Interview with Bernhard Müller and Christian Richter-Schöller from DORDA
Bernhard Müller joined DORDA in 2008 and heads the firm’s public law practice group. His legal practice focuses on public procurement, environmental, regulatory, state aid, and foreign trade law (sanctions). Bernhard particularly focuses on the defense and security sector as well as the health and hospital sector. In addition, he regularly lectures at universities and conferences on public and commercial law and is a member of numerous national and international associations.
Christian Richter-Schöller has been with DORDA since 2014. He works in banking and capital markets law and insurance law. He advises both established companies and FinTech on regulatory law, contract law, and contentious proceedings. He has a particular focus on sustainability law. As co-head of the Sustainability Practice Group, he specializes in sustainable finance and supports regulated companies in the sustainable capital markets.
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Your company slogan is “Dorda delivers clarity”, how do you differentiate from the competition?
Challenging and increasingly complex markets need up-to-date lawyers, in-depth expertise, and knowledge of various industries. DORDA uses two approaches for this: firstly, Dedicated Industry Groups providing interdiciplinary legal advice from a single point of contact. Secondly, DORDA relies on the focused practice approach with 25 specialised areas – all experts in their individual legal fields due to extensive knowledge and a decades-long track record. Our slogan “DORDA delivers clarity” means that DORDA is a partner for complex problems in complicated business law matters. For those problems, we deliver clarity by offering clear recommendations for action, a proactive advisory approach, and rapid response times.
One of your focus areas is sustainability and you even have a dedicated sustainability group, what are the key topics that you address for your clients regarding sustainability?
The DORDA Sustainability Group is the first point of contact for environmental and sustainability law and all issues relating to ESG. We have been monitoring the development of Austrian and European environmental and sustainability law from the very beginning, which means we know the lay of the land and can inform about what needs to be done to be prepared for the future. We have excellent contacts to law firms all across Europe in order to provide you with the best possible multi-jurisdictional advice in a legally challenging landscape. In this context, DORDA has a particular focus on the monitoring of supply and value chains. With the German Supply Chain Act, the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive three new important pieces of legislation make it necessary for companies to focus on their value chains. With its expertise across many industries, DORDA helps develop tailor-made solutions for its clients.
At WOF Summit Vienna, you join the discussion panel about the new Supply Chain Act, how do you support your clients to prepare for those new challenges?
Our services include the identification of relevant risks, the development and implementation of corporate social responsibility guidelines, and legal sustainability checks. Our expertise in this field allows us to find a perfectly tailored approach for each and every client.
Besides your activities in Austria for over 45 years, you also operate a CEE desk and a China desk – how do your clients benefit from your international activities?
Legal issues do not stop at the border. With globalization increasing, it is ever more important to cover issues internationally. For this, DORDA believes that it makes sense to cooperate with leading international business law firms. By selecting our network carefully, we ensure to offer the best level of international expertise for our clients. Therefore, our clients benefit from the best cross-border legal advice available and high common standards without bureaucratic issues.
