Global real estate investors and pan-European investment managers entrust Clifford Chance with real estate projects in the logistics space, such as large-scale industrial developments. Increasingly, the group engages in advising data centres on novel mandates or advising investors on their first data centre investments. Fabian Böhm, who is notable for real estate finance structuring and wider transactional expertise, has succeeded Christian Keilich as practice head, who departed from the firm in April 2025 to join Reischauer & Partner mbB. Philipp Stoecker is a port of call for portfolio transactions, emblematic of the wider group’s deep roots in the realm of large-scale office transactions, notably for architecturally significant and culturally significant German companies with large rental agreements. Dennis Blechinger is a key contact for financings by international lenders secured by Germany, as well as advice on large scale joint ventures between real estate investors.

Greenberg Traurig Germany has core strengths in portfolio transactions across a broad range of real estate, especially in the management of real estate in the hospitality industry, an area in which Martin Dobiáš is particularly well versed. Other key areas include acquisitions of properties with improved energy efficiency to help with the renewable energy transition, as well as advising global real estate investors on investment in residential real estate, signifying a broader team-wide ability to assist clients with the investment and divestment of residential portfolios more widely, as well as financings and insolvency advice. The group is notably skilled in the whole life cycle of a development project, from planning contracts to supply contacts, and negotiations to acquisitions and sales. Christian Schede is the lawyer at the helm, a strong multi-jurisdictional M&A lawyer within real estate who is well supported by Wencke Bäsler, a practitioner who is particularly active in joint ventures. Florian Rösch is chair of the German Real Estate Group.

A&O Shearman demonstrates expertise in acquisitions of residential properties due to its involvement in large-scale transactions in this space, including portfolio transactions. Among these are restructuring, asset deal and share deal transactions, including distressed transactions and increasingly joint ventures, especially for data centres, and digital infrastructure real estate or real estate designed for the energy sector. However, the group operates across residential, commercial and industrial real estate, benefiting from Christian Hilmes‘ broad knowledge of a wide range of real estate assets. Elsewhere, practice head Jochen Scheel‘s activity also covers a broad array of real estate, spanning from residential, to retail, office, logistics, and brownfield sites, including logistics portfolios. Similarly, Simon König is key for asset and share deals within energy real estate, such as energy plants, as well as commercial leasing. Michael Fink, who was promoted to partner in May 2025, is a strong point of contact for advice on real estate funds.

CMS has an increased focus on high-growth asset classes such as logistics and data centres, often advising asset managers on investment structures, as well as its core strengths of real estate transactions and project developments in asset classes such as retail and residential. Sebastian Orthmann, a skilled practitioner within real estate financing, lease agreements and joint ventures, displays a strong grasp of real estate law for international clients looking to invest in German real estate. Orthmann jointly leads the team alongside Philipp Schönnenbeck, who is key for portfolio transactions, and adeptly assists with M&A within retail and logistics. Heinz-Joachim Kummer has retired.

International real estate companies and asset managers feature prominently among the varied client roster at Dentons, who the firm is well placed to counsel on the acquisitions of other real estate companies. Volker Mergener is key in this regard. The group also advises on real estate portfolios which span asset classes, from residential to mixed use and commercial developments, in addition to advice on cross-border real estate transactions, and is well versed in financing structures. Real estate finance expert David Zafra Carollo and versatile real estate practitioner Sebastian de Schmidt oversee the team. Having been promoted to partner in April 2025, Jessica Vorster has been instrumental in many of the group’s high-volume portfolio transactions. Dirk-Reiner Voß stands out for real estate contract negotiations. René Dubois is another key name to note in the team.

The workload of Gleiss Lutz’s real estate practitioners increasingly involves mandates connected to sale-and-leaseback structures, complementing the group’s core strength in real estate financing transactions and displaying skill in real estate portfolio restructurings and takeovers of listed real estate companies. The practice is set apart by its integrated, full-service approach which brings together expertise in M&A, financing, public law, tax, and regulatory expertise, with a cross-practice approach and access to experts in each of these areas of law. Tim Weber heads up the practice, and clients are able to leverage his experience in real estate portfolio transactions and joint ventures across real estate asset classes. Johannes Niewerth is regularly consulted for the restructuring of real estate portfolios as well as cross-border transactions, while Konrad Discher is a veteran of commercial landlord and tenant law.

GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB has a team located in offices across the country; a deep bench who are a popular choice for a host of real estate transactions, notably advice on asset management and restructuring within property law. Clients also benefit from extensive experience across tenancy agreements, particularly in the form of Silvio Sittner, who is supported by Markus Heider and Katharina Meeser, a pair who focus on sale and purchase transactions in a range of asset classes and commercial tenancy law. Damian Tigges counts insurance companies, institutional investors, banks and project developers as key clients, the latter of which is indicative of the group’s wider involvement in advising on the acquisition of project developments in prime city centre locations. Philip Huperz, previously with GSK Stockmann, joined the practice in January 2026.

GSK Stockmann concentrates on digital infrastructure and data centres, but is well versed in a range of real estate transactions for which asset managers, funds and project developers seek assistance. In keeping with this prominence in the transactions space, practice head Dirk Brückner is highly engaged in asset deals, share deals and forward transactions across asset classes. Elsewhere, Claudia Maria Laszuk specialises in residential real estate, assisting clients with issues related to the ongoing management of a residential property portfolio for example, while Bernhard Laas is a go-to contact for hotel transactions. Former co-head of the practice Philip Huperz left the firm for GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB in January 2026.

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, Hengeler Mueller was particularly engaged in the area of refinancing existing portfolios and potential insolvency situations in 2025, often in collaboration with the firm’s restructuring team, with private equity, corporate, insolvency and restructuring law elements attached. Such advice reaches a varied client base formed of asset managers, logistics companies, banks, hotels, and international investors, as well as continuing to firmly engage with these clients in the group’s principal areas of work such as financings, joint ventures and portfolio transactions. Thomas Müller, Daniel Kress and Thomas Lang are among the group’s significant practitioners, who excel in a range of real estate mergers and acquisitions, as well as Marco Mâallem, who is key for project development advice.

Benefitting from a network of US offices, Hogan Lovells International LLP‘s real estate practice is skilled in both national and international real estate investments and asset management. This relates to advising clients on real estate finance more widely, with banks, real estate investors and asset management group among the team’s diverse client roster. Practitioners are involved in high-rise transactions, such as large-scale business towers and high-rise residential projects at any phase, from acquisition to sale, and service contracts to lease negotiations. Seasoned real estate lawyer Dirk Debald is at the helm, counting real estate investors as key clients and supported by Tobias Strohmeier, who was made partner in January 2025 and is also consulted by some of the group’s highest profile investment management clients. Marc Werner has a niche in the hotel industry.

Linklaters can be distinguished by its sector breadth due to its regular involvement in data centre, office and residential acquisitions and sales, especially for portfolio transactions. The group is also increasingly active in the logistics sector. Wolfram Krüger oversees the team, and was promoted to global head of real estate in March 2025, regularly acting in cross-border investment transactions and restructurings throughout Europe. Hannes Dietmaier, who was promoted to partner in May 2025, continues to forge strong ties with private equity firm clients and other real estate investors, and is especially active in leasing matters, particularly long-term commercial leases.

Increasingly strong in the logistics sector, Noerr is adept in sale-and-lease-back transactions, for which team leader Annette Pospich is instrumental, often assisting with letting structures for commercial properties and sale and lease back structures for industrial sites. Another sector strength for the group traditionally is energy, with a background in green energy leasing and the acquisition of brownfield sites or other sites which are part of the country’s energy transition. Tim Behrens and Manuel Lomb act in the drafting of commercial lease agreements, often within the context of the group’s wider engagement in larger transactions.

The real estate team at Taylor Wessing equally deals with matters related to the construction of properties and to the leasing or acquisitions of existing property portfolios. The practice is notable for its varied workload, encompassing advice on commercial leases, negotiations with energy operators, data centre construction, and property management contracts. Practice head Johannes Callet, who is co-head of the international real estate group, is consulted by household name clients in the hotel industry, in addition to ESG funds. This is indicative of the group’s activity in the hotel industry as well as its commitment to ESG, a space in which several practitioners are active as part of a wider engagement in ESG aspects of project development. In addition, the practice serves other sectors such as logistics and health, and also provides advice in the context of data centres. Elsewhere, Martin Bartlik is knowledgeable of real estate in the hotel and leisure industry.

Ashurst LLP has a niche in the logistics, while the group also  has grown its involvement in cases regarding investment management and asset management, and real estate finance issues more generally; the workload in this financing space involves advice on share deals. Liane Muschter, who oversees the team, is key for such financings, while also a popular choice for advising regulated funds on portfolio transactions and project developments. Muschter is supported by counsel Christopher Jeschor who also specialises in complex real estate transactions and financings. Nicolas Deuerling left the firm to join Gowling WLG in December 2024. Matthias Rüdt von Collenberg joined the firm in October 2025 from Goodwin.

Aside from being especially well equipped to handle high-value commercial lease advice, Baker McKenzie routinely engages in portfolio transactions, often in the office, retail and logistics sectors in addition to restructuring and project development and investment. Indeed, the team has a history of acting in the country’s largest investment projects into real estate in the energy sector. The group falls under the leadership of Florian Thamm, who counts asset managers, funds and hotel groups as key clients. Daniel Bork, who runs the group, oversees the work on various high-volume rental agreements.

Skilled in leasing, contract drafting, and financing, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner leverages its ties to a network of international offices, such as the firm's Luxembourg office, which assists heavily with the structuring of cross-border real estate investments. Clients accessing this advice include global real estate investors, but range from local land sellers to private equity firms. Leading the group is real estate transaction specialist Christian Lonquich, who counts asset managers among his extensive client list. Lonquich is often present in the group’s real estate investment work and real estate fund structuring advice.

Leveraging its status as a multinational firm, DLA Piper‘s team members are notably well versed in the development of data centres, including the takeover of data centre operators. On the transactional side, lease back transactions are common, which are often executed with support from other departments such as the tax team. On the development side, the development of digital infrastructure is an area of strength. The practice is led by Lars Reubekeul who engages in matters for office and industrial properties and the purchase and sale of commercial properties and portfolios. Additionally, Martin Haller has a niche in tenancy law and Manuel Indlekofer regularly assists companies with realigning real estate and infrastructure investments due to his experience in the infrastructure industry.

Asset managers and global financial services firms feature among those seeking the assistance of Latham & Watkins LLP, a firm which displays a particular strength in private equity deals within real estate, such as structured equity structures, and multinational portfolio transactions. Otto von Gruben, Carsten Loll and Torsten Volkholz head up the team bringing expertise in such portfolio transactions and joint ventures, and advice on restructuring agreements. They are backed up by Sven Nickel, who has extensive knowledge of data centres, particularly when it comes to pan-European or multi-asset transactions, but also provides advice on commercial tenancy law issues.

Mayer Brown LLP continues to extend its reach into the realm of industrial estate development and senior living as a result of its wider focus on public building law, building on a core strength in advising on leasing and rental agreements. This is an area of activity for Fabian Hartwich, who runs the group and is instructed by a varied client base of investors, asset managers, banks, funds and family offices. Further significant lawyers include Philipp Schaefer, a practitioner heavily involved in asset deal and share deal transactions, and Tina Siebenhaar, who joined the firm from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in June 2024. Siebenhaar is a name to call upon for various real estate transactions, particularly for office and retail transactions.

Signifying a multidisciplinary approach, McDermott Will & Schulte calls upon corporate law experts when assisting clients such as project developers with cross-border acquisitions of portfolios consisting of residential and commercial real estate in Germany, and sales of individual commercial properties in Germany and across Europe. Jens Ortmanns runs the team, and is a standout contact for joint ventures and asset management agreements. This joint venture expertise also applies to Holger Weiß, who is well reputed for the structuring of complex transactions. Ulrich Flege counts investment firms and private equity investors as key clients.

The deep bench of real estate lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright are engaged in a varied range of real estate mandates across areas such as family offices, logistics and hotels. These lawyers include a dedicated real estate disputes team, led by Constanze Bandilla-Dany. Adeptly assisting logistics investors and developers with portfolio transactions, the group’s transactional expertise is often supplemented by in-depth knowledge in financing, restructuring and insolvency. Maren Stölting oversees the group, while Karsten Alex is a key name at associate level, logistics letting transactions and a go-to practitioner for joint ventures in real estate projects.

POELLATH counts institutional investors as key clients, but is also instructed by a client base formed of subsidiaries of large European real estate companies on a variety of real estate asset deals. Timo Winkelmann stands out for such asset deal transactions. Jointly leading the group, Stefan Lebek and Matthias Durst are a pair who are deeply experienced in project developments, including the development and management of real estate portfolios, in keeping with an area of strength for the group at large. Sebastian Pasch is a veteran of real estate transactions, particularly in the hospitality and care sectors.

BRL BOEGE ROHDE LUEBBEHUESEN has a strong office presence whether it is nationally or internationally, demonstrating a notable niche in real estate law advice after insolvency, in addition to a range of project support and real estate transactions. Felix Baum, who is strong in commercial tenancy law, and large-volume sale and leaseback transactions, heads up the team alongside Michael-Alexander Rojnic, a standout contact for matters in the hotel industry, and Moritz Gerum, who often handles commercial tenancy law and neighbour law matters.

Showcasing, expertise across property law, commercial tenancy law, and real estate asset management, Eversheds Sutherland leverages its network of lawyers and offices across Europe. The group stands out for large retail, logistics and data centres projects, the latter of which continually strengthening due to the expertise of Isabel Streker. Practitioners are also instructed on financing, sale and lease transactions regularly. The group’s strength in depth is epitomised by team leader Gerhard Molt, who regularly engages in real estate transactions with distressed, international and multi-disciplinary aspects, and Kathrin Paulet, who was promoted to partner in May 2025, has a history of working on complex real estate lease issues. Peter Junghänel and Catharina Förster joined the firm from Goodwin in September 2025.

FPS Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH & Co.KG stands out for drafting leasing agreements and the negotiation and drafting of a leasehold agreement, as well as portfolio transactions. This is added to by its proficiency in advising on tenancy law and private construction law issues. Stephan Jüngst is at the helm, and is well supported by Dietrich Sammer, who mainly provides advice on acquisitions and disposals of real estate properties and portfolios.

Through its integration into the international network Meritas, GvW Graf von Westphalen benefits from access to an international client base of real estate investors. Practice head Bettina Schmitt-Rady is a popular choice for investors as well as public project developers on portfolio transactions and commercial tenancy law matters, and in particular lease agreements. Clients also benefit from dedicated industry-specific real estate expertise such as in the pharmaceutical industry. Former practice head Lorenz Czajka is another strong contact for advice on the insolvency of real estate companies.

Since the merger of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP with US law firm Kramer Levin in June 2025, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP is able to provide a full-service real estate practice in the USA and London. Within real estate transactions, clients are advised both on the lender and borrower side in areas such as building refinancing. Hannes Jacobi, who was promoted to partner in 2025, concentrates on real estate and real estate infrastructure financing. As a group, there is a growing focus on portfolio financing, adding to its already strong ties with European finance teams at the firm. Stefanie Herkert has particular expertise in international real estate finance transactions.

Heussen Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH has a niche in assisting family offices with a range of transactions and financings, assisting equally with individual buildings and property portfolios, given that a core area of expertise is regulatory advice on portfolio transactions. Practice head Norbert Huber advises public sector clients, while property funds, asset managers, private and institutional investors comprise Jan Dittmann‘s varied client base, in line with the focus of the practice. Dittmann assists these clients at all phases of real estate projects, from marketing to construction. Christoph Hamm is a port of call for rental law and contract negotiations related to real estate sales and acquisitions.

Counting international investors as key clients, Jones Day‘s real estate team collaborates with international offices to involve itself in a range of restructuring, M&A, and financing transactions at both local and international level. Nicole Kadel and Christian Trenkel lead the team, the latter of whom is adept in a range of transactions and financings, including restructurings, often part of a wider M&A transactions for which the group relies on the firm’s large M&A team. Kadel is a key name to note for logistics matters, often advising on logistics portfolios across Europe.

King & Spalding LLP is proficient in real estate financing and securities law, as part of a wider involvement in real estate investment matters for real estate funds, which form a cornerstone of the group’s client base. Sebastian Kaufmann, whose practice focuses on governed real estate financings, leads the team alongside Andreas Böhme and Moritz Heidbuechel. The trio are strong in due diligence advice, and acquisition agreements, regularly advising real estate investment firms and asset managers. Heidbuechel, especially, advises on sector-focussed asset and share deals on a regular basis.

Loschelder advises on purchase agreements, asset management and a range of contracts within real estate, especially for urban district developments. Such advice is often in conjunction with construction, planning, and tenancy law, as well as public building and zoning law. Stefan Stock oversees the group, an experienced lawyer in real estate transactions. The group is involved in real estate finance, for which Nikolai Wolff is well known, acting in asset deals and complex real estate transactions such as structuring and restructuring for new lettings of city centre buildings.

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH showcases a strength in advising on purchase agreements, providing advice in correlation with the firm’s tax and planning/procurement team, and insolvency team. Achim Meier is at the helm, and is active in project development matters predominantly in the logistics space, a sector strength of the group more broadly. Thomas Gohrke increasingly sees investment funding advice among the highest priority for his client base, and is often engaged in portfolio transactions.

Showcasing expertise in due diligence and strategic advice related to rental contracts, Möhrle Happ Luther is engaged in a variety of transactions in the public sector, as well as advice on the sale and acquisition of commercial buildings and retail parks. Practice head Anne Schöning covers many of the group’s real estate matters in the public sector, often for institutional investors and project developers investing in municipal developments. Fellow practice head and project development expert Oliver Reimann is also experienced in construction and planning law.

Real estate boutique WAGENSONNER Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB advises leading banks on transactions and project developments in the residential and offices asset classes, and also assists clients with related financing. Especially notable is its track record in large-scale leases for offices, such as the third-largest single letting on the Munich office space market in 2024. Andreas Helm, who is key for share deals and share purchase agreements, oversees the team, and is well supported by versatile real estate practitioners Christopher Patt and Gero Martin.

White & Case LLP complements strong transactional expertise, such as the acquisition and financing of a residential portfolio, with strong sector strengths such as advice on the operation of data centre projects, and the sale of data centres. Rostyslav Telyatnykov is at the helm, a lawyer called upon by international investors and project developers who routinely acts as a notary in real estate transactions, while Andreas Lischka is key for debt finance matters within real estate.

Fieldfisher is especially knowledgeable in the enforcement of commercial leases, focusing on singular property transactions and foreign financing for the acquisition of retail properties, office properties and commercial properties more generally. Philipp Stricharz advises on all areas of real estate transactions and development, accessed by a client base which is formed of investors and tenants. Stricharz leads the group and is ably supported by Jonna Aldick, who stands out for redevelopment projects and development projects more widely, providing commercial landlord and tenant law advice.

Kapellmann und Partner‘s varied workload incorporates purchase and loan agreements for significant or landmark singular properties of cultural significance, as part of a range of real estate transactions and related issues. Among these are financing negotiations and the establishment of property companies. Florian Kirchhof, who leads the Berlin real estate group, and Martin Lailach, who leads the Düsseldorf real estate group, are key for acquisitions and disposals. Other key team members include Harald Pott and Martin Jung, who lead the sector-specific project development group at the firm, and specialise in project development advice.

Lambsdorff Rechtsanwälteoften acts in transactions for office, hotel and rental buildings on behalf of investors and asset managers. Practice head Stephan Albrecht is a strong choice for investors and project developers with construction and commercial tenancy law issues. Johannes Wolff is a key contact for real estate disputes stemming from property management issues and insolvencies, an area in which other team members are also regularly involved.

Menold Bezler operates in a cross-disciplinary manner, acting in a range of ongoing property law matters, often in the office asset class, alongside public procurement and tax lawyers at the firm. Jochen Stockburger heads the team, and is well equipped to advise on property law and tax issues relating to various real estate transactions. Marc Ehrmann is another standout lawyer for complex real estate transactions.

Oppenhoff regularly assists medium-sized companies and financial investors with commercial tenancy law and lease agreement matters, particularly for rental agreements. Stefanie Minzenmay and Marc Alexander Häger head up the group, the former of whom is key for land purchase and lease-back transactions due to wider transactional expertise. Caner Ertasoglu is another standout member of the group.

Pinsent Masons Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB‘s real estate team, which sits within a broader property department at the firm, routinely advises investment management companies on investment in data centres as well as assisting clients with transactions in the hospitality sector. At the helm are Jörn Fingerhuth, who is proficient across the retail, residential, hotels, logistics and office sectors, and Katharina von Hermanni, who is key for funding deals and project developments.

Displaying real estate investment expertise, SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft is highly engaged in advising real estate shareholders and investors on acquisitions, development projects and leasing matters. Among the group’s other key matters are M&A transactions involving property investors, alongside environmental law experts in the firm, who are well placed to help with rental agreements, including green rental agreements. Christoph Allmendinger oversees the group jointly with Florian Schumacher, and the pair advise on project developments and related construction matters.

Instructed by a range of clients within asset management, including closed and open end funds, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has an established offering in the structuring of real estate. The workload incorporates a range of residential transactions, such as the structuring of joint ventures, and also asset management within office transactions. Cornelia Thaler heads up the team, specialising in real estate transactions.