Mr Rafael Aguilera > Gómez-Acebo & Pombo > Madrid, Spain > Lawyer Profile

At Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, the banking, capital markets and insurance group assists lenders – including banks and international funds – and borrowers in sophisticated financing and refinancing transactions in Spain. Advising on US private placements, project finance in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors, and corporate lending are core areas of activity for the group, which also possesses strong credentials in real estate finance, asset deals and acquisition finance. Leading the department is Miguel Lamo de Espinosa, who marries significant experience in finance and restructurings. Verónica Romaní, who leads the firm’s energy group, specialises in financings in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Based in the firm’s London office, Ferran Foix, a dual-qualified practitioner in the US and Spain, is recommended for cross-border finance and capital markets transactions. Rafael Aguilera is a key contact for domestic financial institutions and credit funds, while Vanessa Armas focuses on the financing of infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Former vice-chair of the CNMV Ana Martinez-Pina heads up the financial services regulatory sub-group.

Lauded as ‘one of the best Spanish restructuring firms‘, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo stands out as a market leader in lender-side restructuring transactions. The team’s client roster features large banks, investment funds, hedge funds, insolvency administrators, private equity houses, and major corporates, who regularly turn to the team for assistance with refinancings, debt-equity swaps, and insolvency proceedings. The firm’s cross-border capabilities are noteworthy; the team frequently collaborates with offices in New York, Lisbon, Brussels, and London. Leadership responsibilities are split between Miguel Lamo de Espinosa, who heads up the restructuring side and ‘remains at the top of his game‘, and Rodrigo López, who oversees insolvency matters. Other key figures include Rafael Aguilera, who represents creditors in large-scale restructuring processes; the ‘exceptionally strong‘ Ferran Foix; insolvency law and commercial litigation specialist Irene Arévalo; and Paula Zarzalejos, who ‘understands the interactions between restructuring and finance, delivering fantastic advice in a user-friendly manner’.