Emerging Europe and Central Asia-focused law firm Kinstellar has hired long-time Wolf Theiss lawyer Horst Ebhardt to launch an office in Vienna.

Ebhardt is a renowned corporate deals lawyer in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) market, bringing with him more than 25 years of experience across corporate transactions including cross-border M&A, privatisations and restructurings, with a particular focus on financial institutions, life sciences and private equity.

Vienna is seen as a key hub for the CEE and Southeast Europe (SEE) markets.

Jason Mogg, Kinstellar’s senior partner, said: ‘‘This is the beginning of a remarkable development for Kinstellar. We are thrilled to have Horst on our team. His very strong market recognition and leadership will help us drive the opening and rollout of our Vienna office, and to further strengthen the leadership of our firmwide corporate M&A team.

“We are confident that Kinstellar will swiftly establish itself as a top-tier player in Austria, cementing our regional strength and appeal. Exciting times lie ahead, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Ebhardt spent 28 years at Wolf Theiss, where he was a partner.

He said: “I am delighted to join such a strong firm and brand as Kinstellar – with its leading and first class capability across the whole of CEE/SEE, Turkey and Central Asia. I look forward to working with clients and new colleagues across all its existing jurisdictions, and working together with its outstanding regional M&A team.

“I also look forward to working with new colleagues in Vienna to build a first class practice in Vienna. I am deeply grateful to my previous firm and teams for their support throughout my career, and I am excited for this next chapter.”

Kinstellar says it is currently recruiting additional team members to grow the new Vienna office, which will focus initially on corporate, M&A, private equity, competition, employment and real estate, with plans to expand to further practice areas at a later date.

Kristóf Ferenczi, Kinstellar’s firm managing partner, said: “Our new Vienna office enables us to meet the growing demand from clients across the CEE/SEE region. It neatly complements our existing presence and reinforces our position as a leading international law firm in the region. We look forward to working closely with Horst and the team to build a practice that I am confident will make a significant impact both in the Vienna and the whole CEE/SEE markets.”

The launch follows Kinstellar, which was formed from the spin out of Linklaters’ offices in Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest and Prague in 2008, absorbing four CEE offices from top German independent Noerr last April. Also last spring, the firm joined forces with Vietnamese firm Asia Counsel to expand into the Southeast Asia market.

Meantime, other firms that have recently opened in Vienna include Fieldfisher, which launched in Austria in June 2023 following the arrival of Thomas Ruhm from SCWP Schindhelm.