The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Spain > Real estate and construction

Clifford Chance acts for top clients and household names in the Spanish real estate market. The team is advising BBVA on the sale of 80% of its Spanish real estate business to Cerberus, valued at €5bn. Key name and Barcelona real estate lead, Blanca Ochoa, advised Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield on the €159m acquisition of several retail units. Carlos Portocarrero heads the practice. Senior associate María Pradillo frequently works with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Aracorp. Conchita Sáinz and Angel Vizcaíno are also names to note.

Pérez-Llorca advises domestic and international banks and real estate investment trusts. The team assisted Banco Sabadell with a package of non-residential asset transactions valued at €246.5m. Luis Zurera, Gerard Serra and Vicente Estebaranz lead the team. Fausto Romero-Miura, Javier Muñoz  and Alejandro Osma are other key names.

The ‘strong’ team at Uría Menéndez stands out for its ‘excellent knowledge and experience level’. Team co-head Fernando Azofra is leading advice to Metrovacesa Suelo y Promoción on the €1bn purchase of 179 land plots comprising 3,500 land registry units. Fellow co-head Diego Armero is assisting Goldman Sachs with the sale to Axa, through a share deal, of 1,000 residential units. Barcelona-based Ignacio Albiñana is also noted.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo’s team was bolstered by the addition of five lawyers from King & Wood Mallesons in February 2018, including Enrique Isla and of counsel Marta Orce. The team is advising Ares Management on a joint venture with a local manager to acquire residential buildings in Madrid over a two-year period.

Baker McKenzie’s team is praised for its ‘high level of knowledge’ and ‘pro-active approach’ to client matters. Jorge Adell is advising TA Associates on its €16m acquisition of property owned by The English School of Asturias. Guillermo Rodrigo is assisting three of Spain’s largest banks, Banco Santander, BBVA and Banco Popular, with their sale of a portfolio of land to Metrovacesa for €1.3bn. Adell and Rodrigo lead the team. Xavier Junquera is also recommended.

Dentons’ team advised Barings on the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Berceo Retail Complex, a company managed by CBRE Global Investors, valued at €105m. Property financing expert Jesús Varela is the key name. Itxaso López was promoted to counsel in March 2018.

In recent work, the team at DLA Piper LLP handled the sale of the hypermarket premises of Valle Real Shopping Centre, a €15m sale by ING Sucursal en España. Other clients include Cerberus and Aermont. Orson Alcocer leads the team and José María Oliva is another key name.

Eversheds Sutherland Nicea recently advised on the sale of a retail park to a real estate investment trust. Javier Ibáñez Gabernet and Rafael Arráez Amselem are the names to note.

Hogan Lovells International LLP’s 'highly skilled' team recently assisted retail real estate company Sonae Sierra with its joint venture with AXA Real Estate Investment Managers for the acquisition of the Area Sur shopping centre. Emilio Gómez leads the team and counsel Carlos Bardavío is also noted.

Ramón y Cajal Abogados has expertise across acquisition, financing, and due diligence matters in the real estate space. The team advised e-shelter on the development of a data centre in Las Rozas. Roberto Tojo and Francisco Bengoetxea are the practice heads.

Andersen Tax & Legal's team was bolstered by the arrival of Antonio Ñudi and Carlos Peña from Urbe Asesores Jurídicos in February 2018. The duo are heading the team alongside José Vicente Morote. Maite Hernandez, who provides 'an excellent level of service', joined from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in 2017.

Highlights for the team at Bird & Bird team included advising the Pontegadea Group on the acquisition of 9.99% of Telxius Telecom valued at €378.8m. Isidro Del Moral and counsel Jacobo Sánchez-Andrade are the practice heads.

At CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo, practice head Álvaro Otero led advice to CBRE Global Investors on its acquisition from Avignon Capital of a mixed-use office and retail building at Calle Fontanella.

Jones Day recently advised CBRE Global Investment Partners on its formation of a joint venture with Montepino to acquire and develop a portfolio of prime assets in Madrid, Zaragoza and Guadalajara. Victor Cosarrubios and Luis Jiménez-Diaz are noted.

RCD advises a variety of private equity sponsors and real estate firms on acquisitions as well as handling real estate investment trust structuring work. Adolf Rousaud and Iñigo Montesino-Espartero are the practice heads.

Practice head Jesús Conde and associate Gema del Río are the key names to note at Araoz & Rueda. Clients include Kefren Capital and Spotify Spain.

At BROSETA Abogados, Íñigo Arrese, Carlos Diéguez and Carmen March are key contacts.

GTA Villamagna Abogados advises on planning matters for clients including Oaktree Capital Management. Group head Ernesto García-Trevijano and Marta Plaza are the key names.

The team at ONTIER focuses on legal advisory matters and the planning aspects of large real estate transactions and projects. Jaime Diaz de Bustamante is the name to note; he works closely with Auchan Group on all of its real estate matters.

At Roca Junyent, Sabadell Real Estate Development is a key client, while the practice also acts for private individuals. Xavier Serramalera Cercós is the team head.

Simmons & Simmons’s team is led by Alfonso Fernández-Puebla Muñiz . Supervising associate  David Gomez is also noted. The team is advising Redevco Iberian Ventures, a joint venture between Redevco and real estate funds managed by Ares Management, valued at €250m, on acquiring an area of the Parque Corredor Shopping Centre in Madrid.

Squire Patton Boggs’ team provides 'a very professional service'. The group assisted the Royal Bank of Scotland with the restructuring of a portfolio of 200 mortgages loans with collaterals in several Spanish locations. Ramon Castilla is the key name.

At Azerta-Aisén Abogados, Fernando Clavijo leads the team.

At DA Lawyers, César Morales and Eduardo González act for mid-sized and multinational corporations.