

The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant competition and investment control authorities.

Press release

RWA eGen completes the purchase of shares in RWA AG from BayWa AG. The acquisition financing was structured and provided by Raiffeisen Bank International AG.

16 May 2025. bpv Huegel advised RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Handel und Vermögensverwaltung eGen (RWA eGen) and its acquisition holding on the completion of the approximately 47.53% share purchase in RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Aktiengesellschaft (RWA AG) and the acquisition financing from Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI). The share purchase with BayWa Aktiengesellschaft (BayWa AG) was completed on 2 May 2025. The purchase price amounts to EUR 176 million. The share purchase agreement was concluded at the end of last year.

The acquisition financing was structured and provided by Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI). With the completion of the purchase, the control over RWA AG is now fully held by RWA eGen in Austria.

“We are proud that we were able to successfully support RWA in this strategically important acquisition and financing and would like to thank all the teams involved in the transaction for their excellent cooperation,” says Christoph Nauer, the partner who led the transaction.

RWA AG is a producer, service provider and trader in the business areas of agriculture, technology, energy, building materials and home & garden. As the umbrella organisation of the Lagerhaus cooperatives in Austria, RWA AG provides them with a comprehensive range of services in the aforementioned areas. In addition, RWA AG holds a large number of participations and subsidiaries in Austria and in selected Eastern European countries. RWA eGen also holds the majority of shares in Raiffeisen Agrar Invest AG, which is the second-largest shareholder in BayWa AG with a stake of around 28.3%.

The bpv Huegel team led by partners Christoph Nauer (Corporate/M&A, Capital Markets) and Ingo Braun (Financing & Regulatory), included Barbara Valente (Financing & Regulatory, Corporate/M&A), Daniel Maurer (Financing & Regulatory, Corporate/M&A), Patrick Nutz-Fallheier (Corporate/M&A), Roland Juill (Corporate/M&A) and Johannes Mitterecker (Corporate/M&A). The merger control and investment control proceedings in seven countries were handled by a team led by partner Astrid Ablasser-Neuhuber (Merger Control/FDI) with Stefan Holzweber and Philipp Stengg (both Merger Control).

RWA eGen was advised on German law by FPS Rechtsanwälte, Frankfurt (Daniel Herper). BayWa AG was represented by a team from Jones Day, Munich (Maximilian P. Krause, Alexander Ballmann, Jürgen Beninca and Sebastian Schwab).

RBI, as the structuring and financing bank, was advised by a team from Schoenherr comprising Martin Ebner, Christian Cacic, Gabriel Ebner, Viktoria Carranza-Berg and Kristina Petz.

Press release

bpv Huegel is delighted to appoint Johannes Mitterecker as a partner. He works in the Corporate Law/M&A practice group and specialises in M&A transactions, restructuring and sports law.

15 May 2025. bpv Huegel appoints DDr. Johannes Mitterecker, LL.M., as a new partner with effect from May 2025. Johannes Mitterecker is an experienced transaction lawyer who joined bpv Huegel in 2021, specialising in corporate law, private equity and venture capital funds. He also provides corporate and regulatory advice to alternative investment funds, investment and venture capital funds, family offices and investment firms.

Furthermore, he is establishing an interdisciplinary sports law practice group at bpv Huegel.

Johannes Mitterecker is the editor and author of numerous publications on corporate, capital market and sports law, including groundbreaking publications such as the comprehensive commentary on the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Act (AIFMG) and practical handbooks on sports law and shareholder disputes.

Johannes Mitterecker holds doctoral degrees from the University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Economics and Business, as well as an LL.M. from Columbia University in New York. He is also admitted to the New York State Bar.

Christoph Nauer, Co-Managing Partner of bpv Huegel, congratulates the new partner: “We are delighted to welcome Johannes to our partnership and look forward to continuing the growth of the firm with him, delivering top-quality services in high-end transaction advisory.”

Press release

This makes bpv Huegel’s tax practice top-ranked in Chambers Europe. This confirms the leading position of bpv Huegel in tax law advice.

20 March 2025. bpv Huegel is ranked in Band 1 for tax law in the Chambers Europe Ranking 2025.

In addition, partner and head of tax Nicolas Wolski and tax partner Kornelia Wittmann have also been individually recognised as leading practitioners.

The tax practice now is holding top positions in Band 1 in three major international tax rankings (Chambers, Legal 500, ITR World Tax). As recently as September 2024, the tax team was named “Tax Litigation Law Firm of the Year – Austria” and “Transfer Pricing Law Firm of the Year – Austria” by ITR.

“We are proud that, in addition to the ITR and Legal 500 rankings, we are now also ranked in the top category by Chambers. A big thank you to all team members who have worked together to achieve this success over the last few years,” says Nicolas Wolski, head of the tax practice.

The team led by Nicolas Wolski, who is dual-qualified as both a lawyer and tax advisor in both Austria and Germany, advises leading Austrian and international companies, particularly in the areas of M&A tax, tax disputes and general corporate tax.

Press release