The Legal 500

Widely regarded as fielding one of the most potent employment teams in the market, Baker & McKenzie earns praise for being ‘a clear leader in the area’. The practice has represented some of Spain’s most coveted clients, including Cargill España, Google and Cisco Systems. In a team of 40 fee-earners, including six partners, it is Fermin Guardiola and Alex Valls who stand out the most.

Fielding one of the most applauded employment teams in the market, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira owes much of its leading reputation to department co-head Pilar Cavero. ‘She is simply outstanding, a hugely knowledgeable practitioner who is a real problem-solver’. Telemadrid has been assisted on all employment matters including litigation and counsel. The team represented Telemadrid on an appeal for legal protection before the Spanish Supreme Court. La Caixa was also advised on the development of employment policies that affect more than 25.000 employees. On the restructurings side, the team’s exceptional expertise was displayed in its advice to Siemens, regarding a collective redundancy procedure for the closure of its electrical division in San Cugat, as well as the closure of its Zaragoza centre. Jordi Puigbó is also recommended.

Garrigues’ best known employment specialists are Federico Durán, the firm’s employment national coordinator, viewed as ‘a brilliant lawyer with great commercial acumen’, Juan Jose Yago, head of the firm’s Madrid team and regarded as ‘exceptional’, and Rafael Ortiz, who spearheads the employment team in Barcelona, ‘a superb specialist’. With an outstanding track record in restructurings and collective dismissals, the practice has represented many major international clients such as Mercedes, Tyco Electronics and Japan Tobacco International. The team has also been heavily involved in restructurings connected with insolvencies, as well as financial restructurings. Contentious highlights include representing El Corte Ingles in in a number of claims connected with the application of the law for equal treatment.

Sagardoy Abogados, Member Of Ius Laboris, Spain’s most acclaimed employment boutique, is one of the market’s first ports of call for high profile domestic and international clients. ‘Their reputation is overwhelming in this sector, the firm’s brand immediately suggests high quality expertise in employment law’. The firm advises on a broad range of employments matters, from major corporate restructurings, to employeee benefits, pensions and social security issues. Chairman Juan Antonio Sagardoy is regarded as ‘one of the leading authorities in Spain for employment issues’.

Ignacio García-Perrote heads up Uría Menéndez’s well-respected employment team, which fields four partners and 31 fee-earners across Madrid and Barcelona. ‘They know how to provide added value advice’, commented clients. Recent highlights include representing Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) on a groundbreaking administrative proceeding against Federación Empresarial de Cantabria. Some of the team’s most notable clients include Inditex, AENA, Gilead and The Wrigley Group.

Barcelona-based Bufete Antras is a well-respected employment and social security boutique, spanning a wide range of matters, from collective bargaining, to collective dismissals, work inspections, high level excutives’ employment contracts and employment claims. José Maria Antràs Badia is well known in the sector as ‘a leading practitioner’.

Clifford Chance’s employment team has been acting for Lábaro Grupo Inmobiliario on restructuring and other labour related measures, as well as on a collective dismissal in the context of an insolvency scenario. Of counsel Juan Calvente heads up the firm’s 10 lawyer-strong team. Other clients include Red Eléctrica de España and Meggit.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados‘ experienced team of employment lawyers has earned the firm a following of high-profile clients such as 20th Century Fox, AXN, Banco de España and Bloomberg. Led by Ignacio Campos, the team recently advised in a high profile dismissal procedure, representing a multinational software company against one of its directors. ONO and Starwoods are two recent additions to the practice’s client portfolio.

DLA Piper spans all types of contentious and non-contentious labour, social security and immigration issues. Pilar Menor, the firm’s head of department, notably advised a major multinational with more than 15,000 employees within the EU, in successfully setting up a European Works’ Council. The team is also experienced in advising companies on day-to-day employment issues.