Partner

Dr. Philipp Schaefer, Mag. iur.

Real Estate

"Recommended lawyer" in Real Estate

Legal 500 Deutschland

Overview

Drawing from more than 12 years of experience, Dr. Philipp Schaefer offers clients a broad understanding of the real estate market. He advises, inter alia, domestic and foreign institutional investors and banks on all aspects of real estate law, including, asset deal and share deal transactions. Philipp focuses on the data center and healthcare sector as well as on industrial sites.

Experience

BEOS AG, a company owned by real estate investor Swiss Life Asset Managers, on the disposal of two building plots of the "Frankfurt Westside" neighborhood development with a total area of approx. 63,000 sqm. Purchaser of the partial heritable building right for the two areas is global data center operator CyrusOne.
AIF Capital Group on the acquisition of three care facilities in Lübeck, Sulzbach and Wetzlar for the open-ended healthcare fund AIF Fürsorge I. The three facilities have a total capacity of 353 care places. All properties are leased to established operating companies on a long-term basis. The seller is a joint venture of AG Real Estate of Brussels (Belgium) and Cardif Lux Vie in Luxembourg.
AIF Capital Group on the acquisition of a residential ensemble in Saarbrücken for its open-ended healthcare fund "AIF Fürsorge I". The residential ensemble is currently being developed by IFA Gesellschaft für Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG and will comprise three residential buildings with a total of 84 apartments in the "assisted living" sector.
IntReal International Real Estate KVG on the sale of the so-called "Europort", a commercial and logistics park located in Kelsterbach.

Triton on the acquisition of Kälte Eckert.
BEOS AG, a company owned by real estate investor Swiss Life Asset Managers, on the acquisition of the hereditary building rights for 153,000 square meters of space in the Frankfurt-Griesheim industrial park from SGL Carbon.
Dow on its investment in the LNG Terminal company Hanseatic Energy Hub.
AIF Capital Group on the acquisition of a residential complex for assisted living in Braunschweig, Germany for the open-ended health care fund AIF Fürsorge I. The seller of the property is Primonial REIM S.C.A. SICAV-FIS, a Luxembourg special fund managed by Primonial REIM Group. The residential complex consists of three connected building sections, and provides for 215 nursing care places. The long-term lease agreement with Pflege- und Therapiezentrum Wendhausen GmbH runs until at least 2045.
DIC on the acquisition of three office properties from TPG Real Estate's “Technology Park portfolio" in Cologne.
LaSalle Investment Management KVG mbH on the acquisition of the office building “KONTOR” for its open-ended pan-European fund E-REGI. Kontor is part of the development project "Im Wirtschaftswunder" on the former Commerzbank site in Berlin-Schöneberg. It comprises approx. 10,000 sqm of rental space, let long-term to the agricultural seed producer KWS. Seller is the real estate fund PW Real Estate Fund III, which is affiliated with Aermont Capital.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Generali Real Estate S.p.A. on the acquisition of the land mark building “Marienforum,” located in the heart of the banking district of Frankfurt am Main. Marienforum has been developed by a joint venture between Perella Weinberg Real Estate Funds and Pecan Development. The property comprises eleven floors and will serve as new headquarter for ABN AMRO bank in Frankfurt.
Ares Management L.P. 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.
Generali Real Estate S.p.A. on the disposal of the multi-tenant office building in Frankfurt Ostend. The property, located at Hanauer-Landstraße 151-153/Ferdinand-Happ-Straße 32, comprises around 8,400 sqm of lettable space and is currently let 85%.
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.
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.
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.
Art-Invest Real Estate Funds on sale of the office building "Am Mozartplatz" in Frankfurt to Park Lane Investors Group for further project development.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Family office on the acquisition of 15 highstreet properties (“Sepia portfolio”) in West Germany, among others, in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Göttingen and Landshut.
Joint venture regarding the acquisition of the “Lucida“ portfolio, consisting of 28 retail shopping centers in various German cities from Hatfield Philips International.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Global multi-asset investment manager on the sale of various properties (among others office and logistics) in the context of asset deals.
Fund manager in connection with the acquisition of an office property Trakehner Straße 5 and 7-9 in Frankfurt.
Private equity investor on the sale of an office property in Berlin as well as a business property in Hamburg.
Global multi-asset investment manager on the sale of a property in Frankfurt “Bockenheimer Landstraße 101.“
Project developer and investor on the acquisition of an office center in Hamburg, Südstraße 72-79 by way of an asset deal.
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 consists of 15 buildings with commercial space for production studios, offices as well as space for retail, storage, and leisure.
Private bank on negotiations regarding a leasing contract for an area of around 9,000 m², “Spiegel Hochhaus.”
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.
Joint venture on the sale of the shopping center “Sky Plaza Lübeck” to Invesco Real Estate.
Private bank on the acquisition of a project development in Hamburg (“Opera Offices Neo”) from DIC AG.
Asset manager on the sale of mixed-use properties “BL 72” in Frankfurt for the German open real estate fund “CS Eureal”.
Real estate company regarding the sale of a portfolio consisting of a shopping center in “Tondo” (Hamburg) and two retail parks in Berlin.
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.
Bank regarding the restructuring and refinancing of a loan (around EUR 300 million), with GSG Asset GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs KG as debtor.
Bank on the sale of an office building “Opernpalais“ in Frankfurt.

Related Services & Industries

Services

Real Estate

Publications & Presentations

Recognition

"Recommended lawyer" in Real Estate by Legal 500 Deutschland.
“With the addition of Philip Schaefer 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 Deutschland

Education

Second State Law Examination (bar exam)
Mainz
Legal Clerkship (Referendariat)
Mainz
First State Law Examination
Mainz
University of Mainz

Admissions

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Languages

German
English

Dr. Philipp Schaefer, Mag. iur.

Overview

Experience

Related Services & Industries

Services

Publications & Presentations

Publications

Sustainable data centers—The German Energy Efficiency Act: What data center operators need to consider now and in the future

Fritz (Hrsg.) – COVInsAG - Kommentar

News

Mayer Brown Advises Art-Invest Real Estate On The Acquisition Of A Residential Real Estate Portfolio

Twenty Six Brown Lawyers recognized by Best Lawyers in Germany 2025 edition and Eight Lawyers recognized as Ones to Watch in Germany 2025 edition

Recognition

Education

Admissions

Languages