- B.A. (Political Science & Economics), University of Florida — 1993
- J.D., University of Miami School of Law — 1996
- LL.M. (International Business Law), Georgetown University Law Center — 1998
- Certificate in Real Estate Finance & Investment, Wharton School, UPenn — 2003
- Advanced Mediation & Arbitration Training, Harvard Negotiation Institute — 2007
- Certificate in European Union Law, College of Europe, Bruges — 2010
- Florida Bar Association — admitted 1997
- New York State Bar Association — admitted 1999
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- Registered Foreign Lawyer — Frankfurt am Main Bar (Rechtsanwaltskammer)
- FINRA Series 65 — Investment Adviser Representative
- International Court of Arbitration (ICC) — Accredited Arbitrator
- American Bar Association (ABA) — International Law & Real Property Sections
- International Bar Association (IBA) — Finance & Capital Markets Committee
- STEP (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners) — Florida Chapter
- Urban Land Institute (ULI) — Capital Markets Council
- Florida International Bankers Association (FIBA) — Legal Advisory Board
- Inter-American Bar Association — Cross-Border Transactions Group
- German-American Chamber of Commerce — Legal & Finance Committee
- Turnaround Management Association (TMA) — Southeast Chapter
- Chambers USA — Real Estate Finance (2014–2025)
- Legal 500 USA — Cross-Border & International Finance (2016–2025)
- Best Lawyers in America — Real Estate Law & Financial Restructuring (2015–2025)
- Super Lawyers Florida — Top 50 Attorneys (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024)
- Who’s Who Legal — Real Estate & Private Wealth (2019–2025)
- South Florida Business Journal — Top Legal Minds in Real Estate Finance (2021)
- IFLR1000 — Financial & Corporate Law, USA (2020–2025)
- United States — Federal & State (FL, NY, DE)
- European Union — Cross-Border Transactions
- Germany — Registered Foreign Lawyer
- Latin America — Inbound & Outbound Investment
- Middle East & GCC — Real Estate & Inheritance
- Caribbean & Offshore Jurisdictions
- English — Native
- Spanish — Fluent
- German — Conversational
- Portuguese — Working Proficiency
Chuck Hughes
Senior Partner
Financial Law • Real Estate Law • Family Law • Cross-Border Transactions • Inheritance & Estate Planning • International Investment Structuring
Chuck Hughes is one of LexBerg’s most internationally connected attorneys — an American-born Senior Partner who has spent nearly three decades building an exceptional practice at the crossroads of financial law, real estate, family law, and international wealth structuring. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Chuck joined LexBerg after establishing a distinguished track record at leading US and transatlantic law firms in Miami, New York, and Frankfurt. His dual fluency in American and European legal frameworks makes him a uniquely powerful advocate for clients who operate across borders.
In financial law, Chuck advises institutional investors, private equity funds, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals on complex capital structures, secured lending, debt restructuring, and cross-border financing arrangements. He has led transactions involving US, German, and pan-European financing vehicles, and regularly advises on FATCA and FBAR compliance, international tax treaty application, and the structuring of offshore investment entities. His FINRA Series 65 registration adds a layer of regulatory fluency rare among practicing attorneys.
Chuck’s real estate practice spans continents. He has advised on commercial acquisitions, development finance, portfolio disposals, and REIT structuring across the United States, Germany, the UAE, and Latin America — with total transaction value exceeding $2.4 billion over his career. Whether structuring a mixed-use development in Frankfurt’s banking district, advising a US pension fund on its first German real estate acquisition, or navigating a cross-border property dispute between Florida and the Cayman Islands, Chuck brings meticulous transactional rigour and a deal-oriented mindset that closes matters others struggle to complete.
On the family and inheritance side, Chuck handles some of LexBerg’s most complex international cases: US–German divorce proceedings involving multi-jurisdictional assets, inheritance disputes where assets span federal US law and European succession law (EU Succession Regulation No. 650/2012), prenuptial and postnuptial agreements with cross-border enforceability, and trust structures designed to protect generational wealth across jurisdictions. He frequently works alongside Dominik Fassbinder and Dr. Ingrid Lehmann on matters where financial, corporate, and family law intersect.
Chuck is directly reachable on his Florida line at +1 954-378-6336. He is known among clients for his directness, his deep understanding of both American pragmatism and European legal formalism, and his ability to cut through complexity to deliver clear, actionable advice. He regularly speaks at international legal and finance conferences in the US, Germany, and the UAE, and is a trusted advisor to family offices, private banks, and institutional investors on both sides of the Atlantic.