Dr. Michael Komuczky

Since my first position as a junior associate (January 2013), I have been working in the field of dispute resolution. From the very beginning, I worked on the drafting of contracts, civil litigation and arbitration. I enjoyed my training in various renowned Viennese law firms with international orientation (BrandlTalos; DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach; Fiebinger, Polak & Partner; Lansky, Ganzger, Goeth, Frankl+Partner). Over the years, I gained in-depth experience in various fields of law and industry sectors. Due to various stays abroad, I not only worked in German and English, but occasionally also had the chance to advise clients in Spanish. Since being a fully-qualified member of the Austrian bar (June 2020), I have been advising companies of all sizes as well as individuals in preventing or resolving their legal conflicts.

Additionally, I share my knowledge with the next generations by teaching at universities. I also give lectures on my areas of practice and publish in legal journals. In doing so, I build on my academic work at the University of Vienna, where I had the privilege to spend four years as a research fellow.

Publications:

• World Café Report VAD 2021 – Model Clauses and Drafting for Construction Arbitration, Austrian Yearbook on International Arbitration 2022, 253 (with Anna Förstel-Cherng and Rita Kaufmann)
• Impecuniosity of the Respondent in Arbitration Proceedings (published in German), SchiedsVZ 2022, 8
• Drafting multi-tiered dispute resolution clauses, Kluwer Mediation Blog at 30 November 2021 (with Sima Ghaffari).
• Admission only for vaccinated persons? (published in German), Die Presse Rechtspanorama of 23 August 2021
• Arbitration and Criminal Law (published in German), Springer (2021)
• Comment on OGH 6.3.2020, 18 OCg 7/19g – On the consideration of the relativity of ordre public in the setting aside proceedings of an arbitral award (published in German), ecolex 2020/305
• Judgments outside the EU easier to enforce (published in German), Die Presse Rechtspanorama of 28 July 2019 (with Rudolf Fiebinger)
• Anti-suit Injunctions in Arbitral and Judicial Procedures – National Report for Austria, IACL World Congress 2018
• Punitive Damages and Public Policy in the EU, Yearbook of Private International Law XIX 2017/2018, 509
• The subjective element in Art 25 Brussels Ia Regulation (published in German), ecolex 2018, 235
• Dogmatic qualification of foreign surrogate motherhoods in Austria (published in German), IPRax 2018, 282
• Children may continue to slide: What the OGH says – and what not (published in German), derstandard.at on 18 October 2017
• Liability for packaged investment products and insurance investment products under the PRIIPs Regulation (published in German), ÖBA 2017, 697 (with Gernot Wilfling)
• International Arbitration and European Harmonisation (published in German), in Behme/Ferves (eds), Jahrbuch der GJZ 2016 (2017) 369
• Applicable Law in the Control of General Terms and Conditions in Association Proceedings (published in German), ZfRV 2016, 268 (with Christian Dorfmayr)
• Alternative financial instruments in the light of AGB control – civil law admissibility of qualified subordinated loans (published in German), ZFR 2016, 367 (with Gernot Wilfling)
• National Report for Austria, Helsinki Committee’s Report on Public Gatherings and Demonstrations across Europe, July 2013 (with Andreas Daxberger)

Sara Manafi, MA

The law and its practical application have always fascinated me. Originally coming to Vienna as a musician and student, I soon discovered interpreting before courts and authorities as a vocation. I have been working as a freelance interpreter since 2017, and in 2020 I completed the master’s course on interpreting before courts and public authorities. Since January 2022, I have also been working as a sworn interpreter for the Persian language (Farsi).

Due to the international orientation of the law firm, I can also contribute my various language skills here. I take over communication with clients who prefer to communicate in one of „my“ languages. In addition, I am also involved in the business development of the law firm and support in particular the networking of business people from the Persian and Afghan communities.

Training:

• Sworn in as an interpreter for the Persian language (Farsi), Regional Court for Civil Matters Vienna (January 2022)
• Examination for court sworn interpreters, Vienna (November 2021)
• Completion of Master’s course on interpreting before courts and public authorities, University of Vienna (October/November 2020)
• Bachelor Concert Piano, University of Tehran (2010 to 2013)
• Studies in Software Systems, University of Applied Sciences (2004 to 2006)