Iberia Teams 2019 – GC Powerlist
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Iberia Teams 2019

  • Industries

  • Powerlist

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A&G Banca Privada

| A&G Banca Privada

Financials

‘A&G’s in-house team, composed of six experienced lawyers and two junior lawyers, has developed itself to achieve excellence and quality in its services to both internal staff and clients. This...

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Accenture

| Accenture

Commercial and professional services

A Fortune Global 500 company, Accenture is a global management consulting and professional services firm that provides strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations services. The legal team of Accenture Portugal...

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Acciona

| Acciona

‘Acciona is a global group that develops and operates sustainable infrastructure, from renewable energy to complex construction projects, water treatment and services. Acciona aims to lead the transition to a...

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AccorInvest Iberia

| AccorInvest Iberia

The AccorInvest Group is one of the most important owner and operator of hotels in Europe, with more than 1,000 employees in Spain and an annual turnover of €130m. According...

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Ageas Portugal

| Ageas Portugal

Catarina Sousa Rodrigues, head of legal counselling and litigation, leads a highly skilled in-house legal team at Ageas Portugal comprised of 15 lawyers, with specialists in legal counselling, litigation and...

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Alantra

| Alantra

Financials

‘We have been working with the internal team during the last 15 years. They demonstrate enormous resilience even in difficult situations. Their legal planning in perfect. They know precisely what...

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Altice Portugal

| Altice Portugal

Formerly known as Portugal Telecom (PT), Altice Portugal is a leading telecommunications operator in its home country. With around 8.1 million customers and a turnover of over €2bn in 2018,...

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Altri

| Altri

The in-house legal department of industrial conglomerate Altri is based in the head office of the company, where it assists Altri in managing its various operations including the 80 thousand...

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Amazon

| Amazon

Managing the legal department of Amazon Spain, a subsidiary of the leading multinational technology company, Ana Buitrago serves as Spain legal director and associate general counsel having joined the company...

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ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal

| ANA-Aeroportos de Portugal

ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal is responsible for the management of 10 airports in Portugal, and holds a concession to provide the civil aviation public service in the country. Other...

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ANF

| ANF

ANF has a unique mission of defending the moral, professional and economic interests of proprietors of pharmacies across Portugal. ANF was founded in 1975 as a successor of the now...

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Anticipa Real Estate

| Anticipa Real Estate

‘Anticipa Real Estate is the servicer of Blackstone Investment Fund in Spain. The legal team has a deep knowledge in the real estate sector, having managed to be one of...

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Astellas Pharma

| Astellas Pharma

Healthcare

Astellas was founded in 2005 through the merger of Yamanouchi and Fujisawa, combining nearly two centuries of collective experience to create an international pharmaceutical company with innovation for patients at...

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Auchan Retail España

| Auchan Retail España

Auchan Retail España is the Spanish subsidiary of the French retail group Auchan, and operates in Spain through its subsidiaries under the Alcampo and Simply brands. As one of the...

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Banco BNI Europa

| Banco BNI Europa

Financials

Describing itself as a, ‘dynamic, proactive team with a great spirit of close collaboration’, the Banco BNI Europa legal function is made up of three lawyers; head of legal and...

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Banco BPI – CIB and Financial

| Banco BPI – CIB and Financial

Financials

Banco BPI is a major privately owned bank in Portugal owned by Spanish bank CaixaBank. Banco BPI internal legal department supports all of the Bank’s activities and is led by...

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Banco Comercial Português

| Banco Comercial Português

Financials

Banco Comercial Português, Portugal’s largest banking group, operates under the Milleniumbcp banking brand and possesses a highly talented in-house legal team providing support and coverage on international and domestic banking...

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Banco Finantia

| Banco Finantia

Financials

The Banco Finantia in-house legal department supports all of the Bank’s activities and services including business and non-business areas, and is responsible for managing all legal related matters including contract...

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Banco Santander

| Banco Santander

Financials

Founded and based in Spain, Banco Santander has grown to become the most prominent bank in the country and the third largest bank in Europe with its financial presence extending...

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Banco Santander Consumer Portugal

| Banco Santander Consumer Portugal

Financials

Banco Santander Consumer Portugal provides commercial banking, auto and vehicle loan financing, leasing, and long-term rental receivables to individuals and companies. It has a team of approximately 200 professionals and...

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Bankinter

| Bankinter

Financials

Bankinter is a Spanish bank with headquarters in Madrid, and is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange as well as being part of the Ibex35 Index. As a fundamental part...

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Bayer Iberia

| Bayer Iberia

Bayer is one of the leading life science companies with core competences in the areas of health care and agriculture. The Bayer legal team in the Iberia region has been...

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BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) – Intellectual Property

| BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) - Intellectual Property

Financials

BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) is a multinational global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial...

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Bergé y Compañía

| Bergé y Compañía

Having almost 150 years of history, Bergé y Compañía is a leader in the automotive and logistics service sectors. With a team of more than 4,500 people and present in...

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Bupa Europe and Latin America (Sanitas)

| Bupa Europe and Latin America (Sanitas)

Part of the international healthcare specialist Bupa, the in-house legal team at medical insurance company Sanitas Spain manages Bupa’s businesses in Europe and Latin America’s market unit, (ELA MU). ELA...

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Cabot Financial Spain

| Cabot Financial Spain

Financials

‘Cabot Financial is one of the six companies that makes up the Cabot Credit Management Group, which is one of the leading European credit management companies recognised for the excellence...

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CaixaBank – Structured Finance

| CaixaBank - Structured Finance

Financials

‘CaixaBank is one of the leading banking entities in Spain. Among all their outstanding legal teams, we highlight the legal department ascribed to the structured finance division led by Gemma...

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Canon España

| Canon España

Consumer products

Canon is a global provider of digital imaging technologies. Founded in Japan in 1937, the company employs more than 198,000 people worldwide. The Canon Iberia legal team is part of...

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Carrefour Spain

| Carrefour Spain

The second largest retailer in the world and the largest in Europe, the Carrefour Group currently has over 9,900 company-owned and franchise stores. The legal team of Carrefour Spain consists...

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Celeo

| Celeo

The in-house legal department of Celeo, an Elecnor Group company, is comprised of four lawyers who manage and coordinate the work related to the company’s Spanish activities, including a total...

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Cepsa Exploration and production

| Cepsa Exploration and production

The Exploration and Production (E&P) legal team at CEPSA has an area of responsibility that is divided into the following business units within the E&P area of Algeria, Latin America,...

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Cepsa Trading

| Cepsa Trading

CEPSA is an integrated energy company operating at each stage of the oil value chain, with more than 11,000 employees worldwide. The general counsel of CEPSA Group is Ignacio Pinilla...

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Cimpor

| Cimpor

Operating in 11 countries, Cimpor is Portugal’s largest cement group and has a global remit; operating in 11 countries across Europe, Latin America and Africa in its manufacturing and marketing...

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Citibank Europe – Sucursal em Portugal

| Citibank Europe – Sucursal em Portugal

Financials

Citibank in Portugal has been established for over 33 years, hosting corporate and investment banking, a markets business and Sagres, a special purpose entity that undertakes securitisation transactions, in particular...

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Corporació Griñó

| Corporació Griñó

Energy and utilities

‘Corporació Griñó is a business group leader in environmental services and green energy. The legal team is comprised of best-in-class experts with a long-standing experience in the sector. Vanessa Fernández...

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Corticeira Amorim

| Corticeira Amorim

‘Corticeira Amorim is the largest cork products company in the world and the most international Portuguese company. It is the clear leader in the sector and contributes like no other...

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Danone

| Danone

Danone is a multinational food products corporation based in Paris having been founded in Barcelona. In 2018, Danone sold products in 120 markets, and had sales in 2017 of €24.7bn....

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Deutsche Bank Portugal

| Deutsche Bank Portugal

Financials

Deutsche Bank is present in Portugal with several operations in corporate and investment banking. These include global transaction banking services to Portuguese and international corporate clients, government institutions and financial...

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EDP

| EDP

Energias de Portugal (EDP) is one of Portugal’s largest business groups and major electricity operators. EDP is historically known for generating, distributing and supplying electricity in Portugal, Spain, France, Poland,...

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eDreams ODIGEO

| eDreams ODIGEO

‘eDreams ODIGEO is one of the world’s largest online travel companies and one of the largest European e-commerce businesses. eDreams ODIGEO and each of its five leading brands – Opodo,...

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Eiffage Infraestructuras

| Eiffage Infraestructuras

Eiffage Infraestructuras is the Spanish subsidiary of the French civil engineering group that is skilled in construction, concessions, infrastructure and energy, employing more than 64,000 people globally. The legal team...

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Endesa

| Endesa

Endesa is a leading company in the Spanish electricity sector and the second largest operator in the Portuguese electricity market. The Endesa legal team provides full support to all nuclear...

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Enel

| Enel

‘Enel is a major energy company that works in 35 countries and employ 69,000 people. The legal team has understood the commitment to innovation in the energy business and they...

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Establiments Viena

| Establiments Viena

‘Viena is one of the leading national chains in the catering sector born in 1969 in Barcelona. The legal team at Viena has proved to be outstanding. Together, they have...

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Eurodivisas (Global Exchange)

| Eurodivisas (Global Exchange)

Financials

Eurodivisas is the parent company of 22 subsidiaries located in different countries, with almost 3,000 employees. It’s also authorised to provide currency exchange services by the local authorities. Eurodivisas and...

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Fluidra

| Fluidra

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

‘This past year, Fluidra – the leading global company dedicated to the pool and wellness sector – merged with US group Zodiac. The legal team was a key-player during the...

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Ford España

| Ford España

Although the Ford España legal team is considerably lean, made up of two lawyers and one paralegal, they nevertheless take on a wide range of legal activities including overseeing the...

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Fox Networks Group Portugal

| Fox Networks Group Portugal

Having gone ‘from business facilitator to business catalyst’, according to the director of legal and business affairs, Tiago da Mota – The Fox Networks legal team is fully hands-on and...

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Galp Energia

| Galp Energia

Energy and utilities

Made up of more than 100 companies, Galp Energia is a Portuguese corporation engaged in activities such as renewable energy, natural gas supply, transport, petroleum products exploration and logistics and...

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Google

| Google

Information technology

The Google Spain and Portugal legal team currently has six lawyers, including five legal counsels and one legal trainee. The head of the team is María González Ordóñez as legal...

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Grupo Catalana Occidente

| Grupo Catalana Occidente

Grupo Catalana Occidente, a publicly listed insurance group, has a legal department which manages legal, tax, regulatory and corporate governance issues in relation to the parent company of the Group...

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GRUPO DiR

| GRUPO DiR

‘The legal team at GRUPO DiR is comprised of best-in-class experts. The team is led by Laia Macià, a remarkable lawyer admitted in New York State and Spain. The expertise...

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Grupo Ferrovial

| Grupo Ferrovial

‘Ferrovial is a construction and public works group with a strong international profile and a large portfolio of clients and projects worldwide. Despite the ample diversity of regulatory frameworks that...

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Grupo Inversor Hesperia (GIHSA)

| Grupo Inversor Hesperia (GIHSA)

‘The legal team at GIHSA is led by the chief corporate and asset officer, Pilar López Carracedo, who is a respected lawyer in the sector. The hotel sector is highly...

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Grupo PRISA

| Grupo PRISA

‘PRISA is the world’s leading Spanish and Portuguese-language media group with its creation and distribution of content in the fields of culture, education, news and information, and entertainment. The 47...

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Grupo SGS España

| Grupo SGS España

Commercial and professional services

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, recognised as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of...

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Grupo Trofa Saúde

| Grupo Trofa Saúde

The legal team of Grupo Trofa Saúde is responsible for the in-house follow up of all legal matters concerning the organisation and affiliated groups and companies, executing all housekeeping legal...

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Grupo Unidad Editorial

| Grupo Unidad Editorial

Grupo Unidad Editorial is a leading Spanish publishing group and its legal department is headed by Lidia Barrera, general counsel and secretary of the board of directors, having more than...

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Grupo Urbaser

| Grupo Urbaser

Urbaser started its activities in 1990 with the creation of Técnicas Medioambientales Tecmed, a company created to provide added value services to town councils and local corporations in the field...

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Grupo Visabeira

| Grupo Visabeira

Made up of 13 lawyers and legal trainees, Grupo Visabeira’s in-house legal team ensures in-depth support and advice on diverse and complex legal subjects, taking on an essential role within...

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Habitat Inmobiliaria

| Habitat Inmobiliaria

‘The legal team at Habitat is led by Bárbara Sotomayor, who in addition to her role as chief legal officer is the secretary of the board of directors and a...

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Haitong Bank

| Haitong Bank

Financials

The Haitong Bank legal team has provided assistance to support the organisation in several capital markets transactions, either private or public placements, mainly with Portuguese and Chinese issuers under which...

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Haya Real Estate

| Haya Real Estate

‘The legal team of Haya could be considered for the GC Powerlist because of its experience and potential in a recently created sector such as the real estate and nonperforming...

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HERITAGE B

| HERITAGE B

Industrials and real estate

HERITAGE B is a family-owned industrial holding with presently two business activities, Teka and THIELMANN, and intends to grow by setting up more business activities in the near future. Within...

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise

| Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Information technology

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is a multinational enterprise information technology company. Ana Valdivieso is the legal director for HPE Spain and Portugal, vice president and associate general counsel for Southern...

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Iberdrola

| Iberdrola

‘Santiago Martinez leads the legal team of Iberdrola, a reference company in the energy field and the world’s leader in renewable energy, which has made sweeping changes in the last...

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Inditex

| Inditex

‘Inditex’s legal team is outstanding. It has to deal with enormous pressure covering numerous legal issues and it always does it perfectly. Their performance is really top notch. We would...

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Indra

| Indra

Indra is one of the world’s leading global technology and consulting companies, and the technological partner for the core business operations of its customers worldwide. The legal team in Portugal...

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Insud Pharma

| Insud Pharma

Healthcare

Insud Pharma is a company with nearly 40 years of experience providing pharmaceutical solutions for the entire life cycle of a medicine. With 6,000 professionals entirely devoted to enhance health...

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Inveravante

| Inveravante

‘Inveravante is a well-known group of Spanish companies and its legal department is led by Ana Sorinano. The team is a superbly coordinated group of in-house lawyers that have to...

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ISS Facility Services

| ISS Facility Services

The legal team of ISS Facility Services is mostly structured by legal specialisations, with some of those subjects managed locally due to the specifics of the different jurisdictions of Spain...

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J. García Carrión

| J. García Carrión

J. García Carrión (JGC) was founded in 1890 and in these 120 years of history García Carrión has evolved into a leader of the wine and juice market in Spain,...

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Jerónimo Martins

| Jerónimo Martins

Jerónimo Martins is one of the largest Iberian corporate groups, with almost 100,000 employees that operate in food distribution and specialised retail. Jerónimo Martins operate a number of well-known stores...

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Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies

| Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies

‘At Johnson & Johnson, the Medical Devices Companies are reimagining the way healthcare is delivered by making connections across science and technology to combine expertise in surgery, orthopaedics and interventional...

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Kaiku Corporación Alimentaria

| Kaiku Corporación Alimentaria

Kaiku is a Spanish company with an international presence in Chile and Tunisia and is specialised in the manufacture, commercialisation, sale and purchase, transport, distribution and merchandising of a range...

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Laboratorios Menarini

| Laboratorios Menarini

Healthcare

Described as a group of ‘young, dynamic, brave, smart, ambitious and well prepared’ professionals by nominators, the Spanish legal and compliance department serving the world leading pharmaceutical company Menarini Group...

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LaFargeHolcim

| LaFargeHolcim

A major component of the global construction industry given its dominant position in the cement, aggregates and ready mix market, LafargeHolcim’s extensive business operations across the world are supported by...

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LaLiga (Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional)

| LaLiga (Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional)

Being the elite professional division of the Spanish football league, LaLiga has a distinguished legal team made up of twelve lawyers and two paralegals. Over the years they have a...

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Luz Saúde

| Luz Saúde

As one of the largest healthcare groups in terms of income operating in the Portuguese market, under the trademark Hospital da Luz, the Luz Saúde group runs a total of...

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Mango

| Mango

‘Mango is the Spanish clothing design and manufacturing company, founded in Barcelona in 1984. The company is present in more than 105 countries with 2,700 points of sale worldwide. The...

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Manuel Champalimaud

| Manuel Champalimaud

Industrials and real estate

Manuel Champalimaud, formerly known as Gestmin, is an investment management group with particular interests in the sectors of energy, food logistics, tourism and leisure, and agro-industry. Ana Maria Ramos is...

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MAPFRE ASISTENCIA

| MAPFRE ASISTENCIA

Financials

As a subsidiary of IBEX-35 listed MAPFRE Group, MAPFRE Asistencia is a major global insurance, reinsurance and services company founded in Madrid with operations worldwide. It has a presence in...

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MAXAM

| MAXAM

MAXAM is a global technology company, specialising in the design, development, manufacture and application of energy materials. Founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, MAXAM currently has in excess of 6,500...

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MediaMarkt Iberia

| MediaMarkt Iberia

MediaMarkt is a leading company in Europe in the distribution of consumer electronics. It was founded in Germany in 1979 and opened its first store in Spain 20 years ago....

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Mercedes-Benz España

| Mercedes-Benz España

The Spanish Mercedes-Benz legal team belongs to the Daimler legal team of around 200 lawyers worldwide and operates under the EMEA legal region of the business. The team is made...

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Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Portugal

| Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Portugal

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is a Daimler Group company that has been present in Portugal since 1998, and supports the sales of the global automobile company and its dealership network in...

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Merck Sharp & Dohme

| Merck Sharp & Dohme

Merck Sharp & Dohme Portugal (MSD) is a pharmaceutical company that has been present in Portugal for 45 years, with a mission to research and develop innovative areas of medicine...

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Microsoft Ibérica

| Microsoft Ibérica

Microsoft’s corporate, external and legal affairs (CELA) team in Spain is formed by five lawyers and three non-lawyers, and is organised around three functions – legal affairs, government and policy...

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Nautalia Viajes

| Nautalia Viajes

‘We strongly support the nomination of the internal legal team of the company Nautalia Viajes, a company dedicated to the marketing of tourism products and services that is part of...

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NEC

| NEC

Creating social value through human and digital interaction is NEC’s ambitious vision. NEC is committed to inaugurate a new era for telecom operators, to empower smart enterprises and to carry...

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Nestlé Portugal

| Nestlé Portugal

The legal team of Nestlé Portugal provides comprehensive legal advice to the business, covering all aspects of law and serving the internal client as a ‘one stop shop for solutions’,...

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Novabase

| Novabase

Rita Branquinho Lobo is the head of legal at Novabase, the Portuguese leader in the IT sector. The Novabase legal team handles legal work related to Novabase Group’s core business,...

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Novartis

| Novartis

‘Novartis’ in-house team should be considered for the GC Powerlist because of its key relevance for the company and the range of experts that belong to the legal department. Novartis’...

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Novartis Group – Portugal

| Novartis Group - Portugal

Healthcare

The legal team of Novartis Group in Portugal supports both Novartis’ day-to-day operations in the market and also in other more strategic activities involving major stakeholders. What distinguishes Novartis legal...

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Novo Banco

| Novo Banco

Financials

The Portugal-based legal team of Novo Banco is led by head of legal department Patrícia Afonso Fonseca who reports directly to the board of directors. The legal team is composed...

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Novo Banco – Recovery Department

| Novo Banco - Recovery Department

Financials

The recovery department of the Spain branch of Novo Banco is structured in three main areas: a pre-litigation area, a litigation area and a monitoring and control area. The recovery...

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Nutreco Iberia

| Nutreco Iberia

As of 2018, a new in-house legal team has been set up at Nutreco Iberia, changing the company’s approach to legal matters completely. It has since moved from being a...

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Oesía Networks

| Oesía Networks

Oesía Networks is a multinational organisation specialised in technology, and with presence in Spain and Latin America that has over the years has developed projects in Europe, America and Asia....

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PepsiCo South West Europe

| PepsiCo South West Europe

Food, beverages and tobacco

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with a product portfolio including 22 brands that generate more than US$1bn each in annual retail sales. The legal and corporate affairs...

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Planeta Corporación

| Planeta Corporación

Sports and media

Planeta Corporación, doing business as Grupo Planeta, is a leading Spanish media group based in Madrid. Managing 16 lawyers and 10 paralegals, Luis Elías serves as the general counsel and...

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Privalia Group

| Privalia Group

Consumer products

Privalia is a leading online fashion outlet created in 2006 in Barcelona. Currently with more than 34 million registered users around the world, it is the leader in the markets...

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ProCME

| ProCME

‘The ProCME Group legal team is led by experienced counsel Margarida Novais, who is the head of a legal department that is involved in providing its legal opinion on all...

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REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais

| REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais

Energy and utilities

Portuguese energy sector company REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais, engages in the transmission of electricity and natural gas in Portugal through various subsidiaries. Supporting the activities, the legal team is...

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Repsol

| Repsol

Repsol have been evolving as a global company for over 90 years, now operating in around 40 countries with more than 25,000 employees. Repsol’s steady internationalisation took place in mid-1990,...

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Saba Infraestructuras

| Saba Infraestructuras

Saba Infraestructuras is a benchmark industrial operator in the development of solutions in the field of urban mobility, specialising in car park management. With a workforce of more than 2,300...

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Sacyr Somague

| Sacyr Somague

The legal team of Sacyr Somague Portugal comprises of five lawyers, with two senior in-house lawyers based in the Lisbon offices; one mainly responsible for bidding processes with public and...

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Sacyr Vallehermoso

| Sacyr Vallehermoso

The legal team are specialists in the construction sector, providing very high quality in-house counsel work. Alfonso Aguirre is the head of the department and he perfectly matches the legal...

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Samsung Electronics Iberia

| Samsung Electronics Iberia

Samsung Electronics Iberia’s legal and compliance department was created by general counsel Guillermo Damiá Díaz-Plaja in October 2008 and is currently formed by six lawyers and four external trainees. Within...

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Samsung Portugal

| Samsung Portugal

The three person legal team serving the Portuguese branch of electronics giant Samsung has been an important partner to the business in recent years, earning a reputation as a positive...

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Santalucía Seguros

| Santalucía Seguros

‘Santalucía Seguros has more than 95 years of experience in covering risks and they are national leaders in the insurance sector in the branches of Assistance and Death. The company...

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Sareb

| Sareb

Sareb is a government-owned financial entity with a well-established position within the Spanish financial system. It has recently been involved in the transformation of most of its balance of nonperforming...

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Secuoya Grupo de Comunicación

| Secuoya Grupo de Comunicación

‘We are business lawyers. This means that we try not to be involved only in the legal review of the company matters, we try to give the best advice in...

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Sener

| Sener

Sener is a private engineering and technology group founded in 1956 specialised in offering technological solutions. The legal team at Sener includes 10 lawyers and three non-lawyers, where Ignacio Guerra...

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Siemens

| Siemens

With a number of different business interests in the country, global industrials conglomerate Siemens employs a highly capable team of legal professionals to mitigate risk and navigate the organisation through...

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SUMOL+COMPAL

| SUMOL+COMPAL

SUMOL+COMPAL is a Portuguese food and beverage company that manufactures and sells beverages in Portugal and internationally. Legal advice to the company is requested on a large range of areas,...

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Tabaqueira

| Tabaqueira

Food, beverages and tobacco

Philip Morris International’s affiliate in Portugal, Tabaqueira is the country’s largest tobacco company, employing around 700 people that oversee famous brands such as Marlboro, L&M, Chesterfield, SG, and Português. Amongst...

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TAP Air Portugal

| TAP Air Portugal

Transport and infrastructure

TAP Air Portugal has been in operation since 1945, and celebrated 74 years of operation on 14 March 2019. It completed its privatisation process with Atlantic Gateway in 2015 and...

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Técnicas Reunidas

| Técnicas Reunidas

Describing themselves as a, ‘hard-working, committed team with an overarching view of international construction and arbitration law’, the core function of the Técnicas Reunidas legal department is to empower the...

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Telefónica – Audiovisual Digital

| Telefónica - Audiovisual Digital

‘We are above all “business partners”. We work very close to the business team. We apply and interpret specialised law and rules for the media business to make sure that...

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Telefónica – Business Legal Affairs and Legal Digital Transformation

| Telefónica - Business Legal Affairs and Legal Digital Transformation

‘Because our values are clear, the decisions we take along our path of digital transformation are sound and guided by a single thought; nobody will be left behind’ states Luis...

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The Navigator Company

| The Navigator Company

The Navigator Company is a Portuguese pulp and paper company with a productive capacity of 1.6 million tonnes of paper and 1.4 million tonnes of pulp. The company has an...

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Unilever España

| Unilever España

Operating as a subsidiary of Unilever, Unilever España manufactures and distributes fast-moving consumer goods such as food, home and personal products, with well-known brands such as Dove, Axe, Lipton and...

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Veolia

| Veolia

Veolia provides solutions for the sustainable development of cities and businesses through the optimised management of energy, water and waste. Veolia has a broad portfolio of services within public, healthcare,...

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Volkswagen Financial Services

| Volkswagen Financial Services

In 2017, Volkswagen Financial Services separated the Volkswagen Bank from the Volkswagen Financial Services organisation. This project was a highly demanding project from a legal and compliance perspective for the...

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Wamos Group

| Wamos Group

Wamos is the name and brand of the tourism group that brings together large companies in the sector, with extensive experience in their area of activity and a joint vision...

The Iberian nations of Spain and Portugal have a deep shared history with a number of cultural and social similarities, and in 2019 these similarities also extend to economic performance, with both countries experiencing high levels of recent economic growth. Portugal is benefitting from an upswing in its housing market, a booming technology sector and strong exports, while Spain is similarly demonstrating continued robust economic growth, thanks in part to increased domestic spending in the tourism sector.

Despite the enduring consequences of the financial crisis and political uncertainty, Spain’s economy has continued to expand, being deemed as the country with the fastest growth rate amongst large Eurozone economies. Portugal is also enjoying its highest economic growth in nearly two decades, thanks to the aforementioned circumstances as well as increases in private investment from large foreign investors.

The legal teams serving companies in both countries have made an impactful difference in this regard. They are responsible for the negotiating of large transactions with investors, helping their businesses navigate challenges with confidence and evade issues thanks to high levels of legal and regulatory savviness. The legal teams featured in these pages have been observed to be well-equipped to handle an often volatile business environment and changing legislation, creating and embracing innovative ways of handling legal matters and taking advantage of this progressive economic environment.

 In this year’s GC Powerlist: Iberia Teams we are pleased to highlight some of the continent’s leading in-house legal departments. To compile this list, we canvassed opinions from both law firm partners and in-house counsel in the region. We identified the most impressive legal departments operating in Iberia who have utilised their legal knowledge strategically alongside business insight to make a positive impact towards their organisation’s success.

Sara Mageit
Senior Research Analyst
GC Powerlist series

Andersen Tax & Legal

Andersen Tax & Legal logo

Spain closed 2018 with a 2.6% increase in GDP, which has allowed our country to maintain a stable growth rate in the EU. The forecast for 2019 is not very optimistic, although, despite the slowdown, our country will remain above comparable economies in the rest of the European Union.

At a time when the legal teams of companies must be more prepared than ever to face new challenges and seek business opportunities in an environment in which the firms are looking for economic stability, at Andersen Tax & Legal we are proud to have supported the first initiative of the prestigious international guide The Legal 500 from the very beginning and for the fourth year running, which recognises the work of in-house lawyers.

The new challenges of the economy require multidisciplinary firms with international capabilities and who are adapted to technological change. These demands on both companies and their accompanying consultants make the success of business largely dependent on strong partners.

At Andersen Tax & Legal we share the same passion for a job well done, the concern to improve daily and the effort to expand skills, knowledge and services. We have added teams, retained talent and increased services at our offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and a collaborating firm in Bilbao. We have more than 4,000 professionals in nearly 140 locations around the world through the member firms and collaborating firms of Andersen Global.

We are in line with all the in-house teams represented in the GC Powerlist: Iberia Teams 2019 and are aware that the legal market is constantly changing. In-house lawyers face challenges that require external, specialised and impartial advice, just as lawyers apply their knowledge from a business perspective, with increasing sectoral knowledge.

We are convinced that the pairing of a firm and an in-house lawyer gives an excellent result in terms of in-depth knowledge of both sectors and practice areas and an innovative approach to new projects that improve the company’s market position.

That is why we continue to believe in a relationship that goes beyond the professional, we are committed to a long-term relationship based on trust, the same values and working together to contribute to a success that is always shared. Thus, we share the success achieved with this recognition too and, on behalf of Andersen Tax & Legal, I would like to congratulate all the teams included in the GC Powerlist: Iberia Teams 2019.

Iterlegis

Iterlegis logo

The Spanish economic recuperation demands larger and better in-house legal teams. Counsels are now required to be versatile, to have a deep knowledge of their companies’ business and strategies, and, above all, to have the passion and the skills to be real team players.

Team work is more important now than ever, to face the multiple and complex challenges arising from a globalised business environment which is often highly regulated. In this context, legal departments are now a key element in business decision-making processes and have thus become true value generators in a corporate world.

The above results in companies demanding highly qualified counsels who receive continued training adapted to the new challenges faced by their companies, who are technically rigorous and legally cross-sector and generalists, who can manage all risks, who are flexible and yet assertive, effective and proactive, and can inspire their teams through leadership. The in-house counsel has now the duty and the responsibility to find out the business’ targets and must be generous and curious enough to learn from others, whilst sharing knowledge and expertise across the staff and departments. And, even more difficult, must lead a top class team in the same direction and towards a shared view, building on the company’s culture.

Companies operating in Spain cannot afford missing one opportunity to grow, generate benefits, offer value to society, expand and generate employment. Therefore, they request very sophisticated legal counsels and demand more from their legal teams, even to the point that they are seen as part of the business.

I have witnessed this passionate evolution in the legal teams’ qualifications and roles in Spain throughout almost 11 years searching for the best in-house talent. I am proud to say that our counsels compete internationally with top profiles who contribute to their companies in Spain and elsewhere in achieving their strategic goals.

To all and each of the counsels mentioned in the teams nominated by this guide, I am very pleased to say: congratulations and keep up with the good work!

PLMJ

PLMJ logo

It is a pleasure for PLMJ to partner again with The Legal 500 and help recognise the hard work of in-house legal teams in Portugal and Spain, and the invaluable role they play in helping companies to navigate troubled waters and achieve greater success. For more than 50 years, we have worked in close cooperation with in-house lawyers and witnessed first-hand how much their roles and responsibilities have changed.

General counsel and in-house lawyers now have greater responsibility and play an increasingly strategic role in their organisations. This, combined with the ever greater globalisation of companies, means in-house lawyers have to deal with a growing number of challenges. There has been a visible shift in their role, from a reactive to much more proactive: no longer only called on to come to the rescue when problems arise, general counsel are now asked to play an active role in decision-making processes. And all the while, they still have to provide the traditional day-to-day legal assistance and face the added challenge of working in jurisdictions they might not be very familiar with.

Another important challenge is the need to achieve greater levels of efficiency and to use the best available technology. As teams are expected to do more with less, there is added pressure to maximise value. There is also greater scrutiny in deciding which work should be done in-house and which should be done externally. Unsurprisingly, all those challenges also bring golden opportunities for innovation, leadership and decision-making at the highest level.

As one of the largest Portuguese law firms, PLMJ takes great pride in its business focus and its commitment to working as an extension of its clients’ in-house teams. We understand the challenges faced by in-house teams and have constantly adapted our services to respond to their needs. We have extended our practice areas, industry expertise and geographic coverage, and have also adopted the latest technology to make sure we are always ahead of the game. We have a genuine enthusiasm for overcoming the impossible that often takes us down the ‘road less travelled’ and transforms old certainties into new disruptions. For more than 50 years, our bold and transformative approach has translated into real solutions that effectively defend our clients’ interests.

All that remains for us to say is that it is an honour and great pleasure to work closely with so many brilliant professionals. We would like to congratulate not only all the teams recognised here, but also those not mentioned this time, for all their hard work and the valuable role they play in helping guarantee their companies’ success.

Jones Day Hong Kong Roundtable 2024

The Legal 500 was thrilled to join a selection of top Jones Day partners and a hand-picked group of 15 the most prominent GCs in Hong Kong for a freewheeling and no-holds-barred discussion on geopolitical risk management at a time of global transition. Steve Brogan, managing partner of Jones Day from 2002-2022 flew over to lend his considerable expertise to the discussion, as did Partner-in-Charge Hong Kong Joelle Lau. Joining them to give expert briefings on the topics of the day were partners Peter Wang, Dr Qiang Xue, James Fidler, Samuel Ngo and Charles Chau. The conversation moved from sanctions and counter sanctions, to the increasing pre-eminence of the Asian economy, to the philosophy of the rule of law in times of crisis.