The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Germany > Real estate

The deeply international real estate practice at Allen & Overy LLP stands out for its assistance with high-volume transactions in the office sector. A client base composed of financially sound national and international banks regularly instructs the team around Jochen Scheel in relation to sales and acquisitions as well as refinancing of future and existing commercial properties in intra-urban locations in Frankfurt and Berlin. Another significant pillar of its service offering is the advice to investment companies and private investors on sales and acquisitions of large-scale housing complexes, while the administration of cross-border logistic portfolios on behalf of developers and institutional investors is also becoming increasingly important. Murad Daghles joined White & Case LLP in January 2019.

The strongly internationally oriented real estate group at CMS assists with project developments and transactions in all significant asset classes. Thus the practice under the leadership of Sebastian Orthmann demonstrates competencies in portfolio management and expansion in the logistics and housing sectors. Besides its assistance with existing and planned care homes, hotels and operator-run properties, niche advice related to the design of leasing agreements for the entertainment industry is also gaining in importance. Heinz-Joachim Kummer is frequently instructed by institutional investors seeking advice on inventory build-up.  

Headed by  Johannes Conradi, the real estate practice at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer predominantly acts on behalf of national and international investors in cross-border transactions in the asset classes retail, office and logistics. With presence in all major congested areas, the team assists REITs, banks and private investors with sales and acquisitions of objects and portfolios and also acts for project development companies. The advice on transactions, inter alia in the asset class hotel, is one of the significant competencies of Timo Elsner, whose corporate expertise is complemented by Niko Schultz-Süchting's experience in dealing with open and closed funds as well as with special platforms. The refinancing of single real estate and portfolios is also an important pillar of the practice.

Hengeler Mueller predominantly advises on classic real estate transactions on behalf of investment companies and private equity firms from the Anglo-Saxon and Asian region. The client roster regularly includes intermediate holding companies for listed real estate companies and the group advises national developers as well as foreign investors on the acquisition of residential and commercial real estate portfolios on both nationwide and cross-border level. A particular strength of the seven-strong group around Thomas Müller and Daniel Kress is the assistance with sales and acquisitions of large-scale mixed-use areas. Thomas Lang made partner in January 2019.

P+P Pöllath + Partners assists with transactions and project developments in the asset classes residential, office, care homes and logistics. The team around Stefan Lebek and Matthias Durst regularly advises financially sound investors, banks and real estate developers on sales and acquisitions of various objects from very high-profile mixed-use portfolios. Timo Winkelmann, who made partner in January 2019, is renowned for advising on land development as well as on transactions. The firm is particularly strong in advising on complex tax-related transactions in Frankfurt, Berlin and Stuttgart. Carsten Führling retired in December 2018.

The real estate practice at Ashurst LLP has a significant strength in advising international asset managers on tax and investment matters related to the financing of asset portfolios in Germany. The client base of Filip Kurkowski, who joined in 2018, includes banks, private equity funds and investors from the Asian region, while the team led by Liane Muschter advises on inbound transactions related to high-volume single properties and nationwide portfolios in the key areas logistics and offices. Nicolas Deuerling offers expertise across all significant asset classes and covers the full spectrum ranging from financing to project development.

Under the new umbrella of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, the real estate practice, which until January 2019 operated under the name of Berwin Leighton Paisner, continues to focus on advice in the asset classes commercial properties and logistics. Hence the team around practice head Roland Fabian  and 'outstanding, relaxed negotiator' Carsten Bremer remains oriented towards high-profile transactions related to single office properties as well as entire shopping quarters. The comprehensive assistance of longstanding clients with nationwide project developments of future logistics sites is of similar importance. The client roster includes developers and asset managers as well as institutional and private investors.

The real estate team at GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB continues to be one of the largest practices in Germany. Besides its focus on transactions, the practice around Markus Heider and Jan Lindner-Figura puts particular emphasis on comprehensive insolvency advice to both creditors as well as debtors. The core business comprises assisting specialised investment companies with sales and acquisitions in the retail sector, both in relation to retail parks as well as intra-urban shopping arcades. The group is frequently instructed by the public authorities to advise on leasehold issues, while the team is also consulted on real estate matters by several family offices. The realisation of residential sites on behalf of project developers is another strength of the practice that operates across five offices.

Gleiss Lutz' real estate practice strongly focuses on high-profile investors and advises a client base that predominantly includes capital managers and internationally active real estate investors. Therefore, the group assists an international client roster that is mainly composed of Anglo-American investors with an increasingly strong strategic focus on Asia. The team around Tim Weber regularly advises on complex transactions in the asset classes office, retail, logistics and health. A particular strength of the firm is assisting with acquisitions of project developments and asset portfolios related to share and asset deals.

Under the leadership of Lorenz Czajka, the advice spectrum of Graf von Westphalen's real estate practice focuses on the construction and subsequent management of specialist properties. The client base is predominantly composed of operating companies, institutional investors and project developers. The group focuses on the asset classes student housing and hotels, while advice is usually provided to the operating side. Competencies of hospitality expert Christian Zerr  not only include the assistance with transactions, but also contract design regarding the transfer of operations and renovation procedures. The firm also advises at the interface to public law on projects related to housing interventions. The partner promotions of Sven Donner and Lutz Leonard Lamprecht in January 2019 balanced the simultaneous departure of Maximilian Jahn. He left to found spin-off Jahn Hettler Rechtsanwälte PartG mbB.

Headed by Dirk Brückner, GSK Stockmann's real estate practice specialises in the sale and acquisition of highly modern office properties for specialist funds,  capital managers and project developers. From the Frankfurt office, Michael Eggersberger assists with transactions both in densely populated industrial sites as well in suburban areas that have added value potential. An increasingly sharp focus is directed towards the logistics sector, which also correlates with the team's expertise in the realisation of projects in large-scale areas.  

With a 'broad spectrum of top performers', Linklaters offers wide-ranging competencies both in relation to sales and acquisitions of centrally located commercial properties and logistics facilities as well as to the development of specialist funds. Practice head Wolfram Krüger not only advises on the internal transfer of assets, but also on the complete acquisition of investment platforms. Furthermore, the firm assists globally active institutional investors and listed national companies with the rental of office facilities, particularly in relation to Brexit. The client base is mainly composed of private equity firms, REITs, asset managers and banks. Alexander  Schlee is well versed in bonds and made partner in May 2018.

The broad real estate practice at Taylor Wessing has a remarkable skills spectrum, which does not only cover transactions but also classical construction law issues as well as asset management. Thereby, the assistance with project developments in the office, care home and retail sectors is gaining in importance alongside its traditional strength in the asset classes logistics, residential and hotel. Practice head Anja Fenge is well versed in acquisitions of multi-tenant properties in adjacent industrial and residential sites, while Patrick Brock has experience in sales and acquisitions of intra-urban commercial complexes. After Martin Bartlik and Johannes Callet made partner in May 2018, Daniel Grasker was also promoted to the partnership in January 2019.

K&L Gates LLP specialises in advising family offices and institutional investors on inbound transactions and project developments in the asset classes residential, logistics and care homes. The practice group around Georg Foerstner and Felix Greuner has a strategic focus on relatively undeveloped areas with appreciation potential. Florens Girardet and two associates joined Ernst & Young Law's Berlin office in May 2019.

Under the aegis of practice head Achim Meier, Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH increasingly focuses on advising on complex real estate-related relocation transactions. The firm's transactional advice also encompasses high-profile project developments in intra-urban locations and assisting operating and holding companies with nationwide portfolios in the asset classes residential and logistics. The key contacts also include Berlin-based Detlev  Stoecker and Martin Fleckenstein. Stephan Finck made partner in July 2018 and the team was further strengthened by the arrival of  Ruth-Maria Thomsen, who is well versed in real estate transactions, from SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwalte AG in October 2019.

Headed by Fabian Hartwich, the real estate practice at Mayer Brown LLP predominantly acts in Berlin and Frankfurt in sales and acquisitions of prestigious offices and mixed-use properties both during their project development as well as after completion. The advice to Anglo-American asset managers and investment companies on the realisation of environmentally afflicted logistics sites is a constantly growing area for the practice.

The real estate practice at Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein is clearly geared towards the M&A sector. Thus, based on the main contacts Wolfgang Scholl and Alexander Lehnen's competencies, corporate and tax advice to national project developers and investors on internal reorganisations and asset management stand particularly out. The firm also occasionally acts on behalf of international asset managers in transactions.

The real estate practice at BMH Bräutigam & Partner is well versed in project development as well as the financing of acquisitions in the office sector. Under the aegis of young practice head Alexander Nast, commercial tenancy law has become one of the central pillars of the practice. The advice on transactions in the asset classes hotel and residential complement the advice offering, to which 'top transactional lawyer' and practice co-head Boris Reschucha significantly contributes.

Managed from its Berlin and Hamburg offices, BRL BOEGE ROHDE LUEBBEHUESEN's real estate practice stands out for its strong presence in the Northern German region. Thereby, its focus lays on project development, in which context Marc Biebelheimer's team frequently advises contractors on the development of large-scale mixed-use areas. Verena Schepers regularly assists with longterm construction projects in the office sector, while Michael-Alexander Rojnic's activity ranges from transactions and rental agreements to out-of-court disputes in the asset class hotel. In addition to medium-sized real estate developers, asset managers and private investors, the client base also includes municipal utilities and municipal energy providers, which is reflected in the group's increasing assistance with infrastructure measures. Felix Baum joined from Kolaschnik Partner in January 2019, after Nadim Hermes left for Buse Heberer Fromm in December 2018. Arne Hecht , who is well versed in real estate tax law, joined Ebner Stolz Mönning Bachem in April 2019.

The eight-strong real estate practice at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP lays its focus on transactions in relation to both individual properties as well as cross-border portfolios. The team is particularly active in the asset class hotel, where residential multi-occupancy properties and office properties take on an important role. In addition, its Anglo-American client base, which is composed of institutional investors and private equity firms, regularly instructs the team around Thomas Keller  with financing issues pertaining to the acquisition of conversion sites and existing buildings in the plant engineering, retail and logistics sectors. The partner base was strengthened by the arrival of Sven Wortberg  from King & Spalding LLP in April 2018.

The advice offering of Jebens Mensching PartG mbB is based on the assistance provided to investors, banks and project developers with sales and acquisitions of national portfolios of all sizes. Particular focus points of the team around Philipp Jebens and tax lawyer Oliver Mensching  lay in the asset classes residential and retail, where the group is advising a growing client base on corporate, tax and supervisory law-related structuring of complex acquisitions.

The real estate practice of young, Hamburg-based firm Neuwerk Rechtsanwälte has a focus on investment law advice to capital managers, institutional investors and developers on complex transactions in the asset classes office, retail, logistics and manufacturing facilities. Due to the regularly  provided expertise of M&A expert Kirsten Seeger, the firm was able to win several multistage instructions for international transactions. The team around founding partner Claudia Jehle and Philipp Jehle, who joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, also assists the public authorities with the realisation of large-scale project developments.

The broad real estate practice at Pinsent Masons Germany LLP is able to stem international instructions from the transactional, project development and financings areas. The flagship of the Munich-based team around Wolfram Pätzold is its expertise in advising predominantly Anglo-American insurers on the structuring of transaction-related W&I insurances; here, Jörn Fingerhuth is the main contact. The advice offering is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach that includes traditional transactions as well as asset management, tax advice and investment structuring. Tobias Nuß joined the firm from BEITEN BURKHARDT in February 2019 and Katharina von Hermanni, who also specialises in transactions, came from Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH in May 2019.

The advice offering at WAGENSONNER is based on transactions, project developments and tenancy law matters across all significant asset classes. The biggest focus lays on Munich and surroundings, while Andreas Helm 's team is also frequently instructed with the structuring of tenancy agreement in the Westphalian region. The client base includes insurers, capital managers, project developers and private investors, particularly family offices.