Berlin-based Clifford Chance real estate partner Eckart Putzier is leaving the firm to set up his own practice as the firm re-structures its German practice.
Putzier is the second real estate partner to leave the firm in recent months and follows the departure of colleague Ulrich Reblin who also left the Berlin office to start a sole practice.
When Reblin left the firm in March the CC’s global head of property, Wolfgang Usinger, said the firm was pushing the real estate group to focus on high margin cross border international.
It is not known which other real estate partners are expected to leave the German practice but the firm hinted there will be more moves to follow.
The Berlin real estate market has been particularly hit in recent months following a spate of bad investments on the edge of Berlin leading to a number of empty office blocks.
It is understood that Putzier will not be taking any associates with him.
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