– Benjamin Franklin
Dr Farid Rifaat was born in 1954 in Egypt and studied Law at the University of Vienna , where he went on to earn his legal doctorate in 1977.
He opened his own law firm a mere five years later, after having completed his legal clerkship at a court and worked as a trainee lawyer for Wolf/Theiss, among others. The firm, which opened in 1982, is ideally located in the heart of Vienna, just a few metres away from the Palace of Justice.
Dr Rifaat’s work is rooted in his excellent understanding of the law as well as his extensive practical experience. He works in German, English, French and Arabic.
LawyerDr Farid Rifaat
Office ManagementTereza Bukowski
We are wholly dedicated to providing legal services at the highest level of expertise. Our legal counsel always revolves around addressing the concrete needs of our clients. We work together with them to develop and apply pragmatic, prudent solutions in a prompt, committed and successful manner.We provide comprehensive legal counsel and assistance with matters both judicial and extrajudicial. While our range of expertise is broad, our activities focus on the following areas in particular:
CRIMINAL LAW
The field of criminal law comprises the protection of certain legal interests (life, limb, assets and the like) and addressing cases in which these legal interests are infringed upon through human activity, whether this occurs through intent or neglect. Our law firm handles cases of classic offences (murder, manslaughter, bodily harm, fraud, perfidy, corruption, abuse of authority and similar) as well as those that fall under criminal provisions beyond the penal code, such as narcotics and fiscal law offences, particularly tax evasion and the like. Moreover, our firm also specialises in the recovery of seized assets.
ADMINISTRATIVE CRIMINAL LAW
This field includes cases involving immigration law as well as offences related to the Austrian Motor Vehicles Act (Kraftfahrgesetz) or Austrian road traffic regulations. If, for instance, you have been denied residence through a court decision or your driving license has been revoked, we can combat the situation with various legal remedies. We specialise in providing you with proper, expert advice on assessing the legal actions undertaken by authorities.
CIVIL LAW
Civil law regulates the legal relationships between citizens as well as those between citizens and the state. As such, this field of law governs highly important facets of daily life. Key sub-fields include tort law, warranty law, marriage and family law, inheritance law, labour law, business law, real estate law and property law.
TORT LAW
Any manner of careless conduct can result in a claim to compensation for damages; for instance, following a traffic accident, in connection with liability for medical malpractice or even in the event of an environmental hazard.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LAW
Family, marriage and children are not only fundamental to private life, but are also subject to state regulations – specifically, within the scope of marriage and family law. In the event of a divorce, myriad questions arise regarding the division of assets, custody of children, regulations on visitation rights and alimony. When it comes to broaching these emotionally fraught topics, receiving counsel at an early stage can often be crucial to achieving a desirable outcome.
INHERITANCE LAW
The death of an individual is always a grave occasion, one that also entails a host of legal consequences. Questions frequently arise as to the scope of claims to inheritance and legitimate shares; these are regulated by inheritance law as well as the circumstances surrounding the deceased’s last will and testament. Varying interpretations of the latter document often leads to disputes among heirs.
SHARIA LAW
The term ‘Sharia’ refers to Islamic law, meaning the regulations that are to be observed within an Islamic society. Importantly, Sharia is not a fixed code of law, but rather provides a framework for legal concepts governing sacred rites and rituals as well as aspects of everyday life, such as divorces. As such, the application of Sharia comes into play when Muslim couples seek to obtain divorces, for instance.
REAL ESTATE LAW AND PROPERTY LAW
The purchase, lease and rental of real estate and property as well as the affiliated rights and obligations are united under a broad field of law, one that entails significant financial expenditures as well as a multitude of special regulations. We specialise in advising and supporting you from the initial stages of property purchase or sale through to completion of the respective transaction.
TRAFFIC LAW
If you are facing the threat of having your driving license revoked, you can combat the situation with a range of legal remedies. These take into account factors such as the justification underlying the revocation as well as the duration of the revocation. We specialise in providing you with proper, expert advice on assessing the legal actions undertaken by authorities.
IMMIGRATION LAW
If you have been denied residence through a court decision, you can combat this situation with a range of legal remedies. We specialise in providing you with proper, expert advice on assessing the legal actions undertaken by authorities.
LIABILITY FOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
During the course of healthcare or the provision of nursing services, a number of errors – such as improper treatment, medication or organisation – can occur and cause damages. Addressing cases of liability for medical malpractice involves investigating claims to compensation for damages as a consequence of errors in medical treatment or malpractice at surgeries, hospitals and care homes and/or the improper provision of information, as well as determining future damages to a patient that are expected to arise in connection with treatment at a hospital or a treatment contract concluded with a medical specialist.
LABOUR LAW
Labour law addresses the legal relationships that employment entails and concerns questions of justified dismissal, termination, severance pay and similar.
WARRANTY LAW
Warranty law particularly addresses the claims asserted by contractual partners against one another as the consequence of a failure to perform or faulty performance.
BUSINESS LAW
Business law provides a framework for companies’ legal activities as well as the legal relationships between companies. In addition to the new Austrian Commercial Code, there are numerous special laws applied in Austria in keeping with the specific requirements of various industries, such as banking and insurance. It is particularly important for entrepreneurs to select the correct legal form when initially establishing their business; the prerequisites, planning and consequences of this decision are subjected to regulations under business law. We assist you with all matters that fall under the realm of business law, from supporting your initial entrepreneurial activities through to advising you on the dissolution or handover of your commercial enterprise.
KanzleiDr. Farid RifaatSchmerlingplatz 3 1010 Vienna, Austria
Phone +43 1 405 32 62 Fax +43 1 405 32 62 – 20 Email office@rifaat.at
VAT ATU10492108Bar Association: Vienna Bar Association (RAK Wien)Code of ethics of the Vienna Bar Association
