Leading real estate lawyer joins Herbert Smith Freehills in Germany

This is the latest in a number of recent hires that includes Anne Petijean, Thierry Tomasi and Antoine Juaristi in Paris, and Jonathan Ripley-Evans in Johannesburg

International law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has announced the appointment of market leading real estate lawyer and transaction specialist Sven Wortberg to join as partner, based in Frankfurt. 

Sven will join from King&Spalding, where he is a partner in the Real Estate practice. Sven is bilingual in German and English.

He advises clients on international and German real estate transactions and related matters, including financing, structuring and regulatory issues. His clients include investment companies, open-ended and closed-ended real estate investment funds, and institutional investors. His strong real estate funds experience will reinforce the existing team's capital market orientation.

A well-known practitioner, Sven is recommended in German leading directory Juve-Handbuch, Legal 500 Deutschland and ranked as "Up and Coming" by Chambers Europe for Real Estate in Germany.

Sven will work closely with Hans Thomas Kessler, the firm's real estate partner in the Frankfurt office.

Don Rowlands, Head of Real Estate, UK, US & EMEA, said: "Sven will be a perfect fit for our successful German practice and a great addition to the well-regarded Real Estate team. He will help us enhance our offering to clients in Germany, a crucial market for us given the size and strength of its economy, and across EMEA – a key region for our firm."

Germany Managing Partner Michael Dietrich added: "The German real estate market is very active both amongst domestic and international participants. Market commentators identify strong ongoing trends across the sector, particularly for investment in high end commercial product. This presents strong business opportunities from both existing clients of the wider practice, and potential new clients."

Commenting on his move to Herbert Smith Freehills, Sven said: "I am thrilled and honoured to become a part of the Herbert Smith Freehills Real Estate team. I am particularly impressed by how close the team is tied to the real estate industry and by the comprehensiveness of its expertise which comprises the entire real estate sector. I believe my clients will in particular benefit from the strong presence of the Herbert Smith Freehills Real Estate team in the core European real estate markets."

Since opening in Frankfurt and Berlin in 2013, we've grown from one partner to 17 and a total of nearly 140 people across three offices. Sven's appointment will bring our German Real Estate practice to two partners and six lawyers.