Nikolaus Sauerschnig, LLM

Nikolaus Sauerschnig, LLM, is a partner with Gheneff-Rami-Sommer-Sauerschnig Rechtsanwälte GmbH und Co KG, one of Austria's established litigation and advisory practices, where he has built a reputation as a criminal law specialist advising individuals and companies on the most demanding contentious matters. In recognition of his standing in the field, he has been named the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 “Criminal Law Expert of the Year in Austria”.

A focused criminal law practice in Austria

Nikolaus Sauerschnig practises at the intersection of criminal law and business, with a particular emphasis on economic and corruption criminal law (Wirtschafts- und Korruptionsstrafrecht). This is one of the most technically exacting areas of Austrian legal practice, sitting where the criminal code meets corporate governance, regulatory compliance and financial regulation. Clients facing investigations, prosecutions or internal inquiries turn to counsel who can move fluently between the criminal courts and the commercial context in which alleged conduct takes place, and it is precisely that combination that defines his work.

Alongside white-collar and corruption matters, his practice spans administrative criminal law, competition law, corporate and business law, labour law, media law, and the protection of personality rights, including questions arising from social media. He also advises on civil law disputes. This breadth allows him to act for clients whose problems rarely respect the neat boundaries between practice areas: a single set of facts may raise criminal exposure, reputational risk and commercial consequences at the same time, and he is equipped to address all of them together.

Qualifications and career

Nikolaus Sauerschnig qualified as an attorney-at-law (Rechtsanwalt) in 2023. He holds a Magister in legal studies from the University of Vienna, awarded in 2018, and completed a court internship within the jurisdiction of the Vienna Court of Appeals in the same year. He went on to earn an LL.M. in European and International Business Law from the University of Vienna in 2023, and passed the Austrian bar examination in 2022. From 2019 to 2023 he trained as a legal associate at Höhne, In der Maur & Partner Rechtsanwälte before joining Gheneff-Rami-Sommer Rechtsanwälte, the firm with which his name is now associated.

His postgraduate training in European and international business law reinforces the cross-border dimension of his criminal and commercial work, an increasingly important asset as economic investigations in Austria frequently involve foreign counterparties, multinational groups and questions of jurisdiction. He is able to advise in English as well as German, which supports his work for international clients and their advisers.

Professional engagement

Nikolaus Sauerschnig is a member of the Association of Austrian Criminal Defense Attorneys and of the Austrian White Collar Crime Association, two bodies at the centre of professional discussion on the direction of Austrian criminal and economic-crime practice. Membership of these organisations reflects both his commitment to the defence function and his engagement with the evolving standards that govern investigations and prosecutions in the economic sphere.

Criminal law in the Austrian context

Criminal defence work in Austria demands more than courtroom advocacy. Economic and corruption proceedings often begin long before any charge is laid, with the conduct of authorities during the investigative phase shaping the entire course of a matter. Effective counsel must manage the relationship with prosecutors, protect a client's procedural rights, and coordinate the criminal strategy with parallel civil, regulatory and reputational considerations. For corporate clients, the growing focus on compliance and internal investigations means that criminal law expertise is increasingly sought at the advisory stage, not only when proceedings are already under way. Nikolaus Sauerschnig's combined grounding in criminal law and business law positions him to serve clients across this full spectrum.

The Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026 “Criminal Law Expert of the Year in Austria” recognises Nikolaus Sauerschnig and the criminal law practice he leads at Gheneff-Rami-Sommer-Sauerschnig Rechtsanwälte. The award highlights the depth of his experience in economic and corruption criminal law and his ability to guide clients through complex, high-stakes proceedings in Austria with rigour and discretion.