Baker McKenzie's team, which operates from Madrid and Barcelona, is jointly led by Jorge Adell, regulatory and public law expert Xavier Junquera and Maite Diez, who focuses on advising multinational companies on a wide range of corporate and M&A transactions. The department covers a broad spectrum of industry sectors ranging from manufacturers of industrial products, aviation, automotive, chemicals, steel and electronic products, as well as logistics.
Industry focus: Manufacturing in Spain
Baker McKenzie
Practice head(s):
Maite Diez; Jorge Adell; Xavier Junquera
Key clients
Adient
Aernnova Aerospace, S.A.
Fisipe
Covestro
Westinghouse Group
Akzo Nobel
Work highlights
- Advising Acciona on all the legal matters pertaining to the collective dismissal leading to the termination of 560 employees of Acciona placed at the Nissan plant in Barcelona.
- Advised and assisted Samvardhana Motherson Group in a collective dismissal procedure to close the plant of the company Sintermetal Products located in Ripollet.
- Advised Adient on the sale of its automotive fabrics manufacturing business, including its lamination business, to Sage Automotive Interiors.
Cuatrecasas
Particularly active in corporate and M&A, taking part in major transactions, and also boasting some excellent capabilities handling financing transactions and litigation, Cuatrecasas remains the firm of choice for several prominent national and international manufacturing companies, mainly from the heavy industry and automotive sectors. Javier Fontcuberta is the key contact in the department, whose recent highlights included advising Neenah on the acquisition of Itasa from Magnum Capital.
Key clients
SEAT
ACERINOX
MECALUX
BERGÉ
GONVARRI
TUBOS REUNIDOS
BASCOTECNIA STEEL
GESTAMP AUTOMOCIÓN
ALFONSO GALLARDO SA
PMI HOLDING (PEMEX)
Work highlights
- Advising Neenah on buying Itasa from Magnum Capital, on the cancellation of the existing syndicated financing and its guarantees, and financing for the acquisition.
- Advising KPS on acquiring the Crown Holdings tinplate business in Europe.
- Advising The Carlyle Group on the Spanish law aspects of the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Flender.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper regularly acts for notable packaging, automotive and technology clients in a range of real estate, planning, corporate, IP and public law matters. The firm is regularly involved in large manufacturing transactions, with recent work highlights include representing MKS Instruments in the $5.1bn cash and stock acquisition of Atotech. Diego Ramos and counsel Francisco Perales are active members of the practice.
Practice head(s):
Francisco Perales
Key clients
Ardagh Glass Limited
MKS Instruments
Renault
Macmillan
Work highlights
- Advised Ardagh Glass Limited on the design of a Covid-19 safety scheme that is compliant with Spanish and European Data Protection Laws.
- Representing MKS Instruments in the $5.1bn cash and stock acquisition of Atotech.
- Representing Macmillan in its appeal before the Spanish National Court against the decision of the Spanish Competition Authority in which 34 publishers were fined for an alleged cartel case.
Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
‘Experience, seriousness, speed and confidence' are some of the aspects clients value in Gómez-Acebo & Pombo's ‘highly specialised’ practice, which is a top choice for manufacturers from the industrial, chemical, retail and shipbuilding sectors for advice on a variety of matters. Particularly renowned is the firm's automotive practice, led by counsel Ainara Rentería, which according to a client is a ‘benchmark among law firms given its extensive knowledge of current and future legal issues in the sector’. Corporate and M&A specialist Iñigo Erláiz heads the department.
Practice head(s):
Iñigo Erláiz
Other key lawyers:
Ainara Rentería
Testimonials
‘They are up-to-date and proactive in terms of regulatory updates.’
‘They provide a close and attentive treatment to the client.’
‘They are highly specialised in the sector and have a magnificent team in all areas of law.’
‘Ainara Renteria has exceptional knowledge of the sector and manages her team very well.’
‘A lot of experience and professionalism.’
‘Experience, seriousness, speed, confidence.’
‘GAP’s Automotive practice is a benchmark among law firms given its extensive knowledge of current and future legal issues in the sector. Led by Ainara Renteria, it offers excellent global advice on all areas of the business in a very agile professional manner.’
‘Ainara Renteria has great knowledge of the risks and challenges of the sector. Great capacity for analysis and understanding. Proactivity and agility.’
Key clients
Automotive & Industrial Systems, a division of Panasonic Corporation
Decortienda
Abello Linde, S.A.
Fertisac, S.L.
IP Cleaning España, S.L.
Teka Industrial, S.A.
Toshiba Corporation
Enerpac
Nestlé España, S.A.
Hyundai Motor España
Ford España
IVECO
PORSCHE IBÉRICA, S.A.
Accell Group
FORD CREDIT
LOTUS GROUP
Lease Plan N.V
Carnext B.V
Towa Pharmaceutical
Jacobs Engineering
Giochi Preziosi
Derichebourh
Kaneka
AMRI
Work highlights
- Adivsed Aviation Industry Corporation of China on the acquisition of a majority stake (95%) of the Spanish company Aritex Cading.
- Provides recurrent advice to Smurfit Kappa in the following areas: corporate, contracts, employment, environmental, energy, antitrust, compliance, civil litigation and criminal litigation.
- Provides regular advice to Hyundai Motor España regarding all the legal aspects of the launch of Hyundai Mocean mobility.
Uría Menéndez
An ‘excellent team on all fronts’ says a client about the sizable practice at Uría Menéndez, which comprises lawyers from several practice areas including corporate and commercial, administrative and regulatory, intellectual property, competition and litigation. Recently, the practice has taken part in large financing and M&A transactions in the industrial and manufacturing sector, as in the case of its advice to Cemex on the sale of its global white cement business to Cimsa. Patricia Vidal, a leading lawyer in the ‘field of competition applied to the manufacturing sector‘; Teresa Paz-Ares; Tomás Arranz; and counsel Jaime Calvo Retuerto are active members of the practice.
Practice head(s):
Borja Sainz de Aja; Teresa Paz-Ares; Patricia Vidal; Jaime Calvo Retuerto
Other key lawyers:
Tomás Arranz
Testimonials
‘Excellent team on all fronts, including manner of client communication.’
‘All noticeably going the extra mile for us.’
‘The team not only has exceptional capabilities but has developed an ability to work with experienced attorneys in other fields allowing it to offer a comprehensive solution to problems.’
‘The firm’s lawyers are in many cases a benchmark in the national and international framework. Professionals such as Jaime Folguera, Patricia Vidal and Edurne Navarro are very prominent lawyers in the field of competition applied to the manufacturing sector.’
Key clients
Rovi
Cemex
Bain Capital
Galletas Gullón
GSK
Lilly
Ferroglobe
Granica Playwood
Marelli Corporation
China Energy
Danone
Toyota
Nissan
DAF
Mahou
Sandoz (Novartis Group)
Work highlights
- Advised Rovi regarding the manufacturing and supply agreements with Moderna for the production of drug substances and bottling for Moderna’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in Rovi’s industrial facilities in Spain for commercialisation worldwide.
- Advising Nissan in all strategic issues relating to the shutdown of its three automobile manufacturing plants in Catalonia after 40 years in operation.
- Advising and representing DAF in a substantial number of claims for damages in Spain and many more announced and expected regarding the European trucks cartel case.