"extremely experienced, quick perception, constructive" (client)
JUVE Handbook 2016/2017

Aperçu

Dr. Fabian Hartwich is a partner in the Frankfurt office of Mayer Brown’s Real Estate practice. He heads the firm’s German Real Estate practice and has considerable experience in the interdisciplinary legal advice of German and international investors, asset manager, banks, funds and family offices on real estate transactions of all sorts.

This includes the acquisition and sale of real estate assets (either by way of portfolio or single asset transaction) as well as the structuring of project developments, joint ventures, lease agreements and all other real estate related contractual relationships (e.g. asset management agreements, building agreements, etc.). Furthermore, Fabian advises German and international lenders, sponsors and loan servicers on the acquisition as well as the restructuring of (non-performing) real estate financings based on all types of market-standard consensual and non-consensual restructuring solutions. Having been seconded to a leading British bank, he was able to gain valuable in-house experience in the area of “restructuring and recoveries”.

Fabian is recommended in the relevant directories JUVE, Legal 500 and Chambers for real estate law. His clients include among others: ARES Real Estate, Commerz Real AG, LaSalle Investment Management, Art-Invest Real Estate, DIC AG, Credit Suisse Asset Management, The Carlyle Group, Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG, Gazit Globe, plc., Schroder Real Estate, Generali Real Estate S.p.A.

Before joining Mayer Brown in 2017, Fabian worked for other international law firms in Frankfurt, inter alia as one of the founding partners of the German offices.

Langues

  • Allemand
  • Anglais
  • Français

Expérience

  • Advised LaSalle Investment Management KVG mbH on the acquisition of the office building “Economic Quarter” in Hamburg's City Süd for its pan-European fund Encore+. The Economic Quarter has 28,000 m² of rental space on ten floors. The total property currently has a WALT of 8 years with an annual rent of EUR 5 million. Seller is the asset manager Blackrock.
  • Advised Credit Suisse Asset Management Immobilien KAG on the disposal of the shopping center “Rathaus Galerie” in downtown Essen to a joint venture between Henderson Park and HBB Hanseatische Betreuungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH. The established shopping center comprises approx. 31,000 sqm of rental space with the anchor tenants Real, Decathlon, dm etc. Comprehensive modernisation and restructuring is to take place.
  • Advised Commerz Real AG on the acquisition of the project development “Terra”. “Terra” is one of the four high-rise towers in the “Four Frankfurt” quarter on land formerly occupied by Deutsche Bank. The seller is the project developer Groß & Partner. The transaction has been structured by way of forward purchase.
  • Advised Generali Real Estate S.p.A. and Italian insurer Poste Vita on the acquisition of the project development office building “The Westlight” in Berlin’s City West. The seller of the 15-story structure on the corner of Budapester Straße 35 and Kurfürstenstraße is Barings Real Estate, who will be building about 19,500 sqm office and retail space at that location by the middle of 2020.
  • Advised Principal Real Estate Europe, acting as asset and transaction manager of the SCPI NOVAPIERRE ALLEMAGNE Fund managed by PAREF Gestion, on the acquisition of a commercial park in Herborn, Hesse in Germany. The vendor is AEW and the investment vehicle of Kintyre, which delivered the asset and property management services.
  • Advised Gazit Germany on the disposal of shopping centre "Coens-Galerie" in Grevenbroich. The center comprises around 12,000 sqm of rental space. The anchor tenants are Netto (Edeka), DM-Drogeriemarkt as well as C&A Mode, Medimax und CCC Schuhe. The total property currently has a WALT of 4.5 years with an annual rent of € 1.1 million.
  • Advised Schroder Real Estate on the disposal of office building Europa Arkaden I, Bratustraße 9/Europaplatz 2-3, in Darmstadt to Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest). The multi-tenant property offers rental space of around 8,000 sqm and 93 underground parking spaces. The main tenant is Arkadis with around 4,000 sqm. The consulting, project management and engineering company extended its lease contract by five years at the end of 2017. The total occupancy rate is 91%. Warburg-HIH intends to contribute the acquisition to Immobilien-Spezial-AIF Deutschland Selektiv Immobilien Invest.
  • Advised Ares on the sale of a building complex with 26,600 sqm office and laboratory space and 407 parking spaces in Neubiberg near Munich to SCPI Eurovalys. The property consisting of eight building sections was erected in 2002 and renovated between 2011 and 2015. The purchase price is EUR 59 million.
  • Advised Concarus Real Estate Invest, a company of the May & Porth Group, on the acquisition of the "BahnhofsCenter" in Gelsenkirchen from the Cerberus Group. The property located right near the main station has about 13,000 sqm retail and service space and about 310 parking spaces in a parking garage.
  • Advised the open real estate fund BERENBERG Real Estate Berlin, which was set-up by Berenberg Bank as real estate manager and Universal-Investment, on the acquisition of the shopping and district center "Neumann Forum" in Berlin-Pankow from the Hamburg real estate company RI Partners. The "Neumann Forum" has a lettable area of around 26,500 sqm with more than 270 parking. Tenants of the almost fully let property are large retail chains, a privately-owned school, a kindergarden as well as a retirement home.
  • Advised Concarus on the acquisition of the "Circoleum" office ensemble from the Munich Real I. S. Group. The Circoleum, which was built in 1994 has about 21,100 sqm of usable space and 449 parking spaces, is mainly leased from the Fresenius Group. It was sold from the closed-end real estate fund Bayernfonds "Circoleum", which was placed in 2002.
  • Advised Art-Invest Real Estate Funds on sale of the office building "Am Mozartplatz" in Frankfurt to Park Lane Investors Group for further project development.
  • Advised LaSalle Investment on the acquisition of a 16,000 sqm commercial building "Am Friedensplatz" in Bonn by way of sale-and-leaseback for a club of investors from Sparkasse Koeln/Bonn. The property serves as local headquarter of Sparkasse Koeln/Bonn.
  • Advised INTOWN Property Group in relation to a 43,000 sqm lease agreement entered into with Deutsche Bundesbank with respect to all floors of the Frankfurt located landmark building Frankfurt Büro Center (FBC). This mandate was one of the largest lease agreements in the Frankfurt banking district.
  • Advised the open real estate fund BERENBERG Real Estate Hamburg, which was set-up by Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG (Real Estate Office) as real estate manager and Universal-Investment, on the acquisition of the office and retail complex "Neues Steintor" from a pension fund located in Northern Germany. The entire ensemble "Neues Steintor" characterizes Hamburg’s skyline with its two office towers and has a lettable area of around 34,000 sqm with more than 600 parking spaces in an integrated parking garage.
  • Advised Credit Suisse Asset Management Immobilien KAG on sale of the shopping centers "Rathaus-Galerie", Leverkusen (approx. 37,000 sqm), "Mercado-Center", Nuremberg (approx. 43,500 sqm) and "Le Befane", Rimini as the so-called "Melody Portfolio" to Union Investment. The transaction is considered one of the largest shopping center transactions in Germany in 2016/2017.
  • Advised GAZIT Globe plc. on sale of the shopping center "Casinopark Wentorf" (approx. 12,500 sqm) located in the area of Hamburg to a local development company.
  • Advised Credit Suisse Asset Management Immobilien KAG on sale of the shopping center “SMC” located in Frankfurt/Oder with a total sales area of approx. 25,000 sqm to a Luxembourg based private equity investor. Advised a private bank in connection with the acquisition of the office tower “Tri Tower“ with more than 10,000 m² in Hamburg.
  • Advised a family office on the acquisition of 15 highstreet properties (“Sepia portfolio”) in West Germany, among others in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Göttingen and Landshut.
  • Advised a joint venture regarding the acquisition of the „Lucida“ portfolio consisting of 28 retail shopping centers in various German cities from Hatfield Philips International.
  • Advised a real estate company on the acquisition of an industrial park portfolio with six properties in the metropolitan regions Hamburg, Berlin and Rhine-Main with a total lettable area of around 67,300 m² from GE Capital and an investor group represented by Coresis.
  • Advised a joint venture on the sale of a portfolio of 23 retail and shopping centers with a total lettable area of around 273,000 m² to Rockspring Investment Managers.
  • Advised an international bank on the structured use of around 70 properties used by the insolvent Praktiker AG Group (“Max Bahr portfolio“) to various investors by way of individual and portfolio transactions.
  • Advised a real estate company on the acquisition of the center “Neustadt Centrum” in Halle an der Saale by way of an asset deal. The shopping center has a lettable area of more than 30,700 m² with more than 60 different stores and practices.
  • Advised a global multi-asset investment manager on the sale of various properties (among others office and logistics) in the context of asset deals.
  • Advised a fund manager in connection with the acquisition of an office property Trakehner Straße 5 and 7-9 in Frankfurt.
  • Advised a private equity investor on the sale of an office property in Berlin as well as a business property in Hamburg.
  • Advised a global multi-asset investment manager on the sale of a property in Frankfurt “Bockenheimer Landstraße 101“.
  • Advised a project developer and investor on the acquisition of an office center in Hamburg, Südstraße 72-79 by way of an asset deal.
  • Advice of a project developer and investor on the EUR 47 million acquisition of the real estate complex “Thiemann Quartier“ in Berlin. The Thiemann Quartier on Thiemannstr. 1-11 in Berlin-Neukölln has a total area of around 53,000 m² and comprises 15 buildings with commercial space for production studios, offices as well as space for retail, storage and leisure.
  • Advised a private bank on negotiations regarding a leasing contract for an area of around 9,000 m² “Spiegel Hochhaus”.
  • Advised a project developer and investor on negotiations of a rental agreement with a hardware store retailer and the subsequent sale of the property by way of an asset deal.
  • Advised a joint venture on the sale of the shopping center “Sky Plaza Lübeck” to Invesco Real Estate.
  • Advised a private bank on the acquisition of a project development in Hamburg (“Opera Offices Neo”) from DIC AG.
  • Advised an asset manager on the sale of mixed-use properties “BL 72” in Frankfurt for the German open real estate fund “CS Eureal”.
  • Advised a real estate company regarding the sale of a portfolio consisting of a shopping center in “Tondo” (Hamburg) and two retail parks in Berlin.
  • Advised a bank on the restructuring and refinancing of a EUR 26 million financing for the acquisition of logistics and production sites with the subsequent transfer of the credit risk to investors by way of secured bonded loans.
  • Advised a bank regarding the restructuring and refinancing of a loan (around EUR 300 million), with GSG Asset GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs KG as debtor.
  • Advised a bank on the sale of an office building “Opernpalais“ in Frankfurt.

Formation

Real Estate Investment Advisor (EBS), European Business School (EBS)

Doctor's Degree (PhD in Law), (“Tax Information Requirements for Financial Services of Investment Advice and Investment Brokerage”), University of Halle-Wittenberg

Master of business and tax law (LLM), University of Bochum

Second State Law Examination (bar exam), Berlin

Legal Clerkship (Referendariat), Berlin, New York

First State Law Examination, Berlin

Law Studies at the Universities of Bonn, Strasbourg and Berlin

Inscription au Barreau

Barreau

  • Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Affiliations

  • IMMOEBS e.V.
  • "Recommended lawyer" in the area of Real Estate – Legal 500 Germany 2023
  • "Perfect negotiator, deal maker" – Legal 500 Germany 2023
  • "Outstanding perception, very good negotiating skills" Germany – Legal 500 Germany 2023
  • "Excellent professional advice. Support even in challenging negotiation situations" – JUVE Handbook 2022/2023
  • "often recommended" for Real Estate law – JUVE Handbook 2022/2023
  • "He's available, knows what he is doing and is always good." (client) – Chambers Europe 2022
  • "Ranked Lawyer" and "Notable practitioner" for Real Estate in Germany – Chambers Europe 2022
  • "Ranked Lawyer" and Notable practitioner" for Real Estate in Germany – Chambers Europe 2021
  • "a good lawyer with a strong client base" (source) – Chambers Europe 2021
  • Commending his "ability to show appropriate toughness and empathy in negotiations" (source) – Chambers Europe 2021
  • "is one of the best lawyers in real estate law" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2021/2022
  • "good and experienced" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2021/2022
  • "often recommended" for Real Estate – JUVE Handbook 2021/2022
  • Recognized by The Best LawyersTM in Germany 2022 for Real Estate Law
  • "reliable partner" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2020/2021
  • "represents the interests of its clients, remains fair" (competitor) – JUVE Handbook 2020/2021
  • "good transaction lawyer, with a well-rehearsed team" (competitor) – JUVE Handbook 2020/2021
  • "often recommended" for Real Estate – JUVE Handbook 2020/2021
  • "Dr. Fabian Hartwich is always available, extremely solution-oriented and able to moderate a transaction process excellently." (client) – Legal 500 EMEA, Germany 2021
  • "Fabian Hartwich – extremely keen to understand, strong in communication and negotiation, fully committed at all times." (client) – Legal 500 EMEA, Germany 2021
  • "Dr. Fabian Hartwich, extremely quick and sharp minded. Is able to act in a target-oriented way without any ego. Has usually already understood the problem before others have even recognised it." (client) – Legal 500 EMEA, Germany 2021
  • "Dr Hartwich and his team always look to provide real advice, as opposed to simply documenting a deal", "leading from the front" and [fostering a] "real, strong culture of teamwork." (client) - Chambers Europe 2020
  • “The Mayer Brown Real Estate Team is generally characterized by very high competence and efficiency. The creativity in finding solutions for complex issues in negotiations and structuring has contributed significantly to our success. When dealing with negotiating partners, correct and solution-oriented action is another noteworthy characteristic of the firm.” (client) – Legal 500 Germany 2020
  • “Fabian Hartwich is a very competent partner who always finds solutions and negotiates them with the other side to achieve the best possible result for his client, while always remaining correct, determined and solution-oriented. In addition, his willingness to go the extra mile for his client is an essential aspect that we appreciate in him.” (client) – Legal 500 Germany 2020
  • “Fabian Hartwich distinguishes himself through his care, attention and enormous market knowledge.” (client) – Legal 500 Germany 2020
  • A client enthuses: "In addition to his pragmatism, he is solution-oriented and made constructive suggestions for both sides." – Chambers Europe 2019
  • "Solution-oriented and pragmatic" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2019/2020
  • "Very good negotiator and representative of interests" (competitor) – JUVE Handbook 2019/2020
  • "often recommended lawyer" in the area of Real Estate – JUVE Handbook 2019/2020
  • "often recommended lawyer" in the area of Real Estate – JUVE Handbuch 2018/2019
  • "very competent", "does a lot to increase the visibility of the practice", "good negotiator" (competitor) – JUVE Handbook 2018/2019
  • Sources praise his transactional expertise, saying: "He knows what to look at and isn't just a pure number cruncher. He knows what counts and how to negotiate with the opposite party." – Chambers Europe 2018
  • Fabian Hartwich has a "broad knowledge of the real estate market" and in particular vast experience on "large transactions in the retail sector". – Legal 500 Germany 2018
  • "Recommended lawyer" in the area of Real Estate – Legal 500 Germany 2018
  • With the addition of Fabian Hartwich at the beginning of 2017 Mayer Brown's Frankfurt practice was strengthened regarding "business sense and industry knowledge" and also broadened its "strong international platform". – Legal 500 Germany 2018
  • "trustful cooperation" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2017/2018
  • "excellent negotiating partner" (competitor) – JUVE Handbook 2017/2018
  • "renowned real estate lawyer" – JUVE Handbook 2017/2018
  • "extremely experienced, quick perception, constructive" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2016/2017
  • "recognizes the economic interests of the client and represents them pronouncedly in negotiations" (client) – JUVE Handbook 2016/2017
  • "strong negotiator with a focus on client interests" (competitor) – JUVE Handbook 2016/2017
  • "Frequently recommended lawyer" in the area of Real Estate – JUVE Handbook 2016/2017