Clifford Chance has a comprehensive real estate offering, allowing the team to advise on real estate investments, acquisitions, leasebacks and joint ventures. The team is also recognised for its expertise in handling financings, restructurings, REITs and tax structuring. The practice group is co-led by experienced partners François Bonteil, who specialises in acquisitions, leaseback transactions and funds formation; and Alexandre Couturier, who focuses on joint ventures, disposals and sales for clients, including hotels and data centres. David Gérard excels in advising on private equity matters. Karen Bortolotti and Louis-Antoine Frentz are names to note for real estate financing.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Excellent real estate team. They are proactive, responsive, pragmatic, and possess excellent technical expertise in real estate matters.
- ‘François Bonteil: An excellent negotiator. Pragmatic, always proactive. A true dealmaker.
- ‘Responsiveness and availability’
- ‘Professionalism of the team, quality of deliverables, speed of execution’
- ‘Very detailed knowledge of the market and all its players.’
- ‘Alexandre Couturier is an accessible partner lawyer who knows his cases perfectly but also knows how to showcase his teams.’
Key clients
- AccorInvest (Essendi)
- AEW
- Alderan
- Pimco Prime
- Amundi Immobilier
- Atream
- Ofi Invest Real Estate
- AXA IM
- Bain Capital
- Blackstone
- BNP Paribas REIM
- BlackRock
- Bouygues Immobilier
- Cale Street Partners
- CBRE Investment Management
- CDC Investissement Immobilier
- CNP Assurances
- Colony Investment Management
- Crédit Suisse Asset Management
- DigitalBridge
Work highlights
Advised AccorInvest on its asset swap agreement with Covivio Hotels, the total exchange value is nearly €800 million. The assets are located in France, Belgium and Germany.
Advised Mubadala on its investment, alongside other institutional invetsors, within the real estate fund structure managed by Ardian Real Estate, in a joint venture with Kering for the acquisition of a portfolio of luxury retail properties let to the Kering group.
Acted for Prologis on the acquisition from BNP Paribas REIM France of a 77,000 m² logistics platform in Corbas.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
David Gérard
Practice head
François Bonteil; Alexandre Couturier
Other key lawyers
David Gérard; Louis-Antoine Frentz; Karen Bortolotti