PETERKA PARTNERS Expands Regional Presence with New Office in Vienna

PETERKA PARTNERS has opened an office in Vienna.

“Our clients need us there,” says Ondřej Peterka, Founder and Managing Partner of the PETERKA PARTNERS Group The PETERKA PARTNERS law firm now operates in ten Central and Eastern European countries, having most recently opened an office in Vienna. “From day one, the Austrian office has been working closely with all of our offices across the entire CEE region. We operate on the principle of full cooperation across countries — our clients work throughout the region, and so do our teams,” says Ondřej Peterka, Founder and Managing Partner of PETERKA PARTNERS, in an interview for legalweb.

What were your intentions behind opening a new office in Vienna?

 We simply wanted to expand our regional business model into another country.

From your perspective, what makes Austria an interesting business opportunity right now?

 It is a wealthier country, originally perceived as part of the West, but now already integrated into the CEE zone. Most of our multinational, Czech, and Polish clients are already active here. The people who decide on legal services on behalf of our clients also decide on legal support in Austria.

How did you select Austrian experts?

 It was a standard recruitment process. Interestingly, many candidates applied spontaneously.

What is the Austrian legal market like? Is it similar to the Czech market?

 So far, the Austrian legal market appears to be less competitive than the Czech market, partly for historical reasons.

I assume the Austrian office will work closely with the Prague and Bratislava offices, is that correct?

 The Austrian office will work closely with all of our offices across the CEE region from the very beginning, not only with Prague and Bratislava. We operate on the principle of full cooperation across countries — our clients work throughout the region, and so do our teams.

Your Slovak branch is celebrating 25 years on the market this year. What shape is it in?

 The Bratislava office is fairly large, with roughly 20 lawyers working there.

How do you perceive your position on the Slovak market?

 The Slovak office of PETERKA PARTNERS is in excellent shape and has long been among the leading law firms on the Slovak market. We are proud that after 25 years we have a strong local team and a stable client base.

About a year ago, you mentioned that in addition to Austria, you were also interested in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. Is that still the case?

 Yes. In the long term, we are most interested in Scandinavia, which we consider a highly attractive and strategically-important region. However, at the moment, we are focusing on developing the Austrian office.

Does the current security situation — for example, Russian provocations in the Baltic region — play a role in your decision-making?

 We naturally monitor the geopolitical situation, but our decisions are primarily based on client needs and the long-term attractiveness of individual markets. We see Scandinavia as a stable and promising region in its own right, with very few foreign law firms operating there.

What else are you planning to focus on?

 Our priority is the consolidation of the firm and the continuous improvement of the quality of our regional services. Today, we operate as a leading independent international law firm in ten Central and Eastern European countries. We have become a dynamic alternative to large international and top-tier local firms.