Olaf Schmidt is the new chair of Uli Italy

Olaf Schmidt, a partner at Dla Piper and head of the real estate practice in Italy, has been appointed chair of Uli Italy, the Italian National Council of the Urban Land Institute. The two-year role, which is carried out on a voluntary basis, begins on 1 July 2026. Schmidt succeeds Barbara Cominelli, executive chairman of Spindox, who, in reviewing her term of office, highlighted the involvement of the next generation of professionals as one of the key achievements: “We have given greater prominence to the younger generations through the creation of two strong communities, Young Leaders and Next.” Cominelli also emphasised that these initiatives have fostered the development of new activities, new formats and opportunities for dialogue between professionals from different generations, helping to strengthen Uli Italy’s membership offering.

A member of Uli since 2024, Schmidt has over thirty years’ experience in the property sector. After holding positions in Germany and Italia, he joined Dla Piper in 2003 and, throughout his career, has advised institutional investors, private equity funds, family offices and asset managers with the acquisition, management and disposal of property portfolios, whilst also gaining solid experience in cross-border transactions.

In his new role, Schmidt will lead Uli Italy with the aim of strengthening its presence and visibility in the country, consolidating the association’s role as a key forum for dialogue amongst real estate professionals on key market development issues. “Uli is the only organisation in the Italian property sector capable of offering a platform for networking and collaboration open to all professionals across the entire property value chain,” said the lawyer, highlighting the importance of the association’s international network in supporting the growth of the Italian property sector.