Eversheds Sutherland strengthens real estate practice Catharina Förster and Peter Junghänel

Junghänel, former managing partner and head of real estate at Ashurst Germany where he worked for 15 years before joining Goodwin in 2015, is well known for his expertise in acquisitions and disposals of real estate assets as well as sale-and-leaseback structures. Förster, who also began her career at Ashurst, has more than 10 years of experience in complex real estate transactions and asset management.

Their hire comes at a time of significant disruption in the German real estate market: falling prices in 2023, increasing fee pressure, and notable partner departures at several international firms, including Goodwin and Clifford Chance.

Despite this challenging climate, Eversheds Sutherland has opted for growth. The firm has recruited at least 11 lawyers in Europe over the past 16 months, including corporate partner Thorsten Volkholz (ex-Latham & Watkins) and M&A partner Matthias Kiesewetter (ex-White & Case).

“Their arrival underscores our commitment to advancing our new global strategy, particularly in the private capital real estate market,” said James Trafford, co-head of Eversheds’ global real estate and planning consenting practice. Gerhard Molt, partner at Eversheds, added: “With Catharina and Peter, we strengthen our capabilities across asset classes, delivering even greater pace and precision to investor mandates from entry to exit.”