The Legal 500

Bird & Bird is widely renowned for its knowledge across IT, telecoms and media, and Madrid managing partner Javier Fernández-Samaniego enjoys an excellent reputation. It advised Ahorro Corporación on a major strategic deal with Indra, including transactions to outsource IT infrastructure and applications, and incorporating a joint venture company to develop financial systems. Other clients include TimeWarner and TomTom.

Ecija Abogados’ ‘overall level of service is fantastic’, and one of its key strengths is data protection, for which Carlos Sáiz Peña is recommended. The team gave Ferrovial regulatory advice regarding data leaks and privacy. Emilio Prieto has ‘years of experience in the Spanish audio-visual market’. Head of media Juan Salmerón is also recommended.

Uría Menéndez is ‘impressive, business oriented and always on time’. It covers the full spectrum of TMT, and recent work includes advising Unidad Editorial on corporate, commercial and regulatory matters, and Microsoft on cloud computing. The team also advised Gestevisión Telecinco on its merger with Prisa. ‘Crystal-clear professional’ Pablo González-Espejo García leads the practice.

Baker & McKenzie’s team is ‘excellent in all aspects, particularly with response times’, and it demonstrates ‘knowledge, flexibility and value for money’. The firm advises Telecom Italia on regulatory matters, and Cable & Wireless, AT&T and Iridium are also clients. Maite Diez and José María Méndez lead the practice. Raúl Rubio shows ‘flexibility and commitment’.

Clifford Chance’s ‘top-quality’ practice is a trusted adviser to Cableuropa, which it advised in contentious-administrative appeals regarding interconnection issues and public procurement matters. Albertis Telecom instructed the team to advise on regulatory issues relating to digital and analogue television signal carriage. Juan José Lavilla and Jaime Velázquez are ‘excellent professionals’.

Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira advised Google on search engine issues, and is acting for Microsoft on the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Jorge Llevat is recommended for IT, Luis Murillo for media and Paul Hitchings for telecoms.

DLA Piper’s practice is led by Diego Ramos and includes the firm’s EMEA co-head Juan Picón. The team advised CVC Capital Partners on the acquisition of a 35% stake in R Cable, and assisted Grupo Abengoa with the sale of a 40% stake in Telvent.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados’ clients include Apple, which it is defending against an extrajudicial claim made by Spanish collecting society AIE. It is also advising Playtech on liberalisation of the gaming industry in Spain. Almudena Arpón de Mendívil heads the group.

Abril Abogados, SL fields an ‘excellent’ team, and clients report that ‘the level of support and efficiency is always very good’. It advised longstanding client Camper on its media strategy for sponsoring the Volvo Ocean Race. New clients include the National Federation of Editors. Ignacio Temiño Ceniceros heads the team.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s clients include BT, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, Amadeus and Mediapro. Francisco Cantos and Antoni Valverde are the main contacts.

Garrigues’ ‘magnificent’ team has been advising Televisa on divesting its 40% participation in La Sexta, and assisting Tuenti on its mobile virtual network operator’s (MVNO) project in telecoms, privacy and e-contracting law. The team resides within the corporate department, and includes IT specialist José Ramón Morales and telecoms and media expert Javier Marzo.

At Hogan Lovells International LLP, ‘the overall service is fantastic’ and its lawyers are ‘very up-to-date on the regulatory framework in the country’. It advised Inditex on the new e-commerce portals of Zara and Zara Home, as well as on data protection. Practice head Gonzalo Gállego is ‘very knowledgeable on data protection’, and his ‘speed and availability are unparalleled’.

Jones Day recently represented key client Jazztel before the Telecommunications Market Commission (CMT) in a conflict with Vodafone concerning network access for the provision of MVNO services. Paloma Bru heads the team.

Linklaters advised Permira on the acquisition of eDreams, and Telvent on financing under US law. Counsel Carmen Burgos is the main contact for transactional advice. José Giménez is the primary regulatory partner, whose clients include Telefónica.

Pedro Alemán Abogados’ four-partner practice is led by Pedro Alemán Laín. It acts for an impressive list of clients and specialises in copyright and corporate law.