Best Lawyers in 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.
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Cities
Born in Hamburg in 1963, Alexander Baden studied from 1982-1988 in Passau and Hamburg. He has been with ZENK Rechtsanwälte since 1990. Today, he focuses on real estate law and project development and is responsible for providing support for complex transactions. From 2011-2018, Mr. Baden was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BEOS AG, Berlin. For several years running, he has been listed as one of Germany’s top business lawyers in the ranking table “Germany’s Best Law...
Wencke Bäsler advises real estate companies on all aspects of real estate transactions, including asset deals, share deals and the management of real estate properties. She also advises on corporate investments and participations, in particular joint ventures. Wencke has broad experience in advising national and international real estate investors, and has wide-ranging experience in handling the sale and acquisition of real estate portfolios, including structuring and financing. Another ...
Markus Beaumart is a lawyer and partner at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner. Since July 2018, Markus Beaumart has been a partner in the area of real estate law and construction law at the Cologne office. He moved from DLA Piper to the Practice Areas Plant Construction, Real Estate and M&A of FGvW in Cologne with partners Arnt Göppert, Uwe Steingröver and Jörn Zons. Markus Beaumart began his legal career in 1996 in the Cologne office of the (then) law firm Oppenho...
Jörg Beckmann studied law at the Georg-August-University in Göttingen, where he received his doctorate from the chair of Prof. Dr. Andreas Sattler. He completed his legal clerkship in 2001 at the Kammergericht. In the years that followed, Jörg Beckmann worked for two Berlin law firms that were well-known in the market. There he specialized in public building law and public zoning law. A particular focus of Jörg Beckmanns work is the special urban planning law of the German...
Daniel Benighaus works as Shareholder in the German real estate practice. He advises national and international investors on project developments, real estate transactions and ongoing asset management. One focus of his work is advising on complex project developments such as developments of entire quarters, smart buildings, joint ventures and data centers. He has particular expertise in the sale of project developments in forward deals. Daniel also works as a notary with a focus on real estat...
Anna Gries is a lawyer who specialises in providing project-based legal advice and acting as litigator in all areas of private construction law, architecture and engineering law as well as project monitoring and property development law. She advises, represents and helps clients to manage common problems arising from the drafting of contracts, follow-up management, acceptance procedures, liability for defects and fees.
Sara Berendsen advises on corporate transactions of all kinds, including acquisition and sale, joint ventures and restructuring. Sara has broad experience in the field of M&A transactions for national and international clients (asset and share deals) with a focus on the media, technology & telecommunications and real estate sectors. In addition, she advises on capital market issues and joint ventures.
Dr Otmar Bernhard is an experienced lawyer specialising in public construction and real estate law, as well as project development, with extensive expertise in environmental and nature conservation law. He served for many years as a member of the Bavarian State Parliament and held positions as State Secretary and State Minister for the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection. Before joining FPS, he was a partner at Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein for many years. Dr Bernhard is known for his in-...
Dr. Jörn Bosse serves clients primarily from the corporate sector in Hamburg, with a focus on construction and real estate law. His work involves assisting companies in navigating the complexities of real estate project development. This includes obtaining necessary building permits, maintaining neighborhood relations, and overseeing construction operations. Dr. Bosse emphasises the importance of resolving disputes out of court, though he is prepared to litigate when needed. Real estate ...
Dr Dirk Brückner (Lawyer of the Year Real Estate Law, Bayern 2025, 2021) is one of the leading real estate lawyers in Germany. He had a leading role in supporting some of the largest transactions in Germany, including transactions for Art-Invest, Hines, Accumulata, Patrizia and Real I.S. AG. Specialization: real estate transactions, real estate joint ventures. Short Biography: Universities of Munich and Passau Academic member of staff at the “Institut für gewerblichen Rechtsch...
Martin Dobias advises clients on virtually all aspects of real estate transactions, in both asset and share deals, including complex portfolio transactions. He also has experience in the negotiation of commercial lease agreements. Prior to Greenberg Traurig, Martin worked at Olswang in Berlin.
Hannes Dürr Attorney Certified specialist in building and architects’ law Partner Specialists area: Real estate and property law, p rivate construction and architectural law, l itigation As a certified specialist in building and architects’ law, I have been advising national and international companies from the property industry as well as private and institutional investors for almost 20 years on all legal issues relating to the development, construction, acquisition, manage...
Dr Matthias Durst is a partner and co-head of real estate at POELLATH in Berlin. For many years, he has advised on real estate transactions, real estate private equity and real estate project developments of all kinds, as well as on the conclusion of rental and lease agreements. He also advises on contract law and has accompanied various major portfolio transactions and individual transactions as the leading partner. In addition, he has broad experience in the fields of real estate financing,...
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...
Ralf Euling has specialised exclusively in private construction and architectural law, commercial tenancy law, property law, and public procurement law since 1994. He primarily advises private clients and public sector entities operating under private law, including architects, engineers, project developers, and investors, on all aspects of private construction law, commercial tenancy law, and public procurement law. His expertise includes drafting and negotiating contracts with general contr...
Dr Georg von und zu Franckenstein has been working in the field of real estate and administrative law since 1996. His main focus area is consultation on investments (development, purchase, rental, operation, etc.) in healthcare real estate and operations. He has particular expertise with regard to the special legal requirements relating to the development, acquisition, operation and restructuring of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
Dr Robin Fritz is senior managing partner of the firm. In addition, he advises entrepreneurs and companies, especially from the real estate industry, on all aspects of commercial law. Dr Fritz is a member of the advisory board of the department for key qualifications at Goethe University, Frankfurt, where he is also a lecturer in the Faculty of Law. Since 2004, he has also been honorary consul of the Czech Republic.
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...
Dr Michael Grünwald is partner in the Munich office of RITTERSHAUS. He specialises in real estate transactions and financing. His clients include real estate funds, owners of portfolio properties and property developers whom he advises on all issues associated with the acquisition and sale as well as the financing of portfolio properties or projects.
Dr. Marcel Guenoub is a partner at POELLATH in Berlin. He advises his well-known clients on transaction-related advice (due diligence, purchase agreements, lease agreements, financing contracts), project developments (construction and project development contracts, architect and engineer contracts) and real estate-related joint venture projects. Marcel belongs to the “next generation” of POELLATH partners in the real estate sector and has already been listed in relevant rankings. ...
Dr Maximilian Gutsche specialises in commercial tenancy law, private building law as well as architects’ and engineering law. He represents real estate companies, project developers, property developers, industrial companies, project controllers, architects and engineers, public housing associations, institutional investors, and financial institutions. His main areas of activity are the provision of project-related legal advice as well as dealing with topics involving project developmen...
Claudia Hard is a partner and heads the Finance & Banking Group in Germany. She focuses her practice on real estate, project and corporate finance. Claudia has many years of experience in the field of acquisition and refinancing as well as restructuring in the real estate sector. In addition, she has deep experience in the area of Pfandbrief financing, both in Germany and in cross-border financing within Europe and the USA. Her clients include leading domestic and foreign banks, debt fund...
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...
Dr Jan Hennig (Lawyer of the Year Environmental Law, Berlin, 2023) has been equity partner with GSK Stockmann since 2014. He is a certified specialist for administrative law. Practice: Planning law, public construction law, environmental regulations Project development Structuring projects with public sector clients Regulation / Constitutional and European law Short Biography: Worked for a major international law firm in the field of public commercial law and projects from 2006 to 2014 Traine...
Josef Hofschroer focuses his practice on corporate law, with an emphasis on M&A transactions for national and international clients. He particularly advises on all aspects of capital markets and securities law. Furthermore, his practice includes distressed investments as well as joint ventures. Josef has particularly wide-ranging experience in the fields of energy, technology, telecommunications and real estate. Among his clients are start-ups, medium-sized and large companies as well as ...
Stephan Jüngst, admitted to practise law in Germany in 1996 and a specialist in construction and architectural law, has been managing partner and head of the firm’s nationwide real estate and construction law group since 2020. He has extensive experience advising on complex large-scale projects—including high-rise buildings, data centres, and stadiums—with a focus on contract drafting and negotiation, claim management, and the interplay with tenancy, public, tax, and co...
Dipl.-Kfm. Dr. iur. Maximilian Koch is the Managing Director and Founder of KOCH Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH in Dusseldorf, Germany. He studied economics at the University of Hagen (Diplom-Kaufmann) and law at the University of Osnabruck (1st legal state exam with honors, ranking among the top 5% of graduates), in addition to earning his Dr. iur. "summa cum laude". After completing his legal clerkship in Lower Saxony, he excelled in the 2nd state law examination, achieving a high distinctio...
Legal studies at Bielefeld University State bar exam in 1984 Research associate under Prof. Dr. Westermann and Prof. Dr. Otte (Chairs for Civil Law) at Bielefeld University, 1984 - 1986 Bar admission in 1986 Doctor of Laws (Dr. jur.) 1987 Lawyer at the Hamm and Celle Higher District Courts, 1986 - 1989 With the firm since 1989 Certified Specialized Attorney in Tenancy and Condominium Law
Prof Dr Kuchler specialises in advising national and international companies, and the public sector, on matters of public construction, planning and environmental law, as well as public commercial law. He has considerable experience managing major complex project developments. Prof Dr Kuchler represents his clients both in and out of court at all levels, including before federal Courts.
Prof. Dr. Jörg Kupjetz advises German and international banks, financial institutions, investors, and companies, with a focus on corporate and financing transactions—especially corporate finance, acquisition, project and real estate financing, structured financing, and venture debt. He holds a degree in banking administration and is also a solicitor (England and Wales), business mediator, certified compliance manager, and senator in the Senate of Economy.
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