Real Estate | Europe

Pérez-Llorca consolidates its position as one of the best real estate practices in Spain. Its client roster includes international investment funds and private real estate developers from North America and Europe. The firm advises on transactions involving a variety of assets, including hotels, offices and residential buildings. It assists with the acquisition of plots of land earmarked for the development of houses, logistics buildings or data centres. The Madrid-based team advises investors on the sale and leaseback of hotels and retail premises and it regularly assists with the real estate, corporate and tax aspects of investments that are structured through joint venture companies or as share deals.

Uría Menéndez's stellar team is consistently instructed on top-level mandates by an impressive list of investment funds and developers. The firm assists with the creation of joint ventures between Spanish developers and international real estate asset managers. It advises on the acquisition or disposal of diverse real estate assets, including logistics warehouses and industrial sites. The firm benefits from strong planning and tax capabilities, which are often called upon to support the acquisition of sites under development. It acts for developers on agreements for the forward funding of residential or mixed-use developments.

Clifford Chance's Spanish team provides full-service real estate advice on issues ranging from individual asset deals to the structuring of real estate joint ventures. It advises investors on office developments in various parts of Spain, and it assists lenders with the financing of Spanish commercial real estate projects. The team has experience in large-scale shopping centre transactions on behalf of institutional investors and is further active in the sale and purchase of REO portfolios. The firm also assists corporate landowners with sale and leaseback transactions in order to access capital tied up in real estate.

Cuatrecasas has a large and experienced team spread across a strong network of offices throughout Spain. It benefits from a market-leading planning team, which is a valuable resource for investors and domestic real estate developers buying land for the construction of new residential, office or shopping centre developments. The group acts on high-value transactions that entail the transfer of significant logistics asset portfolios. The firm further advises landowners on the negotiation of commercial lease agreements.

Freshfields handles high-value transactional mandates on behalf of international investment funds that are active in Spain. The firm has an impressive track record in the structuring of joint ventures between foreign real estate investors and local developers. It advises on matters involving logistics assets or hotel agreements, including in major transactions structured as share deals and targeting large portfolios of assets. The firm has additional experience in the acquisition of land for the development of student housing and also assists with the negotiation of commercial leases. Freshfields also advises borrowers on the financing of their real estate acquisitions.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo houses a solid team that has experience in advising both on the developer and investor side of build-to-rent transactions involving the construction of student accommodation and residential blocks, as well as related joint venture formations. It advises Spanish banks on the financing of logistics developments and residential projects. The team acts on the acquisition of leasing of retail parks. It also assists hotel owners with issues relating to the refurbishment and management of their hotels.

Linklaters acts on complicated, high-value deals for international and domestic financial institutions, including banks and real estate-focused investment funds. The firm has assisted with the establishment of joint ventures that will invest considerable sums in Spanish residential or student accommodation developments. It advises on shopping centre transactions, having acted on several deals structured as sale and leaseback transactions. The lawyers also advise on matters that touch on areas of insolvency and the enforcement of real estate guarantees.

Baker McKenzie attracts a broad range of instructions from landowners and international investors. The firm advises on acquisitions of healthcare assets and assists with the negotiation of related lease agreements. The lawyers have standout experience in issues relating to the acquisition and leasing of hotels, with a client list that includes investors and several renowned hotel operators. Baker McKenzie also boasts additional experience in construction matters related to student accommodation.

CMS's real estate team advises real estate investors both with significant acquisitions and with ongoing asset management topics. The firm supports with the negotiation of commercial contracts for the development and acquisition of logistics warehouses and office buildings. It also advises on the acquisition of residential assets and coordinates pan-European real estate portfolio deals across multiple offices.

The firm often advises international investment funds and real estate developers on their first investments in Spain, with experience in the acquisition of completed assets or plots of land for development. It advises on the establishment of joint ventures between developers and financial backers, and it assists with real estate transactions structured as share deals. The firm also assists asset managers with ongoing issues relating to the management of their real estate portfolio.

Allen & Overy's reputation as a superb Spanish banking and finance practice is partly built on its proven capacity to handle major real estate finance mandates. The team assists lenders with the financing of real estate acquisitions of asset classes such as student housing and hotels. It also advises on corporate transactions that entail the transfer either of vast residential portfolios or of high-value commercial assets. The team is increasingly involved in development projects.

Addleshaw Goddard's real estate team is renowned for advising real estate developers and investment funds across a wide spectrum of transactions. It has extensive experience in the sale of several real estate assets such as office buildings, residential assets and land plots as well as the sale and leaseback of retail assets. The team is also equipped to assist with the planning and construction of assets such as football stadiums and restaurants.

EY Abogados advises major Spanish SOCIMIs and international property investors on acquisitions, often of Madrid residential buildings. It is also well versed in hotel and retail sector transactions. EY offers additional advice in the financial and planning aspects of real estate operations.

Herbert Smith Freehills' real estate team is well recognised in the market for its expertise in land and buildings transactions. The team is also active in leasing matters. The group acts for investment firms, property developers and owners.

Hogan Lovells is regularly instructed by major international property investors on Spanish transactions. The firm advises on the investment in and establishment of new real estate investment fund, and it assists with acquisitions of logistics or data centre assets. The team also advises international hotel operators on the acquisition of hotels in Spain.

Andersen enters the rankings due to strong market support. The real estate team assists real estate developers and SOCIMIs on a range of transactions such as sale and purchase agreements of residential and hotel assets as well as land plots. It is also experienced in handling cross-border transactions due to its international network.

Araoz & Rueda's real estate department both supports the corporate team in M&A transactions and handles standalone real estate mandates, including also a planning perspective. It has experience in the drafting of contracts for the acquisition of retail assets.

Jones Day is an integrated team with the ability to cover a range of real estate matters, from acquisitions and investments to joint venture transactions and planning matters. The team also has experience in build-to-rent transactions and in real estate finance mandates.

KPMG enters the rankings based on strong market support. The firm is often instructed by international investors and investment managers on a series of transactions in the Spanish market. It has particular expertise in turnkey transactions including the sale and acquisition of logistics and residential assets. The team is also equipped to assist on the sale of office buildings and retail stores.