Werner Leiter

Werner Leiter, a partner at Grant Thornton Austria and head of the firm's tax service line, has been named M&A Tax Adviser of the Year in Austria at the 2024 Corporate INTL Global Awards. Based in Vienna, Leiter is one of the key figures in the tax practice of a firm that ranks among Austria's established audit, tax and advisory organisations.

Leiter brings more than twenty-five years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and tax advisory work. Over that period he has acted as lead partner on numerous M&A projects and on a range of significant audits, including engagements for listed corporations. His practice focuses on national and international tax advisory together with transaction services, the two strands that come together in complex deals where tax structuring can materially affect the outcome for buyers and sellers alike.

M&A tax work of this kind sits at the intersection of corporate transactions and tax planning. It typically involves tax due diligence on target companies, structuring acquisitions and disposals in a tax-efficient way, advising on the treatment of financing and post-deal integration, and coordinating cross-border tax considerations where transactions span more than one jurisdiction. As head of tax at Grant Thornton Austria, Leiter leads a team that supports clients through each of these stages, working closely with the firm's audit and advisory professionals so that tax advice is grounded in a full understanding of the business.

Grant Thornton Austria operates from three locations across the country and brings together more than 250 staff, including a substantial partner group. The firm offers a comprehensive tax service line spanning corporate tax, restructuring and M&A support, international tax planning, transfer pricing, indirect tax and customs, private wealth, real estate tax, global mobility and compliance. Within this broad offering, Leiter's transaction-focused practice serves clients ranging from domestic small and medium-sized enterprises to international groups, reflecting the firm's stated emphasis on practical, solution-oriented advice tailored to each client's needs.

Leiter's standing in the market has been recognised beyond this latest award. He was previously named Due Diligence Advisor of the Year for 2023, an acknowledgement of the depth of his transaction experience and his role in guiding clients through the detailed analysis that underpins successful deals. Recognition of this kind reflects both the technical rigour of his work and the trust that clients and advisers place in his judgement on high-value, often time-sensitive transactions.

Being named M&A Tax Adviser of the Year in Austria highlights the importance of specialist tax counsel in the deal-making process and Leiter's contribution to it. As Austrian and international businesses continue to pursue acquisitions, restructurings and cross-border investment, his leadership of the tax practice at Grant Thornton Austria positions the firm to advise clients on the tax dimensions of their most significant transactions.