Viola Pondorfer // Legal employee

Porträtfoto von Viola Pondorfer (halbes Gesicht)

At a glance

Viola Pondorfer was born in Carinthia in 1990. Whilst still a student, she worked as a research assistant at the Faculty of Law at the University of Vienna; she continues to work there to this day as a lecturer on various university courses.

Before taking up a position as a legal employee at Schmelz lawfirm, Viola gained professional experience at, amongst others, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, the Alpine Credit Association of Europe and several law firms.

Viola specialises in tourism and travel law, company law and association law, and publishes regularly in these fields. Among other things, she is the editor of the commentary on package travel law published by Linde and co-author of the commentary on the Austrian Associations Act published by Manz.

Education

2022 - 2026	Postgraduate Master's degree at the University of Vienna (Tourism and Law)
2018 - 2019	Diploma course offered by the Academic Forum for Foreign Policy and the University League for the United Nations (Global Advancement Programme for Politics and Economics)
2017 - 2019	Basic training in the civil service (passed with distinction)
Since 2016	Doctoral studies at the University of Vienna
2010 - 2015	Graduate degree in law from the University of Vienna
2009	Peer mediator training (Federal Ministry of Education and Women's Affairs), recipient of the "Young Women in Public Affairs Award 2009" (ZONTA)
2004 - 2009	Higher education institution for tourism
1990	Born in Villach (Carinthia)

Work experience

Since 2026	Associate, afterwards legal employee at Schmelz lawfirm
2025	Court practice at the Vienna Higher Regional Court
Since 2024	Management consultant (GISA-number 36509638)
Since 2023	Managing Partner of L & T Pondorfer GmbH
2023 - 2024	Associate at attorney Georg Royer
2020 - 2022	Tourism Advisor in the Cabinet of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism
2016 - 2020	Legal officer in extrajudicial dispute resolution at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism
2015	Creditors' representative at the Alpine Creditors' Association Europe
Since 2014	Lecturer for various university courses at the University of Vienna (corporate law and tourism and travel law)
2014 - 2016	Research assistant at the University of Vienna, Institute for Business Law, Chair of Private and Business Law
2014 - 2015	Legal assistant at Schubert lawfirm
2012 - 2015	Volunteer at the Caritas Vienna Women's Residential Centre
2008 - 2012	Employed at the WIFI Economic Development Institute Vienna
2008	Volunteer at the Vienna Food Bank
2005 - 2007	Various activities in the field of tourism and catering

Publications

2026	Pondorfer (ed.), Commentary on Package Travel Law (PRG, GewO 1994, PRV), Linde Verlag (new edition in preparation)
2024	Pondorfer, Commentary on Sections 8 and 31 VerG (Dispute Resolution and Penal Provisions), in: Weilinger/Schopper (eds.), Commentary on the Associations Act, MANZ Verlag (new edition)
2020	Mayer-Ertl/Rupp/Pondorfer (eds.), Commentary on Package Travel Law (PRG, GewO 1994, PRV), Linde Verlag
2020	Pondorfer, Energy Future for Austria and the EU: Renewable Energies, short article, GAP Journal 2018/2019
2019	Pondorfer/Schumi, Insolvency in travel law – legal consequences, claims for compensation, protection options, in: Handbook of Insurance Law – Successful Enforcement of Insurance Law Claims, WEKA-Verlag Austria
2019	Pondorfer/Schumi, Travel Insurance Law, in: Handbook of Insurance Law – Successful Enforcement of Insurance Law Claims, WEKA Publishing House Austria
2019	Pondorfer, Commentary on Sections 8 and 31 VerG (Dispute Resolution and Penal Provisions), in: Weilinger/Schopper (eds.), Commentary on the Associations Act, MANZ Verlag
2018	Pondorfer/Schumi, Insurance and Arbitration, in: Handbook of Insurance Law – Successful Enforcement of Insurance Law Claims, WEKA-Verlag Austria
2018	Pondorfer, Contribution to package travel law, 5th Tourism Mobility Day, Graz
2017 - 2018	Mayer-Ertl/Pondorfer/Rupp, Practical publications on the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Directive (EU) 2015/2302, Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism/Austrian Federal Economic Chamber

Special fields

Corporate law
General civil law
Litigation
Tourism and travel law

Languages

Alpine at heart, Carinthian in tone
English
French
German

Kayaks

Climbing

Viola Pondorfer // Legal employee

At a glance

Kayaks

Climbing

Creativity