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Claudine Vartian

Partner
Highly professional and competent, very trustworthy.
Client, Legal 500 EMEA 2021
About

Claudine Vartian is known for her long-standing advisory experience, particularly for her in-depth competition and dispute resolution knowledge. She regularly advises and represents clients in court litigation or in front of competition and supervisory authorities in the course of proceedings, dawn raids and on-site inspections. In recent years she has advised leading Austrian banks in large-scale banking litigations.

Internationally respected legal publications such as Chambers Europe, The Legal 500 and Juve rank Claudine amongst Austria's leading lawyers for dispute resolution as well as EU and competition law. Claudine is also continuously ranked amongst the top 10 competition and antitrust lawyers in the annual Best Lawyers ranking of the Austrian business magazine trend.

Professional QualificationsRechtsanwältin registered with Rechtsanwaltskammer Wien

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising and representing an online gaming platform in mass-claims all over Austria.
  • Competition law advice to a multinational energy corporation including merger control advice in relation to national merger filings as well as advice for filing to the European Commission.
  • Advising and representing UniCredit Bank Austria AG in a multi-million Euro litigation including handling numerous disputes that have arisen as a result of the bank's customers investments in Madoff-related funds.
  • Advising and representing a Russian high net-worth individual in two litigation proceedings against his sister, who is one of the wealthiest women in the world.
  • Advising one of the global market leaders in the fields of nutrition on competition law related issues and commercial law questions of their operations in Austria.
  • Advising and representing a leading international technology corporation with global operations in the context of potential breaches of compliance and antitrust rules, including in-depth advice on Austrian whistle-blower and principal witness rules and related court submissions.
  • Advising and representing a major Austrian LPG group in an antitrust case concerning the alleged abuse of a dominant market position and alleged other breaches of the Austrian cartel act.
  • Advising an Austrian headquartered, world market leader in the foam and synthetics industries on the creation, implementation and maintenance of a global compliance programme, including all aspects of antitrust and anti-bribery code of conduct across all of the client's entities worldwide.
  • Advising an Austrian pipeline and plant construction company in a criminal proceeding regarding alleged illegal agreements concerning publicly advertised pipelines.
Languages
  • German
  • English
  • French
Education
  • University of Vienna, Dr. iur., 1994
  • University of Vienna, Mag. iur., 1991

Awards and recognition

  • "She's very good in a crisis and is calm and assured to work with." …"Claudine is a really tough worker with brilliant knowledge." Chambers, 2023
  • "Dr. Claudine Vartian has unparalleled skill in litigation and a deep understanding of the most advantageous way to approach appeals in the Austrian courts. She is highly intelligent, runs an extremely efficient team and is always available when we need her, even on very short notice, which is much appreciated." Legal 500 EMEA, 2022
  • "Strong client commitment; tasks are accomplished not only to an extraordinary high level but also promptly. Always available and ready." Legal 500 EMEA, 2022
  • "Highly professional and competent, very trustworthy." Legal 500 EMEA, 2021
  • A client states that her "team is very responsive and able to provide business-oriented advice which the clients appreciate. Another important strength is strategic approach." Legal 500 EMEA, 2020
  • "Claudine Vartian is a long-standing figure on the Austrian competition scene, handling a range of mandates including merger control, abuse of dominance and price-fixing cases." Chambers, 2017

Pro Bono

Claudine coordinates all pro bono work provided by the Vienna office and is actively involved in many of the firm’s pro bono and CSR projects in Austria, including for UNHCR, Unicef, Caritas, Volkshilfe, Diakonie and Vier Pfoten.

Publications and media

Claudine Vartian has published numerous books and articles:

  • Commentary on Cartel Act, Manz Verlag
  • Wiener Vertragshandbuch, Manz Verlag
  • Commentary on Telecommunication Law, Verlag Österreich
  • Commentary on Private Association Law, Verlag Österreich
  • Commentary on Private Television Law, Verlag Österreich
  • Handbook on telecommunication, Verlag Österreich

Memberships

  • Vienna Bar Association
  • Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht

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