Know Your Lawyer: Christoph Moser of Schoenherr

Know Your Lawyer: Christoph Moser of Schoenherr

Austria
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An in-depth look at Christoph Moser of Schoenherr covering his career path, education, and top projects as a lawyer as well as a few insights about him as a manager at work and as a person outside the office.

Career:

Schoenherr Attorneys at Law, Partner, 2021-present

Weber & Co, Partner/Attorney at Law, 2014-2020

Baker McKenzie, Attorney at Law, 2012-2014

Schoenherr Attorneys at Law, Senior Associate/Attorney at Law, 2010-2012

CMS, Senior Associate, 2008-2010

Styria Borse Express GmbH, Senior Legal Counsel, 2007-2008

CMS, Associate, 2005-2006

Favorites:

Out of office activity: Cooking, Fine dining

Quote: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Job

Book: Night Work (Die Arbeit der Nacht) by Thomas Glavinic

Movie: Wall Street

Education:

Johannes-Kepler-University Linz, Magister Juris, 2004

Top 5 Projects:

Advising Jefferies on the EUR 100 million convertible bond issue by DO & CO Aktiengesellschaft (2021);

Advising Wienerberger on an accelerated book-building EUR 81 million share placement of treasury shares (2021);

Advising OMV AG on high-volume corporate bond issuances in multiple tranches amounting to a total of EUR 4.5 billion (2020);

Advising Erste Group Bank AG (as sole global coordinator) and Goetzpartners Securities Ltd (as co-lead manager) on the IPO of Marinomed Biotech AG on the Vienna Stock Exchange (2019);

Advising Citigroup Global Markets Limited and Goldman Sachs International as well as the other underwriters on the IPO of Addiko Bank AG on the Vienna Stock Exchange (2019).

What would you say was the most challenging project you ever worked on and why?

Moser: One of the most challenging projects was certainly the IPO of Marinomed Biotech. The transaction had to be pulled at the end of the initial offering period in November 2018 due to adverse market conditions. It wouldn’t have made sense to go forward at a time when all investors were trying to stay out of the markets. For some days it looked like true turmoil in the market, and nobody knew how things would evolve in December 2018 and early January 2019. In this situation, we found quite a smart, never-before-tested way of keeping the prospectus alive by publishing a supplement and announcing that the transaction was aimed to be recommenced in early 2019. Technically, the IPO was not stopped but only paused, and we were able to convince the Austrian regulator FMA of this innovative structure. This was challenging but eventually a great success for the legal teams of all firms involved.

And what was your main takeaway from it?

Moser: If a problem looks unsolvable at first glance, look again. Keep trying, go beyond the obvious, and find a creative solution.

What is one thing clients likely don’t know about you?

Moser: Some long-standing clients might know quite a lot about me. I appreciate that a client relationship can often go beyond a business-as-usual paradigm, particularly if I am working with and for a client for a long time and with strong commitments. It happens occasionally that you talk to clients a lot about personal matters. And I like getting to know my clients better.

Name one mentor who played a big role in your career and how they impacted you.

Moser: My colleague of many years, also a Partner at Schoenherr – Peter Feyl – has been a great influence and role model for me in two regards: For one, he sets an example in terms of professional excellence, diligence, and precision in his legal advisory. Second, he has also taught me how to remain calm and level-headed, even in the middle of a perfect storm. I believe that both qualities are essential for being a successful and committed lawyer.

Name one mentee you are particularly proud of.

Moser: I am especially proud of Angelika Fischer, who started as a summer intern at our firm and has quickly grown to be irreplaceable as my right hand in day-to-day business. It was inspiring to see how much progress she made on her own initiative, only coming to me for advice with a problem after exploring a number of possible options herself. This has shown me that you can empower people by giving them room to create their own experiences.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give yourself fresh out of law school?

Moser: Take some time off, travel, get to know the world, have fun, and enjoy life before starting a committed career as a lawyer. That time will never come back.

This Article was originally published in Issue 9.3 of the CEE Legal Matters Magazine. If you would like to receive a hard copy of the magazine, you can subscribe here.