Petr Pánek

Partner, Prague

Biography

“He has the best negotiation skills and is the best at strategic decision-making.”
Chambers Europe, 2021

Overview

Petr Pánek is a Czech and U.S. law-qualified deal leader heading the CEE real estate and Czech M&A teams at White & Case. As of January 2022, Petr is also the SEE Country Practice Head.

In his practice, Petr concentrates on real estate transactions, financial restructurings, fund formation, M&A, dispute resolution and regulatory matters regarding collective investments (including investment funds) and privatization projects. He has worked with clients and/or targets active in real estate, banking and finance, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, insurance, public water management, logistics and transportation, etc. 

Recognized as a leading lawyer in the area of real estate, he acts for a wide range of sponsors, developers, banks and other clients on real estate matters across all market segments, with a particular focus on large ticket deals, portfolio and cross-border transactions. Over the years, Petr has advised on some of the most significant deals in CEE.

Bars and Courts
Czech Bar Association
New York State Bar
Education
LLM
Columbia University School of Law
New York, USA
Georgetown University Law Center
Washington, DC, USA
Mgr
(J.D. equivalent)
Charles University, Faculty of Law
Prague, Czech Republic
Languages
Czech
English

Experience

P3 Logistic Parks
Petr led the team that represented P3 Logistic Parks (P3) and leading global investment company TPG Real Estate (the previous owner of the P3 developer alongside Ivanhoé Cambridge) on the sale of P3 to GIC, a sovereign wealth fund established by the government of Singapore. With a transaction value of €2.4 billion this represents the largest deal on the European real estate market in 2016 and the largest real estate deal ever in the Czech Republic.

One of the largest real estate financings in the CEE region
Erste Group Bank AG, Česká spořitelna, a.s., UniCredit S.p.A., UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, a.s., Société Générale S.A. and Komerční banka, a.s. as mandated lead arrangers in connection with syndicated financing provided to CTP Group, one of the largest industrial developers in the CEE region, 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 is one of the largest real estate financings in the CEE region.

TPG Real Estate and Contera strategic partnership
Advising TPG Real Estate, TPG’s real-estate platform, 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 joint venture for future real estate developments.

MIRA – disposal of CEE logistics portfolio 
Representing Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets Limited (MIRA) in connection with the disposal of the Vector Parks logistics portfolio in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The portfolio has been acquired by TPG Real Estate. The portfolio comprises four logistic centers covering an area of more than 132 thousand square meters.

LaSalle Investment Management
Petr leads the team that is advising LaSalle Investment Management, the leading France-based real estate investment manager investing in value-add real estate across Europe, in its real estate acquisitions in Central Europe, including the €57.8 million acquisition of Palac Andel, mixed-use property in Prague, the acquisitions of River Garden I and II/III, prime office buildings in Karlin, one of Prague’s main office districts; or the acquisition of a complex of buildings located on Prague’s prime shopping street, Na Prikope, from a private owner for approximately € 80 million.

Generali Real Estate
Advising Generali Real Estate on its real estate acquisition program in the Czech Republic, including the acquisition of: a historic building at Jungmannovo namesti in Prague; Palác Křižík, a complex of office buildings located in Prague 5 - Smichov; an office building in Prague 1 owned by UniCredit Bank; a mixed use real estate project located in Prague 1; the Euro and Astra Palaces, office and retail buildings on Wenceslas Square in Prague; and Palac Spork, a prestigious mixed-use asset located in the centre of Prague.

The first direct real estate investment in the Czech republic by a south korea-based investor
Shinhan Investment Corporation, the global-leading South Korea-based investment manager, advised by Mint Investments, one of the leading real estate investors in Czech Republic and Slovakia, on the acquisition of Florenc Office Center, a Class A office building in Prague, and the headquarters of KPMG in the Czech Republic. The transaction was the first direct real estate investment in the Czech Republic by a South Korea-based investor.

Awards and Recognition

Ranked as Band 1 for Real Estate in the CEE region and Czech Republic, Chambers Europe, 2021
Ranked as a Market leader in M&A and Investment Funds in the Czech Republic, IFLR1000, 2021
Ranked as a Leading individual in Real Estate and Construction, Legal 500, 2021

"He can find and see through things, having direct access to the solution."
Chambers Europe, Czech Republic, Real Estate, 2020

"He is the managing partner for the region so he is experienced and carries a lot of weight, but he is still very actively involved in transactional work and negotiations. You get the experience and the gravitas and he is very commercial."
Chambers Europe, CEE, Real Estate, 2020

"He is the lead wolf of the pack and is respected, which he has earned."
Chambers Global, CEE, Real Estate, 2019