DLA Piper has appointed Antoine Mercier, former partner at Dentons, as Head of the Real Estate group in Paris as of September 2013. His arrival, alongside Marie Poulhies (counsel), Myriam Mejdoubi, Julien Chabanat, Charlotte Louis-Sylvestre and François-Xavier Piollat ​​(associates), will significantly strengthen the practice led so far by Lionel Rosenfeld.

Antoine specialises in domestic and pan-European real estate acquisition and financing and is widely recognised for his expertise in the hospitality and tourism industries. Prior to co-heading an international team at Dentons since 2006 , Antoine spent 7 years at Linklaters in Paris, London and Prague where he developed a specific expertise in acquisition and sale transactions of commercial real estate portfolios.

Admitted to the Paris Bar in 1998, Antoine Mercier holds a postgraduate degree in Real Estate Law from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (1998) and a postgraduate degree in General Private Law from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas (1997). Antoine's experience also focuses on urbanism, construction, development, commercialisation, environment law and renewable energies.

Regularly praised for his expertise in complex transactions and his pragmatic approach to issues, Antoine Mercier's clients consist of leading international investors, including clients who are already advised by DLA Piper internationally.

Michel Frieh, co-managing partner of DLA Piper in Paris, commented: "Antoine Mercier and his team bring a market leading capability in transactions and financing and in terms of real estate asset management. These hires have greatly bolstered the Real Estate department of DLA Piper in Paris and reflect the firm's commitment to the sector."