Banking and finance in Spain

‘Best banking team in Spain, involved in all the top mandates.’

‘High knowledge of the market and very good technically.’

‘Technically very good – Jimena Urretavizcaya.’

‘Team oriented to offer a continuous and comprehensive service, really managing to relieve internal lawyers from work and from the need to be worrying so that the objectives are met.’

‘Impeccable technical knowledge and workmanship and continuous attention to matters, offering practical solutions to problems and offloading the in-house attorneys. In this regard, I must highlight the work of Juan Hormaechea.’

‘Its extensive knowledge and specialization in the area of banking and financial law, high number of lawyers in this department that allows them to face operations of all kinds and magnitude. As the most outstanding lawyers, Rodrigo Uría, María Sabau and José Guardo stand out.’

‘Clifford is the most powerful Spanish firm in this area and the one that is most prepared, by resources (it has English lawyers in the Madrid office and a very large, in terms of number of people, a banking team of an impeccable technical level that allows you to successfully face any operation. In short, Clifford assures you that you can successfully carry out any type of financial operation regardless of its size, legislation and / or complication, something that today is difficult to find.’

‘Ignacio Magariños and Epifanio Pérez are the best. Extensive experience, knowledge and leadership. They resolve conflicts that arise in an expeditious manner.’

‘High capacity of the people, at the different levels within the firm, not only at the partner level.’

‘José Guardo – Flexibility, availability, ability to reconcile the parties involved, adapt the firm’s resources to the needs required by the operation.’

‘This Clifford team stands out from other competitors in the industry in knowledge and involvement.’

‘Maria Sabau – outstanding knowledge. Total involvement. Great experience. Exceptional work quality. Has everything to be a great partner.’

‘Rodrigo Uria – excellent technical training, involvement and total availability in the deal. Perfect knowledge of the sector and applicability to the reality and needs of the operation. Good resource management.’

‘Technical capabilities, in-depth knowledge of the debt market, terms and conditions of structured financing and credentials regarding other previous operations. Agility in terms of process management and correct client advice with closeness. Proactivity when managing discussion points in the negotiation.’

‘I work regularly with Xabier Urtiaga and with María Sánchez Valerio. For me the best qualities are the closeness in the treatment, the predisposition and the proactivity when defending the client’s negotiation points before third parties.’

‘I have met other banking and finance lawyers, but the professionalism and extensive knowledge that the Garrigues banking and finance area has, makes them number 1. In addition, their extensive international network is a good ally in certain cases. You know they will maintain the high quality that we are used to.’

‘Without a doubt, their human qualities and the knowledge they have of all the legislation. They are available for many hours and are a very good team. Always correct and polite. My greatest recognition to Francesc Cholvi and Marcelo Moreira.’

‘They are excellent technically, very executive, they look for ingenious solutions and they are very on the subject and the deadlines.’

‘They are all technically very good, they have a lot of experience in the market, they are highly specialized, they study and handle the case as if it were their company, beyond what is required, they try to know the business and look beyond the closing of the operation.’

‘Luis de la Peña: Extraordinary in his relational capacity at the highest international level, and magnificent English, as well as great capacity for internal (labor, tax) and external coordination of great legal complexity (US lawyers).’

‘They are a very meticulous team, with great knowledge of legal practice and commendable negotiation skills. Always open to the search for solutions that satisfy all parties. It is a Tier I office without a doubt.’

‘They know both the clients and the banks and this allows a much simpler and positive negotiation. The partners I know are Sebastian Saenz de Santa Maria and Luis Jimenez, both fantastic lawyers and people.’

‘Excellent treatment. Excellent legal quality. Top-notch partner and top-notch team.’

‘Very high quality and very homogeneous: all lawyers are good. They go beyond legal advice: they help in negotiations and in managing the operation process. Very competent, rigorous and professional.’

‘Ramiro Rivera, with whom we work regularly, is exceptional, as well as Rafael Nuñez Lagos, with whom we have recently worked. The quality is very high in all cases.’

‘High knowledge of the market, very focused on the closing of the operation and very good technically.’

‘The team accumulates years of experience in the sector. They proactively assist and involve the in-house attorney throughout the negotiation process.’

‘The Spanish DLA Piper team is available and reactive. The team brought us concrete solutions.’

‘The DLA Banking team is a team with great expertise, pro-deal and very “hands-on”. In addition, when there is a problem in the negotiations, they find effective and creative solutions with “out-of-the-box thinking”. They are certainly always on our list of favorite teams.’

‘Although the entire team is fantastic, I’d highlight Cesar Herrero because technically he is outstanding, he always knows the operation and the documents in detail and thoroughly understands the needs of the parties, finding the optimal solution in the transactions.’

‘Top team at DLA led by strong partners. Expert and really efficient team that benefits from high quality work and expertise. This makes DLA one of the best legal firms in Spain and one of my preferences in the market.’

‘Knowledge and experience. Ease of treatment. Exploration of different alternatives. Flexibility to reach agreements.’

‘It stands out for its understanding of the business and the risks assumed in the financing of the project beyond the legal relationships.’

‘Professional and human quality of the team. Availability and understanding of the needs of the client / Entity at the time of negotiations between the parties and in the drafting of documentation.’

‘Within GAP for many years now I work with Verónica Romaní. Whenever we have a senior term loan, Spanish Law, renewables, I recommend my clients to engage her as lender’s counsel.’

‘Verónica Romaní is an excellent lawyer, and she is able to propose pragmatic solutions, given her vast experience. I can also reach out to her on short notice with other questions and she will always provide insightful responses and advice.’

‘Strengths: Practicality, clarity and relationship with the client.’

‘Carlos Marina. Practicality and clarity in answers.’

‘Great capacity for adaptation and response to unforeseen events. Great knowledge of the market and the particularities of the financial operations in which they work.’

‘Hogan Lovells, and specifically Alfredo Barona, is not only unique in its practice by the deep knowledge in the area of banking law, but also by his leadership capacity in operations and his empathy with all the players in the process. They are fully adapted to the client and their needs.’

‘They have extraordinary knowledge of segment practices and a unique ability to manage negotiations.’

‘The work of the team in the department of financial and banking law is always exceptional. Their knowledge of the market, their proximity and their ability to adapt to our particular needs make them stand out from others. In particular, I would highlight Alfredo Barona and José Luis Pita de Veiga who are always willing and happy to solve any problem that may arise and their work is always outstanding.’

‘It is a team that stands out notably from the rest due to its extensive experience in similar situations, resolution capacity and availability during all processes.’

‘Their knowledge of the subject and especially the great experience they have. I’d highlight Carlos Meijide, who was able to lead the entire operation.’

‘Balanced team, well structured between seniors and juniors. Deep technical knowledge, great commercial capacity and good sense of the transaction. They do not try to impersonate their client or negotiate commercial aspects that are the client’s competence. ’

‘Their knowledge and experience in national and international financing, which gives them an important know-how, and their availability and flexibility to adapt to the needs of their clients.’

‘Very high know-how, quality, pragmatic in approaching questions.’

‘Closeness, kindness, ability to explain complex issues in easy language.’

‘In terms of technical knowledge and expertise, they are really outstanding, exceeding client expectations. Very reliable team and totally result-orientated. Key cross-departmental and multijurisdictional focus. They have a great depth of financial knowledge. The team has a terrific knowledge of the market and is brilliant technically.’

‘Luis Belart – He’s always exceeding expectations as well as anticipating issues. He controls the big picture as coordinator and team leader. Definitely an outstanding professional. Deep knowledge and extremely high thinking skills, coming up with creative solutions.’

‘The plus that I have been able to perceive is the proximity, the previous work they do to know how our company operates, knowing what our needs are and knowing how to cover them as required. They make it possible to trust a third party as an extension of the company, which we have not been able to achieve with all the firms. In my case, I must highlight Luis Belart, who for us has been the greatest exponent of the good work of Dentons.’

‘Jabier Badiola: Great involvement in the negotiation of contracts, he perfectly combines the management tasks of the firm with serving his clients. Always available to think of different alternatives to tackle complex problems. Luis Belart: Efficient and highly involved with the projects he manages. He operates with high autonomy and is a guarantee of success. Technically flawless execution.’

‘Jesús Mardomingo – apart from his astonishing knowledge and charisma, he has an extraordinary experience in the field that we work in. Honesty, transparency makes honorable to this team.’

‘The team is very knowledgeable across a wide range of fields and are a preferred advisor for international funds who are looking to do business in Spain. They have excellent cross-departmental jurisdictional coverage and are very well plugged into the local developments and regulations.’

‘It is a truly versatile team. They cover the entire spectrum of advice in financial law. They stand out especially in export finance, project finance, acquisition finance and structured finance operations in general.’

‘Dentons has a great multidisciplinary team that make everything easier. They do not pose problems for you, they always look for solutions and alternatives in order to improve the situation of their client. Its competitive advantage over other firms, which is its proximity and immediate availability for any matter that may arise.’

‘International experience and background.’

‘The team is versatile and accessible, very client-oriented. They always involve highly experienced attorneys, often the partner himself, which gives a lot of confidence. Superb coordination with the real estate and tax departments.’

‘Very satisfied with the incorporation of Guillermo Muñoz-Alonso as managing partner of the department. Guillermo has a lot of experience and a great capacity for analysis. He knows how to put himself in the position of the client and also has excellent “personal skills” to build trust.’

‘Closeness and professionalism. A lot of availability.’

‘Very good understanding of the industry. Marta Gonzalez Araña: A fighter with very good arguments and high availability.’

‘The firm’s approach is very practical based on a good understanding of the company’s needs and the market situation and financial institutions. This makes the work much more focused and efficient than with others, and very good results are achieved in terms of the conditions of the agreements, legal certainty and time.’

‘Guillermo Muñoz Alonso – very good understanding of the situation and very practical approach, achieving excellent results.’

‘The unconditional availability and quality of their work.’

‘Cristina Vidal – outstanding in her legal advice and her ability to manage the very complex matters of the company.’

‘Alfonso Cárcamo – excellent in his legal advice both for his technical knowledge and the deep legal sense of his opinions.’

‘Ramon y Cajal’s finance team is relatively small, compared to other firms, which allows it to be closer to its clients and to understand their idiosyncrasies and needs.’

‘The RyC team stands out for its agility, flexibility and ability to resolve questions efficiently and in a personalised way.’

‘The team works with agility, flexibility and ability to solve questions efficiently and personalised.’

‘Great experience in this practice. Availability. Quick and efficient solutions before urgent needs.’

‘Two notable aspects are the truly global nature of the firm, which has lawyers of great caliber and international experience in a wide network of offices, most of which, as in Madrid, can carry out operations not only in local law, but also in English and New York law, and the relationship partner, which is important to us, since it acts as a point of contact for all the offices of the firm, which simplifies our relationship very much. The work is much more efficient. Fernando Navarro is our relationship partner in Spain.’

‘I’d highlight Fernando Navarro as a relationship partner and Alfonso Garcia as a very outstanding associate.’

‘Very consolidated team, with great experience in the sector and very accessible.’

‘Rafael Bazan – Outstanding in everything.’

‘We have worked with this firm for many years and enjoy doing so. They have a very good knowledge of the market we operate in. They are responsive and reliable.’

‘Alejandro Araoz and Rafael Bazan are both extremely good and commercial in approach. They are very approachable. They understand our sector very well which is very helpful.’

‘Responsive, easy to deal with and straightforward. Consistently high quality across practice areas.’

‘It is a team that is always available and that is up to date with all the news in its field. They are at the height of much larger offices.’

‘Xavier Foz is the partner with whom I have dealt and both in professional and personal treatment he has always been excellent.’

‘Joaquim Via is an excellent professional from my point of view, he works very quickly and with great availability, always attentive to details.’

‘We value the service provided by Roca Junyent very positively, especially due to the agility and solidity of the technical criteria and contributions made. Roca Junyent professionals are easily accessible and quick to respond, and provide a comprehensive service, allowing permanent support and the client feeling accompanied at all times. The service provided goes beyond the issuance of technical criteria, accompanying the client in making decisions.’

‘The most outstanding aspects are: High involvement and high understanding of the client and their environment. Proximity to the client’s reality and its economic-social-corporate environment, which facilitates the understanding of the circumstances surrounding the matters that are the subject of advice. Agility in collaborations, in some cases of a global and multidisciplinary nature (covering several specialties). Its high involvement in the projects, and its proximity and accessibility, which guarantees the quality of the service provided.’

‘Being a small office, you interact directly with the partner. This is added value compared to large law firms. The treatment is direct and professional.’

‘Guillermo Yuste – his direct treatment, personal attention to the client and efficiency when solving problems makes him an essential ally to handle complex matters and solve them in a short time.’

‘In a negotiation, what is appreciated is the direct and constant involvement of the partner responsible for the issue.’

‘The team knows how to lead and control the process at all times, unloading work on the internal legal advice but knowing at the same time keeping it informed and participating in relevant matters.’

‘They are great professionals who have a lot of knowledge of all the issues they have for us (regulatory, compliance, commercial, tax, …). What I would highlight the most is that they are always willing to go one step further to satisfy their clients. They are very good.’

‘They do not limit themselves to covering the services / tasks requested, they always go one step further. Besides, they are very good people.’

‘Good technical knowledge of the cases that arise, as well as solutions provided in cases of potential conflict. Good level in the responses and closing of the topics.’

‘Specialized knowledge of the financial sector and immediacy of the partners who deal directly with the issues.’

‘I’d highlight Araceli Leyva for her specialization in corporate governance and ESG issues. The drive and closeness of its founding partner Miguel Cases.’

‘Availability of both lawyers and partners, knowledge and solutions.’

‘Francisco Arbués’ team is one of the best in this practice. They know the payments sector very well, understand the business and are up to date with what is happening in the market and the perspective of regulators. It is a pleasure working with such a proactive, friendly and easy to understand team.’

‘Francisco Arbués and Miguel Bercedo: They know how to make themselves understood, listen to the needs of companies and respond with an easy and agile language. They are very reliable and very quick to answer and participate.’

‘Their high qualification, professionalism, their contribution of multidisciplinary teams (legal and IT) and their excellent adaptation to the client’s needs.’

‘Its high technical level, courtesy and kindness in dealing with the client, its enormous capacity to adapt to the client, its efficient coordination with other non-legal areas with which they work on some regulatory projects (such as Deloitte’s IT area) and the outstanding leadership of the partner in the area to achieve optimal team work.’

‘It is a young, dynamic team with deep knowledge of its work. The Deloitte team for me, in financial regulation, is the most complete team in Spain, and on a technical level, their work is technically very solvent and efficient.’

‘In my opinion, Francisco Ramirez Arbués is, without a doubt and without question, the best of his class. Eva Santervás has given us a lot of 360º support in a very complex context and she is an excellent lawyer of a great professional and human category.’

‘Great knowledge of the sector.’

‘In my opinion, Francisco Uría stands out, for his global knowledge, Pilar Galán, for her technical rigor and knowledge, but above all, for her listening skills and respectful and prudent attitude (in the sense of pointing out all the possible pros and cons of what analyzed, not saying what she thinks the client wants to hear or the fixed idea that the firm may have); with Pilar, her entire team, who have a similar attitude.’

‘It is a well-coordinated team that, in general, knows how to listen. When doubts arise that may be the domain of other partners, they are quickly transferred and they offer answers or coordinate meetings.’

‘Knowledge of regulation in financial and banking matters and also the practical sense for its application.’

‘In my opinion Francisco Uría has the best legal knowledge of the financial sector as a whole.’

‘Ease of access to them, practical sense of their analysis and deep knowledge of the subject. In our case we work with Alfonso González Espejo and Francisco Uría.’

‘It is an office that is always up to date with regard to the latest regulations in banking and financial matters and we use them to set criteria, with respect to internal opinion, in the projects for the implementation of regulations in our organization.’

‘Magnificent knowledge of regulation and a practical vision for its application in organizations as large as ours can be.’

‘WFW’s banking and finance team is characterized by its willingness, good delivery, adaptability and commercial focus.’

‘Good lawyers who know the sector well and the type of operations we work with.’

‘Very qualified and professional team that involves everything necessary to carry out operations.’

‘The closeness and understanding of the operation as well as the key points to manage with the team of internal lawyers. Pablo San Gil and Ignacio Cacho.’

‘I would highlight José María Anarte for his commercial approach and reasonableness in negotiations, capable of understanding the client’s needs and priorities and adapting to them, with a pro-deal vision. From a personal point of view, I would also highlight that he is a very empathetic person, with an always positive attitude and impeccable treatment.’

‘Dedicated and highly professional and responsive team.’

‘As strengths I believe that the generation of trust, knowledge of the client and the counterpart of the commercial business, their needs and versatility of working with teams from outside Spain, when necessary. It compares favorably with other firms since this trust and knowledge (client and product) generates the speed of execution of the operations that we need.’

‘Closeness and knowledge of the different stakeholders of the market in general. Specialization, agility, transparency and long-term vision of the relationship beyond the specific needs of a specific operation.’

‘The team is always available and fully understands the needs of the business. It always puts itself in our position and does not limit itself to indicating what the norm says. Tries to find new alternatives with us. The relationship with the team is also unbeatable.’

‘María González is always aware of our needs and available, she also has extensive knowledge of regulation in data matters, PSD2 and in general in matters related to the digitization of financial services.’

‘The team, led by Teresa Villarroya, has great experience.’

‘My experience in this area has been with Teresa Villarroya, whom I would qualify as an all-terrain lawyer, available 100% every time you need her services, very pragmatic and with great knowledge in financial and banking practice.’

‘The difference in an office is made by people, for me Teresa Villaroya is the one who makes the difference in that department.’

‘Practical and commercial. Always acting in the best interest of the client. Efficient and responsive.’

‘Very knowledgeable, professional and easy to interact with.’

‘Easily available, patient and approach issues with open mind.’

‘Tailor-made responses.’

‘High availability. Client-focus by understanding well what the client is looking for. Strong reactivity. Best law firm in the energy and financing sector that has advised us as of today.’