Boasting a solid national presence, the highly regarded team at Garrigues is involved in some of the largest deals in the food and beverage industry, and regularly advises major operators regarding all stages of production, distribution and retailing. With corporate expert Rocío Belda De Mergelina at the helm, the department stands out for its capabilities in joint ventures, acquisitions and sales. Miguel Ángel López and Francisco Soler Caballero are other key members of the team, which operates from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Murcia. Spanish clients looking to expand overseas can also rely on the firm's international network.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo is a popular choice for some of the main food manufacturers and distributors in Spain, and can regularly be found advising on a wide range of matters, including commercial, advertising and IP-related mandates. Housing notable regulatory expertise, the team is co-headed by Mónica Weimann, who combines her IP background with her M&A practice, and José Luis Palma, who has a focus on matters related to food chains, nutritional and health claims, food quality and food designations. Key support comes from IP experts Jesús Muñoz-Delgado and Sofía Martínez-Almeida, who advises clients on matters ranging from labelling and advertising campaigns to complaints before the Spanish self-regulatory body.

In the food and beverage sector, Uría Menéndez fields a sizeable team of lawyers ‘with extremely high professional quality and excellent professional ethics’. Montiano Monteagudo, also in Barcelona, is another name to note. Former department lead Elena Úbeda has retired.

According to a client, Andersen ‘has a really unique historical background in the agri-food sector, with very relevant clients’. The firm houses a dedicated team, which draws resources from other disciplines, with key names including ‘great negotiator’ Ignacio Aparicio and litigation, bankruptcy and arbitration partner José Miguel Soriano. The department regularly advises both Spanish and multinational companies in a wide range of matters, particularly M&A transactions; litigation; regulatory and tax mandates. Belén Palao left the firm in April 2021.

Bird & Bird's Madrid office houses a team of four partners, who are regularly instructed by a varied roster of food companies and multinational retail and dining companies, on M&A, regulatory and IP related matters. Noted practitioners include Lourdes Ayala and senior consultant Diana Sendagorta, both of whom garner praise for being ‘technically excellent’ and for having ‘great availability and creativity’. Antonio Cueto, who covers all IP-related mandates, is another name to note.

DLA Piper has established a solid reputation in the market as a trusted advisor for multinational companies, assisting them in a range of mandates, from transactional and franchising matters to investigations and litigation. Diego Ramos leads the practice, closely supported by head of the EU and competition department Joaquín Hervada and IP specialist Paula González de Castejón.