Bernhard Motal

Office Location

Liechtenstein

Short Biography

Bernhard Motal is Counsel at Gasser Partner Attorneys at law. He is admitted to the Liechtenstein bar and also took the bar exam in Austria. Bernhard advises international clients and specializes in the areas of corporate, foundation and trust law, asset protection, estate planning and international private law. He regularly represents clients in domestic and international trust and foundation disputes (arbitration and litigation) and inheritance and divorce proceedings. He is author of numerous books and articles in renowned legal journals. Before joining Gasser Partner Attorneys at law in 2019, Bernhard worked in the corporate law department of a renowned Austrian law firm, as research and teaching assistant (US: Assistant Professor) at the Department of Civil law at University of Vienna and as research fellow at the Austrian Supreme Court, where he has acquired outstanding expertise in his fields of work.

What is your favorite restaurant to take a client or colleague to?

In Liechtenstein: The Torkel, Vaduz, owned by the Princely Family. In Vienna: The Hansen Restaurant, which is located in the basement of the former and beautiful Vienna Stock Exchange building in the heart of Vienna.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

"I've seen at every level people who are very good at describing problems, people who are very sophisticated in explaining why something went wrong or why something can't get fixed, but what I'm always looking for is, no matter how small the problem or how big it is, somebody who says, 'Let me take care of that.' If you project an attitude of, whatever it is that's needed, I can handle it and I can do it, then whoever is running that organization will notice" (Barack Obama) This piece of advice was obviously not given to me personally, but it is well-applicable to the client-attorney relationship.

What was your first job?

Waiter at a typical Viennese Restaurant (Heurigenrestaurant). There, I think, I also first encountered my passion to deal with challenging customer requests.

What is the book you recommend to everyone?

The Cicero Trilogy by Robert Harris – a masterful recreation of the tumultuous life of Cicero, the legendary orator and statesman. The author's meticulous research and storytelling prowess bring ancient Rome to life, drawing parallels to contemporary issues we face in the legal profession today.

What changes do you expect to see in your practice over the next year?

I expect the global developments on taxation and asset protection to become even more dynamic, requiring a mindful and proactive approach to navigate the evolving regulatory and legal landscape.