Beat König

Biography

Beat König is experienced in technology litigations, focusing on regulatory and civil disputes in the areas of data protection, AI, and digital business models. Building on his litigation prowess, Beat advises clients on strategic compliance issues in the areas of data protection, AI, cyber security and telecommunications law.

Prior joining the Firm in October 2021, he obtained professional experience at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo, at the Higher Regional Court Vienna and at a Viennese boutique law firm with its main focus on class actions and mass litigations. He studied law at the University of Vienna and the University of Stockholm and holds a post-graduate LL.M. degree in European and International Business Law from the University of Vienna.

Beat holds teaching positions for civil law and data protection law at the University of Applied Sciences of St. Pölten, Austria, and regularly teaches at renowned universities and institutions in Austria in the areas of artificial intelligence law, data protection, cyber security and marketing law.

Practice Focus

Beat’s practice is focused on representing clients in complex regulatory and civil technology litigations in the areas of data protection, AI, and digital business models and regularly handles high-profile cases for market-leading technology companies. Additionally, Beat advises clients in all matters relating to data protection, AI, telecommunications and cyber security laws.

Representative Legal Matters

Representing a technology company in a collective redress litigation against Max Schrems and other plaintiffs seeking immaterial damages and unjust enrichment claims for alleged GDPR violations.
Defending a global financial services provider in a mass AI litigation concerning a claim for the disclosure of the logic of the client’s AI-powered AML algorithm in front of civil as well as administrative courts.
Representing a leading Austrian newspaper in a GDPR litigation concerning the lawfulness of their pay-or-ok online business model.
Managing a multi-jurisdictional cyber security incident at an international consultancy firm.
Advising a critical infrastructure provider in relation to control measures for access to security zones using biometric data.
Representing and advising a financial institution in an official examination procedure as part of a sector-focused audit initiated by the Austrian Data Protection Authority.
Representing a technology company in administrative penal proceedings in front of the Austrian Data Protection Authority relating to alleged infringements of the privacy by design principle and the security of processing.

Admissions

Austria (2023)

Education

University of Vienna (LL.M.) (2021)
University of Vienna and University of Stockholm (Mag. iur.) (2018)

Languages

English
German
Spanish

Co-author (with Lukas Feiler), “KI-VO: Die wichtigsten Compliance-Prioritäten für österreichische Unternehmen," Compliance Praxis 3/2024, August 2024
Co-author (with Lukas Feiler, Elisabeth Dehareng, Francesca Gaudino, Magalie Dansac Le Clerc), “Landmark Ruling Affirms Direct Applicability of Collective Redress Directive – With Far-Reaching Implications for the Private Enforcement of Digital Rights," Connect on Tech, 16 April 2024
Co-author (with Lukas Feiler, Alexander Hofmann), "AI Act: Regulierung mit wenig Treffsicherheit," Der Standard, Blog: IT-Recht entschlüsselt, 19 January 2024
Co-author (among others with Lukas Feiler), §§7-9 HSchG, "Whistleblowing & Internal Investigations," Alexander Petsche - editor, 2nd edition, 14 December 2023
Co-author (with Lukas Feiler, Ariane Müller), "KI: Imitation des Menschen als Quell der Regulierung," Der Standard, 18 July 2023