Best Lawyers in Frankfurt/Main, Germany for Real Estate Law
Practice Area Overview
Real estate law often comes down to legal advice on the sale or purchase of real estate properties.
However, the scope of this law field, also referred to as real estate business law in Germany, actually extends much further. It also encompasses the development, purchase, management and utilization of real property. Think in terms of property appraisal, financing and tax matters, as well as supervisory and regulatory matters, including public issues related to the approval of real estate objects and the preparation thereof as well as changes in the use of existing properties, such as reclassification from commercial to residential property. Real estate business law is treated separately from "private construction law," which comprises, among others, architectural and brokerage law and even service contract law.
At its core, real estate business law deals with the legal aspects of
- Project development (building and zoning permits)
- Real estate transactions (due diligence, contract drafting, and negotiations, including financing contracts with banks, mezzanine capital partners, and the like)
- Real estate management (tenant and lease laws, refurbishment, FM contracts, or contracting)
- Public-private partnerships (advisory services for business and public sector clients regarding real estate law)
- Real estate funds (advisory services for real estate fund development, contract drafting involving all participating parties, prospectus drafting, due diligence, and supervisory matters)
Given the complexity of this law field, attorneys specializing in real estate law should be able to offer a wide range of qualifications as well as industry expertise and in-depth business knowledge. That’s because their work not only involves core real estate law matters but also matters from other law fields that may be closely related in terms of general real estate. In particular, comprehensive consulting services for, say, project developers, building contractors and real estate companies require the kind of legal competence that far extends basic real estate law. For example, in the project development business, it’s not uncommon for lawyers to fulfill, manage, and coordinate functions for various participating parties, which is when management qualifications come in handy, to say the least. Another asset any real estate lawyer should have at his or her disposal is a network of equally qualified lawyers to turn to in any matters that may be out of his or her league. Then there the really complex real estate law matters, in which it is recommended to have legal teams to perform all tasks necessary to successfully wrap up a case for any client facing a narrow time-frame.
Select a location from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Tom Erdt is a lawyer and partner at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner as well as a certified specialist in administrative law. He joined FGvW in 2013 from the long-established Frankfurt law firm Pilger and heads the consultancy in the Rhine-Main-Neckar economic region from Frankfurt. Tom Erdt specialises in national and cross-border real estate transactions. A further focus of his consulting practice is in the area of fraud and compliance. He is particularly well networked in the Fr...
Dr Daniel Fischer is Partner at BEITEN BURKHARDT's Frankfurt office and member of the Real Estate practice group. His area of expertise comprises building, sectoral planning and real estate law as well as administrative law concerning trade and industry and procurement law. He particularly advises his national and international clients on planning and zoning processes, construction permits and urban development contracts as well as on all issues of commercial leases and private construction law.
Ulf Gibhardt studied law at Christian-Albrecht University in Kiel (Germany). He additionally studied business administration at the distance teaching university FernUniversität in Hagen (Germany), completing his studies in 2005 with a thesis on tax-oriented structures for the acquisition of shares and interests. His legal training included working for a law firm in Shanghai (China). He was admitted to the German Bar in 2002, as a tax advisor in 2005, and as a civil-law notary in 2015. Ul...
Joachim Heffinger Attorney Certified specialist in building and architects’ law Mediator (DAA/German Lawyers’ Academy) Specialist mediator for the real estate and construction industries (m-con) Partner Specialists areas : Private construction and property law, architectural and engineering law, commercial tenancy law, m ediation/arbitration proceedings Since being admitted to the bar in 1987, I have primarily advised clients in the areas of private construction, real estate, arch...
Professor Dr. Oliver Moufang (Lawyer of the Year Construction Law, Hessen, 2025, 2019, 2017 & 2012) is a long-standing partner at the Frankfurt office of GSK Stockmann, a law firm specialising in real estate law. He is a certified specialist in construction and architect law. Specifically, he advises on major building projects during construction and resolves disputes both in and out of court. He is a lecturer in real estate law and an honorary professor at the RheinMain University of App...
As a notary and lawyer Bernhard Naujack advises German and international clients, above all small to medium-sized family-run companies. His forte is the development of solutions in the field of company and property law, particularly when it comes to solving conflicts and undertaking transactions. He also advises clients on matters involving inheritance law, drawing up last wills and testaments, handling estates subject to inheritance, designing prenuptial agreements, partnership contracts and...
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Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
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