The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Led by ‘market leader’ Ángel Varela, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados advised the banks on the €1.455bn debt restructuring of Afirma Grupo Inmobiliario, and Caixanova as lead bank in a €320m syndicated loan for the acquisition of a 20% stake in Compañía Logística. Other clients include BBVA and La Caixa. The ‘professional and technically excellent’ Carlos Rueda impresses clients, who also praise the team’s response times and industry knowledge.

Within Capital markets, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is one of the leading firms for Spanish securitisation work, acting for Ahorro y Titulización and Ceca on a number of transactions including the €1.48bn securitisation of senior debt issued by Spanish savings banks. Ángel Varela’s ‘imaginative and reliable’ team also advised Caja Ávila on a €250m notes issue.

Within Corporate and M&A, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is ‘one of the best firms in Spain’ – a ‘highly professional’ outfit that is ‘a pleasure to work with’. Led by Fernando de las Cuevas, 2010 saw the firm win a number of significant deals for new international clients. It advised Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment on its €3.3bn acquisition of Banco Santander and Union Fenosa’s stakes in Cepsa, and Nishin Steel on its €113m acquisition of a 13% stake in Acerinox, while other new client wins included AC Hoteles and Blackstone. The firm is particularly well regarded for its energy expertise.

Within Dispute resolution , Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a third tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados’ ‘professional and attentive’ team provides its disputes clients ‘in-depth industry knowledge and smart, prompt and clear advice’. Headed by Francisco Peña, the firm represented Martinsa-Fadesa in connection with claims filed as a result of its insolvency, and is also active in both international and domestic arbitration. The ‘outstanding’ Fernando Igartua Arregui is an ‘excellent communicator with superb commercial and technical expertise’.

Within EU and competition, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados’s competition practice is jointly led by Iñigo Igartua and Ricardo Alonso Soto. Demonstrating ‘in-depth knowledge’, ‘political savvy’ and a ‘quick grasp of the challenges ahead’, the team recently represented longstanding client AENOR on two antitrust claims. Other clients include Richemont Iberia and Consejo General De Colegios Oficiales De Farmacéuticos De España.

Within Employment, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados’s Barcelona presence was boosted through the mergers with Rodés & Sala and employment boutique Bufete Nieto. The moves doubled the size of the ‘first-rate’ team to 25 experts, under the ‘personable’ Ignacio Campos, ‘skilled litigator’ Silvia Bauzá and Miguel Queralt, who joined from Rodés & Sala. New client wins for the ‘high quality’ practice included Banesto, British Petroleum and Samsung Techwin Europe. Its ‘strong bench’ puts it ‘among the very best’, say clients.

Within Environment, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados has an impressive team of seven fee-earners. The key environment partner is Carlos Vásquez, who recently advised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the Ukraine Carbon Market Facilitation programme, relating to the trading of Kyoto Units.

Within Insurance, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a third tier firm,

At Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados, Fernando Igartua’s team advised key client Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance on a range of issues, including the amends of its credit insurance agreements with UCI and Caser, and in ongoing litigation with Deutsche Bank Credit. Other clients include MBIA Insurance, AIG and Marsh.

Within Intellectual property, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a first tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados has a 24-strong team of IP lawyers across offices throughout Spain. Clients say the team is ‘knowledgeable and timely’, with Sofia Martinez singled out as a ‘fabulous attorney, clearly an expert in her field’. The practice covers trade marks, patents and copyright and also has a strong anti-counterfeiting practice. Recent highlights include successfully settling for Diageo a longstanding trade mark dispute concerning the use and registration of the J&B sign in Spain. The firm also defended Louis Dreyfus against Monsanto, in a case dealing with the scope of the protection of biotech inventions.

Within Legal market overview,

A number of other Spanish firms – such as Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados, PEREZ-LLORCA, Ramón y Cajal, Abogados, Araoz & Rueda, CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo and Roca Junyent – also compete at the highest levels of the market, alongside a series of highly regarded boutique players. Here, niche employment firm Sagardoy Abogados, member of Ius Laboris, competition specialist Howrey Martínez Lage, S.L., arbitration expert B Cremades & Asociados and UK insurance firm Davies Arnold Cooper LLP all stand out, while 30-lawyer Ventura Garcés & López-Ibor, Abogados also punches above its weight thanks to some experienced names. Albors Galiano Portales, Iuris Valls Abogados and Ecija Abogados are just a few examples of other leading boutiques across shipping, IP and TMT.

Within Legal market overview,

With conditions in Spain’s midmarket becoming increasingly competitive, many predict that the country’s smaller independent firms will have to merge to survive. Indeed, consolidation has already started to occur. In early 2009, litigation boutique Bufete Ramón Hermosilla and corporate firm Gutiérrez de la Roza merged to form Ramón Hermosilla & Gutiérrez de la Roza. Having recently announced plans to open a new Lisbon office, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados, meanwhile, merged three times in 12 months. It acquired three-partner Barcelona employment firm Bufete Nieto Abogados in September 2008, tax boutique Padrol Munte in January 2009 and former Nabarro LLP ally Rodes & Sala in June. However, a group of Rodes & Sala partners broke off to establish Alter Legal and others left to join Broseta Abogados.

Within Project finance, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados has been busy on financing transactions in the renewables sector, acting on projects involving solar, thermal, photovoltaic and wind power. Led by Ángel Varela, the team advised Caixanova on the €35m financing of an agro-alimentary product terminal for Fiochi Estibadores, and Unicredit on the €70m financing of photovoltaic plants throughout Spain. Other clients for the ‘outstanding’ team include WestLB and Banco Gallego. Carlos Rueda is praised for his ‘technical knowledge, quality of advice, timely performance and availability’, while Carlos Marina and Fernando Igartua complete a team that is recommended as being of ‘significantly higher quality’ than many of its peers.

Within Real estate, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a first tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados has five experienced real estate partners: Victoria Llavero, Luis Jiménez-Díaz, Ivan Azinovic, the Barcelona-based José Ángel Cano and José Manuel Palau in Valencia. The firm advised Eurohypo on the €100m refinancing of Testa Inmuebles en Renta’s ‘Sacyr’ tower, Union Investment Real Estate on its €115m acquisition of Marsans Group’s ‘Pórtico’ headquarters, and Madrid Xanadu on the €30m “turn key” lease of a commercial unit to Decathlon España. Other clients include Standard Life and Midamarta.

Within Shipping, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados has a solid presence in shipping finance, fielding 13 fee-earners including four partners; the practice is led by Carlos Rueda. It also provides related advice on tax and on the sale, purchase, structured financing and refinancing of all types of vessels. Recent highlights include advising Caixanova and La Caixa on the acquisition of two vessels under construction by Naviera Armas.

Within TMT, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a second tier firm,

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados’s broad practice spans telecoms, media and technology. Led by Almudena Arpón de Mendívil, the team represented Axión in disputes with Abertis Telecom in relation to access to its television transmission network, and advised Telefónica in relation to the provision of telecom services throughout 28 countries to DHL. Other clients include HBO, Warner and Anged.

Within Tax, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados is a third tier firm,

The size of Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados’s tax team increased significantly in 2009, with the firm’s incorporation of tax boutique Padrol Munté and Rodés & Sala Abogados. The practice now has a total of 37 fee-earners across Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, and the changes have brought in significant new clients such as Gas Natural, Allianz and AC Hotels. Tax partners Heribert Padrol, Gema Blasco and Enrique Ortega are ‘customer focused and pragmatic’.