Trailblazer GEISTWERT is hailed as “a ground-breaking firm that has changed the face of the market. There is no other comparable set-up, where five innovative partners are all stars in the IP field”. “The firm works on a partner level, which gives clients utmost confidence in its super-clear results. Its response times are ultra-quick and its entrepreneurship allows the team to fully see and understand each company’s commercial goals.”

The “top-tier” Schultes has “profound knowledge of case law and very good technical understanding, and is extremely well prepared for each case – he dives straight to the point and never strays away from the subject matter”.

Vier GEISTWERT Partner wurden im österreichischen „trend“ Ranking (2021) erneut ausgezeichnet, Max Mosing sogar doppelt, und zwar: Max Mosing für Medienrecht und Datenschutzrecht, Rainer Schultes für (unlauteres) Wettbewerbsrecht, Constantin Kletzer für Marken-, Urheber- und Patentrecht sowie Juliane Messner für ihre Beratung von Start-Ups.

IP, IT and TMT boutique firm GEISTWERT fields five dedicated partners with a strong focus on patent and trade mark litigation, design law and copyright law. In terms of patent litigation, the team is particularly adept at representing clients in the biochemistry, biotech, chemistry and pharmaceutical industries. The group also has notable strength in trade mark portfolio management and makes use of its own legal tech applications to facilitate such projects. Founding partners Constantin Kletzer, Juliane Messner, Max Mosing, Alexander Schnider and Rainer Schultes are the key names. Testimonials: “GEISTWERT is the coolest IP/IT law firm in Austria. With 5 partners handling all matters by themselves, you get a unique think tank and one or more lawyers handling your agendas with great experience, not only from a legal but also from a business perspective. In contrast to firms using (senior) associates, salary partners and other staff who are not entrepreneurs themselves, this is priceless for me.”; “Very nice good and pragmatic people, not very old-fashioned Austrian. Very informal good advice for international clients.”; “Alexander Schnider continues to impress since the day we started working together. Alexander’s most important strength is that he does not only know all the legal details and case law about Austrian IP and IT matters, but more importantly also the video game business as such and therefore, most importantly, also the positions and desires of the stakeholders in the industry and thus also of our contract partners. This is tremendously helpful when negotiating contracts as you simply cannot achieve the best results when you don’t know about the business goals and needs of the companies that are involved in a video game deal.” Constantin Kletzer, Max Mosing and Rainer Schultes are explicitly mentioned as “Leading Individuals” in IP.

TMT, IP and data privacy boutique GEISTWERT has a strong track record in data protection that extends beyond the introduction of GDPR. Jointly led by Juliane Messner, Max Mosing, Alexander Schnider, Rainer Schultes and Constantin Kletzer, the practice is particularly experienced in advising finance, pharmaceutical and life sciences clients. To assist with GDPR implementation, the firm is able to call on its home-grown GDPR-tool. The fully bilingual and dual-qualified Messner is also in charge of the dedicated Italy desk, and Mosing is a CIS-certified Data Privacy Officer. Testimonials: “Communication is fast, competent and uncomplicated is probably the “secret of success” for GEISTWERT on the Austrian market. It is undoubtedly unique in Austria that so many partners in a law firm can serve the same area of law at such a high level – really a pleasure working with the GEISTWERT team”; “All partners are easy to reach, competent, uncomplicated and have at least basic knowledge of the projects of the other partners. That is definitely unique in Austria.” Juliane Messner is explicitly mentioned as “Leading Individual” in Data Privacy And Data Protection.

The team at IP and IT boutique GEISTWERT has a core focus on classic media, internet communication and high-tech matters with a strong presence in software and technology development, licensing and e-commerce. Constantin Kletzer, Juliane Messner, Max Mosing, Alexander Schnider and Rainer Schultes are equally involved in TMT work, with the dual-admitted Messner also in charge of the firm’s Italy Desk, which often assists publishing houses and tourism clients. Testimonials: “All partners are easy to reach, competent, uncomplicated and have at least basic knowledge of the projects of the other partners. That is definitely unique in Austria!’“; “My primary GEISTWERT contact is Max Mosing. However, it is impressive how the other partners from GEISTWERT can take over immediately if needed; the GEISTWERT internal communication seems to work just great.”’

Ranked in Gold Tier: What the team is known for: Increasingly visible firm, moving up to the top ranking due to its IP service comprising patent and trade mark-related advice, including portfolio management and infringement litigation. Additional experience in domain name as well as licence agreements and copyright disputes. Also assists with counterfeiting and customs measures. Attracts clients from various industries, including fintech, food and drink, life sciences and construction. Strengths: Source endorse the firm’s efficiency, stating: „All the partners are helpful, and in terms of responsiveness they deserve a gold medal. They also guarantee high quality.“ One client enthuses: „It is a think-tank of great and curious minds which no other firm can offer at this level.“

Rainer Schultes is best known for his work on patent litigation, typically representing pharmaceutical companies. Schultes also assists with trade mark and licensing matters. One client endorses his clarity, stating: „I am impressed by how he can explain legal arguments so that we can understand them and learn to apply them on our own.“

What the team is known for: TMT boutique offering dependable expertise in IT and related IP matters. Noted for high-quality work in software contracts and game development. Additionally handles related IP aspects, especially copyright and trade mark matters. Further areas of activity include data protection, international e-commerce and IT outsourcing. Often seen advising technology startups as well as numerous clients in the media, entertainment and electronics industries. Represents state-owned and private companies on both domestic and multi-jurisdictional matters. Strengths: A client describes the team as „dedicated, hard-working but fun, and always up to date. They recognise trends and set standards.“ Another satisfied client enthuses: „In any area that we need legal advice for, their expertise seems highly profound and state-of-the-art. If some matters are somewhat unrelated to their specialisation, their international network allows them to easily reach out to other law firms to enquire about their view on the matter.“

What the team is known for: Offers a well-regarded comprehensive IP service with a particular focus on patent and trade mark-related advice, including portfolio management and infringement litigation. Additional experience in domain name and co-existence matters as well as licence agreements and copyright disputes. Also assists with counterfeiting and customs measures. Attracts clients of various industries, including fintech, food and drink, life sciences and construction.

Rainer Schultes improves his ranking thanks to strong market feedback and a high level of activity in leading high-profile IP proceedings. He advises both claimants and defendants before domestic and EU courts, with regard to patent and trade mark as well as trade secret and unfair competition disputes. Clients especially appreciate that „he has a technical background, which is exactly what we need. He always seems to be personally concerned with winning a case and approaches the matters with a lot of dedication.“

In the 12th Annual Global Law Experts Awards (2021), all GEISTWERT partners have been awarded as follows: Constantin Kletzer: Industrial Property Lawyer of the Year, Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year and Copyright Lawyer of the Year; Juliane Messner:  Data Protection Lawyer of the Year and Privacy Law Lawyer of the Year; Max Mosing: IT Lawyer of the Year and Data Protection Lawyer of the Year; Alexander Schnider: IP Lawyer of the Year and IT Lawyer of the Year; Rainer Schultes: Patent Lawyer of the Year and Copyright Lawyer of the Year.

“A go-to for any and all trademark matters, GEISTWERT changed the face of the Austrian legal landscape when it was set up. Its unique strength comes from its five highly experienced, innovative and ambitious founding partners, who are all absolute stars in their respective specialisations. Their entrepreneurial spirit, ultra-quick response times and the results they achieve instil clients with utmost confidence.” First on the team sheet, “Alexander Schnider is an extremely clever strategist, skilled negotiator and logical thinker, and his courtroom presence is absolutely striking. The great thing about Alexander is that he never sees problems – only solutions. He cuts straight through any white noise and gets right to the heart of the issue”. “Both Rainer Schultes and Constantin Kletzer are extremely knowledgeable, quick and easy to work with. They know what rights holders need even before they do.” Schultes is a technology whizz who handles high-profile cases with ease; while Kletzer “combines a thorough knowledge of statutory and case law with a great business acumen, all to the benefit of his clients”. Max Mosing also comes in for particular praise: “He is a renaissance man in the area of intellectual property and somehow still manages to surprise with the breadth of his knowledge and forward thinking. As a practical and commercially minded litigator, he knows all the tricks when it comes to enforcing marks, while providing a comfortable environment for his clients. He is super-friendly, easy to reach, dispenses with the legalese and is always fun to work with.” Completing the line-up is Juliane Messner: “An outstanding negotiator, she drafts bulletproof contracts and handles corporate matters with great diligence. Her advice gets to the crux of each issue and her solutions are hands-on and business oriented.” Juliane is the first-choice for start-ups as well as established companies in the life sciences and ITsectors.

Global IP Awards – IP Firm of the Year 2020 – Austria

All GEISTWERT partners were honored by the 2021 Corporate Intl Magazine Global Awards as follows: Juliane Messner: Privacy Law Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 & Data Protection Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 (together with max Mosing); Constantin Kletzer: Industrial Property Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021; & Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 & Copyright Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 (together with Rainer Schultes); Rainer Schultes: Patent Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 & Copyright Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 (together with Constantin Kletzer); Max Mosing: IT Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 (together with Alexander Schnider) & Data Protection Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 (together with Juliane Messner); Alexander Schnider: IT Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021 (together with Max Mosing) & IP Lawyer of the Year in Austria 2021