Petr is super nice with an incredible ability to see the big picture. He is a top strategic thinker and I have a lot of respect for him.
Biography
Petr Pánek is a partner in the EMEA Private Equity team of our Global Mergers & Acquisitions practice. Being both Czech- and US-qualified, Petr has more than 25 years' experience representing clients in all manner of M&A, private equity and capital markets transactions, in all industries, notably in real estate and infrastructure.
Consistently recognized as a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers and Partners and as a Leading Partner by Legal 500, he regularly advises sponsors, developers, banks, and other major players in M&A, real estate, logistics, finance, and various other industries.
Petr heads Prague M&A and CEE Real Estate teams at White & Case and drives the firm's expansion in South-Eastern Europe (SEE) as Country Practice Head.
He has a notable history of guiding local companies through sector-defining deals, including pioneering IPOs, comprehensive M&A transactions, and significant take-private public M&A deals. He has led and advised on some of the most impactful M&A and real estate transactions in the Czech Republic and CEE.
In 2023 he served as an independent legal advisor to the President of the Czech Republic.
Experience
Among others, Petr has advised clients on the following strategic matters:
Mehiläinen , Finland's largest social and healthcare provider and a CVC Capital Partners portfolio company, on its acquisitions of Regina Maria in Romania and MediGroup in Serbia from private equity firm MidEuropa.
TPG Real Estate on the €470 million sale to funds managed by Blackstone of CT Real Estate, a portfolio of ten logistics parks located in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, one of the largest real estate deals in Europe in 2024.
CTP Group, continental Europe's largest owner, developer and manager of logistics and industrial real estate in terms of gross leasable area, on its initial public offering (IPO) and listing of its shares on Euronext Amsterdam – the largest real estate IPO in Europe since 2014.
Best Hotel Properties on the acquisition of a 50% stake in a portfolio of eight hotel properties in the Czech Republic, managed by CPI Hotels, along with establishing a joint venture with CPI Property Group.
Erste Bank, Česká spořitelna, UniCredit Bank, Société Générale and Komerční banka as mandated lead arrangers in connection with syndicated financing provided to CTP Group for the purposes of refinancing the existing financial indebtedness of certain property companies within CTP Group that operate logistic parks in the Czech Republic. At an amount of EUR 1.9 billion, this was one of the largest real estate financings in the CEE region.
CTP Group on the EUR 450 million sale of a Czech logistics portfolio to Deka Immobilien, the largest German institutional investor.
TPG Group in connection with CZK 2.4 billion (EUR 93.3 million) acquisition of industrial real estate assets from Contera, a Czech industrial real estate developer, and in formation of a joint venture for future real estate developments.
CTP Group on the acquisition of a real estate portfolio from 7R, a Polish industrial developer, with the potential to develop 1.2 million sqm of gross leasable area (GLA) in logistics and industrial real estate.
HB Reavis, Europe's leading innovative workplace provider and international real estate developer, in the sale of its interest in Cambridge Innovation Center, a company providing shared workspaces for entrepreneurs and emerging companies, to third party funds.
ABB, the listed Swiss-based power and automation technology company, in connection with its acquisition of Polovodice, a privately held semiconductor producer, from CKD Group, a Czech-based group composed of engineering and industrial manufacturing companies.
RSJ Private Equity, a Czech private equity fund, in a series of investments into technology companies in the US.
Genesis Capital on the establishment and fund raising of EUR 40 million and EUR 80 million Guernsey Limited Partnership funds, Genesis Private Equity Fund II and Genesis Private Equity Fund III.
Allianz in connection with a joint venture and regulatory issues regarding its pension funds.
PPF Investments on the formation of a real estate investment fund of approx. EUR 1 billion for properties in CEE, with the potential to be listed on an EU-regulated stock exchange and offered to investors in an IPO.
Ranked as Band 1 in Real Estate in the Czech Republic (Chambers Europe, 2025)
Ranked as a Leading Partner for Real Estate and Construction
(The Legal 500, 2025)
Ranked as Band 1 for Real Estate in the CEE region and the Czech Republic
(Chambers Europe, 2024)
Ranked as a Market leader for M&A and Investment Funds in the Czech Republic
(IFLR 1000, 2023)
"Petr is super nice with an incredible ability to see the big picture. He is a top strategic thinker and I have a lot of respect for him."
(Chambers Europe, 2025)
"He is a great strategic mind who can help move deals forward."
(Chambers Europe, 2024)
"He has a good team in Prague and a really good level of strategic thinking. He always tries to move the deal forward while protecting his clients. It's what you want a good lawyer to be."
(Chambers Europe, 2023)
"Petr is very strong in strategic thinking and has strong relationships with clients. He is respected by the whole market and it is a pleasure to work with him on a personal level."
(Chambers Europe, 2023)
"an outstanding lawyer"
(Chambers Europe, 2023)
