Real Estate: Finance | Europe

The firm maintains a pioneering real estate finance practice with the full range of financing expertise at its disposal. The team enjoys an excellent standing in classic real estate lending transactions, as well as bond issuances and CMBS transactions, primarily advising domestic and international banks, with additional expertise in refinancing, development financing and large-scale portfolio restructurings. The team's real estate activities comprise asset and portfolio acquisitions and sales, acting for investors and project developers, as well as providing advice on project development, with strength across the full spectrum of asset classes, including logistics spaces, offices, residential buildings and retail units. The firm remains a top choice for complex, cross-border transactions thanks to its strong international network, as well as its ability to offer a seamless service across transactional, financing, tax and regulatory advice. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.

Greenberg Traurig is highly regarded for both real estate M&A and real estate finance matters, and is a strong choice for complex, cross-border property transactions on a pan-European and transatlantic scale, with experience in both asset and share deals. The team also possesses significant strength in project development matters. The real estate finance practice regularly advises on originations, mezzanine financing, portfolio financing, refinancing and debt restructuring. It is often active on the buyer side, but also represents banks and lenders. Its key clients include mortgage bond banks, private equity firms and asset managers.

Clifford Chance has a stellar team advising on the full range of real estate matters. The firm offers a formidable transactional practice which enjoys a first-rate reputation for both big-ticket and mid-sized real estate transactions across all asset classes, with a proven track record of representing leading industry clients on both the buy and sell sides. An impressive international network facilitates the seamless handling of cross-border single-asset and portfolio transactions. The team also offers an integrated service by working closely with the firm's corporate, tax and restructuring departments. It is a good choice for complex property financing matters, advising borrowers on acquisition finance and refinancing. Its client roster comprises investors, project developers, private equity funds, REITs and financial institutions.

Noerr's real estate practice is an active department offering comprehensive coverage of both the real estate and real estate finance markets. The firm regularly advises on property transactions concerning both single assets and portfolios, as well as acting on real estate M&A, joint ventures, project development and asset management. The firm is also well equipped to advise on lease agreements. Its solid real estate finance practice handles acquisition finance and project development financing transactions, as well as real estate loan restructurings. The team is well versed in advising debt funds, mezzanine providers and alternative financing institutions on alternative financings, and offers further strength across the retail, office, logistics and residential spaces.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has a very visible transactional practice that is regularly mandated on domestic and cross-border real estate deals, often working in tandem with its other European offices. The firm enjoys a strong reputation in shopping centre transactions, with extensive experience advising investors on both the buy and sell sides of single-asset and portfolio transactions. It also has a significant footprint in office, logistics and hospitality transactions, and additionally advises on project development and the leasing of office space. The firm's multidisciplinary set-up enables the team to handle the corporate, regulatory and tax aspects of real estate deals. Its growing bench of real estate finance lawyers who are experienced in transactions across a wide range of asset classes further augments the law firm's offering.

CMS is a law firm with a strong presence throughout Germany and other European jurisdictions, assisting key clients both domestically and internationally. It is recommended for mid-sized and big-ticket portfolio transactions concerning retail, office, hospitality and logistics targets, and is notably active in the housing sector. The team also assists institutional investors with asset management and related property investment regulatory matters. Its financing expertise encompasses acquisition finance, portfolio financing and alternative lending, regularly acting for both borrowers and lenders.

DLA Piper offers a full-service practice that focuses on real estate transactions in the form of asset, share and financing deals. The team also advises on acquisitions, disposals and pan-European portfolio financing across several asset classes, including logistics, commercial and retail, with increasing strength in transactions involving data centres. The firm is also regularly mandated on hotel transactions, often acting for foreign investors, with further capabilities in project development and restructurings. Its finance practice represents lenders as well as borrowers, including investors, banks and fund managers. It is also frequently recommended for cross-border mandates thanks to its impressive international network.

Freshfields has an excellent real estate team offering the industry's full range of services. The firm frequently handles headline real estate M&A transactions with cross-border elements and acts for a number of high-profile clients. The team offers further expertise in innovative project developments, including retail and office projects and area developments. The practice also has noteworthy capabilities in complex real estate acquisition finance. Freshfields offers strength in all asset classes, with regular activity in the office, logistics, retail and hotel sectors.

McDermott advises on a broad range of real estate matters, including M&A, fund structuring, restructurings and developments. The firm is best known for its work in the retail sector, and is also present on notable transactions in the hospitality and logistics industries. A further focus is lease negotiations, an arena in which the firm represents household-name corporates in office space negotiations. The real estate finance practice is experienced in acting for both borrowers and lenders on various acquisition and development financing mandates, with senior and junior loan structures. The team frequently advises on cross-border matters, utilising its considerable international network.

Taylor Wessing has noted expertise in both transactional real estate matters and real estate financings. The real estate finance practice is adept at acting for both lenders and borrowers and handles the full gamut of real estate finance work, including acquisition and development financings, as well as refinancings. Its transactional team is regularly sought out for its advice on the sale and acquisition of office, logistics, hospitality, residential and mixed-use commercial properties, with additional strengths in real estate M&A.

White & Case represents lenders in property and acquisition finance transactions and is noted for its longstanding expertise in bank-bond financing and loan portfolio deals within the real estate sector. The team's expertise covers several other financial instruments, including asset-backed financing, and it further assists with the refinancing of property portfolios. The firm additionally handles real estate M&A and portfolio transactions on both the buy and sell sides, including sale and leaseback deals and lease agreement disputes. The team also often advises on project developments and acquisitions. Its clients include investors and property developers, as well as traditional and alternative lenders. The firm is able to draw upon its international network to participate in a number of cross-border deals.

Gleiss Lutz offers a strong practice that regularly handles all types of real estate transactions and also covers financing matters. The firm has considerable strength in real estate M&A, with expertise in asset deals, share deals and pan-European portfolio transactions. The team additionally advises on the acquisition and sale of project developments across Germany, benefiting from exceptional planning law capabilities. The team is also recommended for property financing and refinancing. Its client base includes numerous multinational investors and property developers.

Goodwin is best known for its real estate funds work and frequently advises on the structuring and implementation of funds, most notably in the USA and the UK, as well as on the ground in Germany. In addition, it handles investments, sales, lease law and asset management. The firm has a strong footprint in financing, advising both borrowers and lenders on refinancings and the mezzanine financing of portfolios and single assets, as well as in regard to the financing of construction projects and green financings.

Hengeler Mueller utilises its formidable transactional expertise to handle the full spectrum of high-end real estate M&A deals, while additionally advising on asset financing and refinancing. Its expertise spans joint ventures, sale and leaseback structures and lease agreements as well as insolvency-related issues and tender offers. Furthermore, it is well versed in handling cross-border transactions for well-known banks, real estate funds and asset managers.

Latham & Watkins has an active real estate finance practice which handles financings, with particular expertise in mixed-use developments and retail sites. It is frequently mandated on cross-border deals and also advises investors on refinancings. The team is sought out by both lenders and borrowers for deals involving single assets and portfolios.

Norton Rose Fulbright is noted for its growing German real estate team, comprising lawyers based in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich. The firm regularly advises on property transactions in the logistics and retail sectors, as well as those concerning offices, with additional experience in property management advice and leasing. The team also assists investors and lenders with acquisition financing and refinancing.