Jakob Kisser is Founding Partner and Manager of Kisser Legal. He holds a Master of Law (Mag.iur.) from the Universities of Vienna (Austria) and Maastricht (The Netherlands) and was admitted to the Austrian Bar from 2009 to 2020. He previously served as Managing Partner of Strohal Legal Consultants (UAE) for seven years and led the strategic transition of the firm’s UAE practice into Kisser Legal.
He is a business focused lawyer advising commercial and private clients on M&A transactions, corporate law, and the structuring and execution of business ventures and investments in the UAE. Jakob combines strong legal expertise with practical commercial insight gained through board positions with private foundations and corporations.
Practice focus:
- M&A and corporate transactions
- Commercial Contracts
- UAE market entry and investments
- Private clients and family-owned businesses
- Corporate structuring and governance
Prior to relocating to the UAE, Jakob practiced business law for 20 years at leading international law firms in Austria, including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Schoenherr. He was admitted as an attorney at law to the Austrian Bar from 2009 to 2020.
Jakob has advised on complex and high-profile transactions in the UAE and Austria, including the divestment of four retail banks by the Austrian Volksbanken Group, the restructuring of Nortel Networks, and private equity investments into Themis Bioscience. At Schoenherr, in his roles as Knowledge Director and Compliance Director, he played a central role in firm wide modernization initiatives, including the implementation of a compliance management system, the establishment of a dedicated knowledge management function, and the launch of the firm’s Junior Academy.
He serves as Vice Chairman of the Austrian Business Council UAE and is a member of the Legal Committee of the German Emirates Club.
Jakob is the author of numerous academic publications, including LexisNexis handbooks on Current Trends in Start ups and Crowdfunding, Form Requirements and Legalization (Best Practice Formvorschriften und Beglaubigungen), and Letters of Comfort (Best Practice Patronatserklärung). He regularly lectures for UAE business councils, conferences, and was a lecturer at the Austrian Attorneys Academy (Anwaltsakademie).
Outside his legal practice, Jakob is a committed endurance athlete. He has completed multiple Ironman triathlons, marathons, and multistage mountain bike races, and has summited Baruntse in the Nepal Himalayas (7,129 m).