Partner

Dr. Andreas Otto

Rechtsanwalt, Notary Public | Co-Head of the Real Estate Group

Languages

German
English
Spanish

Social media

Andreas Otto’s practice covers all aspects of commercial real estate law. With special hotel and leisure as well as retail sector expertise, he advises German and international property owners, investors and project developers on transactions and project developments. Andreas is particularly experienced acting for Spanish investors and Spanish companies operating in Germany whom he advises on their business activities together with a fully bilingual team. In this context, he also coordinates the German-Spanish group within the CMS organisation. In addition, Andreas has a strong, internationally focused notary practice, providing notarial services for real estate and corporate transactions.

Major industry publications regularly recommend him for his profound sector expertise and efficient advisory work.

Andreas joined CMS in 1995 and was made partner in 2000. In 2007, he qualified as a notary and has been a board member of the Berlin Chamber of Notaries since 2017.

Awards & Recognitions

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Listed for Conflict Resolution

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed for Real Estate

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2025 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Immobilien- und Baurecht

JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
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Listed for Real Estate

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Immobilien- und Baurecht

JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
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Listed for Travel Law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed for Dispute Resolution

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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Listed for Real Estate

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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"Recommended" for Real Estate and Construction

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2021 (GCLF)
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"At CMS Hasche Sigle, Andreas Otto draws praise for his work in commercial real estate matters. He focuses his standout practice on transactional and development matters relating to hotel, retail and leisure projects."

Who's Who Legal 2019
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"highly experienced", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018 (GCLF)
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"levelheaded and pragmatic", client

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018 (GCLF)
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"competent and collegial", competitor

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018 (GCLF)
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"Recommended"

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2018 (GCLF)
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„Das Berliner Team um Andreas Otto und Matthias Kuß, dessen Stärke eine ‘gute professionelle Beratungsqualität bei komplexen und anspruchsvollen Deals’ darstellt, unterstützte die AOK als Verkäuferin und Rückmieterin von 42 Immobilien im Nordosten Deutschlands.“

The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2018
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"Andreas Otto often advises Spanish investors on transactions involving Germany. He also assists Spanish clients with joint ventures and mergers with German companies and has a number of clients from the hotel sector."

Chambers Global, 2017
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"Andreas Otto co-ordinates cross-border transactions between Spain and Germany from the Berlin office. Areas of focus include real estate, projects and general corporate matters."

Chambers Global, 2017
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„Dienstleister durch u. durch“

JUVE Handbuch, 2015/2016
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Listed for real estate law

Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2016 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
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"The ‘proactive and efficient’ Andreas Otto heads CMS’ 58-strong team, which has ‘established itself as one of the top providers of real estate advice in Germany’"

The Legal 500 EMEA, 2015
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"Andreas Otto heads the real estate and public law practice group. Clients say: ‘He is always available when we need him. He understands the specific requirements […] very well and has extensive experience in solving problems.’"

Chambers Europe, 2015
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"His Spanish language abilities and knowledge of the market in Spain make him a popular contact for Spanish clients, and sources describe him as ‘strategically minded, with a good overview of the mandate.’"

Chambers Europe, 2014
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"Recommended" for Real Estate

JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)
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„sehr hilfreich u. tiefes Verständnis für die Materie“, Mandant

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
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„Oft empfohlen“ für Immobilien- und Baurecht

JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023

Relevant experience

Valor Real Estate Partners LLP: Acquisition of logistics complex at Neuss harbour
Santander Private Real Estate Advisory & Management: Sale of a portfolio of four commercial properties to various buyers
US-entertainment group Advance Publications: Advice on acquisition of musical group Stage Entertainment from CVC Capital Partners and Joop van den Ende
CDL Hospitality Trust (REIT based in Singapore) / Acquisition of the four-star Pullman Hotel in Munich
Invesco Real Estate / Acquisition of the Adina Apartment Hotel in Nuremberg from FREO Group
AOK Nordost / Advice on the sale and partial lease-back of a real-estate portfolio of 42 properties in Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The sale was carried out in a structured bidding process
Luxembourg-based investment corporation / Advice on the acquisition of a residential portfolio from Nicolas Berggruen Holding
Advising Azora Group on the acquisition of hotels in Berlin and Cologne as well as on the hotels‘ day-to-day operation (management contracts); most recently negotiating and concluding a management contract with Steigenberger Hotels including refurbishment contracts
Advising Thai group Fico Corporation on the acquisition of a hotel portfolio (sale-leaseback transaction) from Grand City who also operate the hotels
Advising Hoteles Turísticos Unidos (Hotusa) on their expansion in Germany, particularly on the development and sale and leaseback of Hotel Eurostars in Berlin
Advising Louvre Hotels Group on a transaction related to a portfolio of ten Balladins hotels in Germany
Long-standing (approx. 20 years) client relation with Meliá Hotels International: Advising on the group’s expansion in Germany, including the acquisition of the INNSIDE hotel chain with twelve 4- and 5-star hotels, as well as advising on all new hotel projects in Germany
Advising NH Hotels on restructuring and expansion in Germany
Advising RIU Hotels on the opening of the RIU Plaza Berlin, the Spanish hotel chain’s first German property
Advising the Spanish property company Metrovacesa in the tender process for the acquisition of a real estate portfolio owned by Daimler AG at Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz (incl. Hyatt hotel); advising the client throughout the entire process until the final decision was made by the seller, including due diligence and negotiation of purchase contract
Advising a group of Spanish investors supported by Tenigla Real Estate on the acquisition of a commercial building near Duesseldorf Airport
Advising Santander Real Estate on the acquisition and sale of two former Hertie properties in Berlin-Schoeneberg and Berlin-Tegel
Advising Santander Real Estate on the acquisition, asset management and sale of the former Niketown
Advising Santander Real Estate on the acquisition and later sale of a commercial property in central Berlin with tenants including H&M and the Goethe Institute
Advising Santander and Pontegadea on the asset management of “The Q”, a Berlin shopping centre, and on its sale to Tishman Speyer; largest individual property transaction in Berlin in 2015
Advising Ludwig Beck on the acquisition of Wormland, a German men’s clothing retailer
Advising Spanish fashion label Desigual on its expansion in Germany
Advising AOK Nordost on the sale of the "Haus der Gesundheit" property on Berlin’s Karl-Marx-Allee near Alexanderplatz
Advising Spanish bank ABANCA on the refinancing of a hotel in Berlin
Advising Infinorsa, a Spanish investor, on the acquisition of two commercial properties in Berlin-Mitte
Advising Infinorsa on the sale of the head office of Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.V.

Publications

"Holiday Properties in Spain - Particularities of Purchase, Sale, Inheritance and Donations in Consideration of Tax Aspects", NWB Erben und Vermögen 2018, page 248
Standardvertragsmuster zum Gesellschaftsrecht Deutsch-Spanisch, Verlag C.H. Beck 2. Auflage 2016
Handbuch Bauzeit, Werner Verlag, 3. Auflage 2016, Co-Author
Besprechung Beck'scher VOB-Kommentar, Vergabe- und Vertragsordnung für Bauleistungen Teil B, 3. Auflage 2013, NZBau 2013, p. 688
Handbuch Bauzeit, Werner Verlag, 2. Auflage 2013, Co-Author
Vertragsbuch Privates Baurecht (Co-Editor and Co-Author), Verlag C.H.Beck, 2. Auflage 2011
Handbuch Bauzeit, Werner Verlag 2010, Co-Author
Überblick über das neue Forderungssicherungsgesetz, Zeitschrift für Immobilienrecht ZfIR 1/2009, p. 1 ff
Forderungssicherungsgesetz: Sind die Fenster drin, muss der Bauherr bezahlen, Immobilien-Zeitung, Heft 27/2008
Standardvertragsmuster zum Gesellschaftsrecht Deutsch-Spanisch, Verlag C.H. Beck 2007
"Bürgschaft auf erstes Anfordern nicht in AGB" , Immobilien Zeitung 2005
Vertragsbuch Privates Baurecht (Co-Editor and Co-Author), Verlag C.H. Beck 2005
Sociedad Anónima y Sociedad Limitada: Bienvenidos a Alemania, Práctica Comercial, Beilage zur Jubiläumsfestschrift der Amtlichen Spanischen Handelskammer für Deutschland 2004
Anmerkung zu den Entscheidungen des Bundesgerichtshofs vom 22.01.2003 (VII ZR 183/02, VII ZR 267/02, VII ZR 68/03),Sicherheit nach § 648 a BGB nach Abnahme und Kündigung und Leistungsverweigerungsrecht wegen Mängeln, BauR 2004, p. 838 ff
Kostenrisiken des Streithelfers im Bauprozess bei Vergleich durch die Hauptparteien, BauR 2004, p. 1528 ff
Sicherheit auch in der Gewährleistungsphase, Immobilien-Zeitung 2004
El Código alemán de Gobierno Corporativo, INF Zeitschrift für den deutsch-spanischen Rechtsverkehr 2002, p. 77 f
Zur Frage der Verjährung von Abschlagsforderungen des Architekten und des Werkunternehmers, BauR 2000, p. 350
Ley sobre la aceleración de pagos vencidos en comperación con la legislación espanola, Informaciones - Zeitschrift der Deutsch-Spanischen Juristenvereinigung 2000
Zur Ablösung des Bareinbehalts durch Gewährleistungsbürgschaft beim VOB-Vertrag, BauR 1999, p. 322
Derecho de insolvencia - la "reforma del siglo" en Alemania, Economía Hispano-Alemana 1995
Neues Mietgesetz in Spanien, Deutsch-Spanische Wirtschaft 1995
Das Ehegüterrecht nach dem Einigungsvertrag, Gieseking-Verlag 1994, doctoral dissertation

Memberships & Roles

Berlin Chamber of Notaries
ImmoEbs
ULI
German Chamber of Commerce for Spain
Spanish Chamber of Commerce for Germany
German-Spanish Lawyers‘ Association

Lectures list

Numerous talks and seminars on real estate law, amongst others, at IRE|BS Immobilienakademie, Humboldt University Berlin as well in the context of conferences and events of renowned seminar organisers

Education

1995: Second state examination in law
1994: Half-year stint with German Chamber of Commerce in Madrid
1991 - 1995: Research assistant at Bonn University’s Institute for Civil and Civil Procedure Law
1993: PhD; thesis on a topic related to the German Unification Treaty
1991: First state examination in law
Law studies in Bonn

Practice Areas

Real Estate & Public Real Estate

sectors

Hospitality, Travel & Leisure

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