Spain > Banking and finance Tier 1

Advising borrowers and lenders, Uría Menéndez has substantial experience in corporate lending, project finance, asset and acquisition finance, restructuring and financial regulation. The firm is active in cross-border transactions throughout Europe and Latin America, with particular strength in debt restructurings and divestments of financial assets. Ángel Pérez López leads the team and focuses on corporate, acquisition and project finance. Key names in the practice include Carlos de Cárdenas Smith, who handles banking and finance, M&A and restructuring work; Carolina Albuerne, who specialises in banking regulation and securities law; Isabel Aguilar, who advises credit entities, investment firms, asset and fund managers; and Sebastián Sáenz de Santa María, who has expertise in banking, project finance, acquisition finance and restructuring.

Spain > Capital markets: Debt Tier 1

Regularly involved in innovative and market-leading transactions, Uría Menéndez has advised on issuances of hybrid securities by financial institutions as well as issues in the context of acquisition finance. The firm’s debt capital markets practice has experience in a range of products, from plain vanilla bonds to high yield issues, notably equity-linked bonds, structured and project bonds and regulatory capital instruments. Rafael Sebastián leads the team and specialises in capital markets, M&A and corporate restructuring. Also recommended are Javier Redonet, who focuses on company, finance and securities law; and counsel Carolina Albuerne, who handles transactions involving hybrid debt and other capital-eligible debt instruments.

Spain > Capital markets: Equity Tier 1

The ‘excellent team’ at Uría Menéndez is highlighted for having ‘lots of sector experience and availability to answer questions in a way that is commercial and user friendly’. The firm has advised the issuer or underwriters in many of the IPOs completed in the Spanish market since 2006, including the two largest IPOs in Spain’s history. Its broad experience covers IPOs, follow-on offerings, rights issues, accelerated bookbuilt offerings, equity-linked instruments and public M&A. Luis de Carlos focuses on capital markets and advises on corporate governance, M&A, banking and corporate law matters. He co-leads the team with Javier Redonet, who specialises in company, finance and securities law, and also advises on debt capital markets transactions. Another key name in the group is Gabriel Núñez, who acts as legal counsel in public offerings and IPOs, takeovers, project finance deals and M&As involving listed and unlisted companies.

Spain > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1

With 'great experience in international processes that affect various jurisdictions', Uría Menéndez is a go-to firm for cross-border M&A, particularly involving Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. The department has recently seen an uptick in market activity, and has handled a number of deals involving companies in the telecoms, energy and banking sectors. Outside of M&A, the team has a strong corporate governance offering; Cándido Paz-Ares is a name to note in this area. Private equity and M&A expert Manuel Echenique, who previously worked in the firm's London office, and Francisco San Miguel, who previously undertook a secondment in New York, jointly lead the practice. Salvador Sánchez-Terán, Juan Miguel Goenechea and Juan Francisco Falcón are other names to note.

Spain > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Uría Menéndez has the size, resources and experience to ‘handle hundreds of cases in parallel, but with the highest quality’. From offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia and Lisbon, the firm provides advice in international and domestic civil and commercial litigation and arbitration, and also has strengths in administrative, constitutional and criminal law. The practice is led by Jesús Remón Peñalver, who has experience in judicial and arbitration matters; Javier Garcia Sanz, who focuses on litigation in civil, commercial, contentious-administrative and administrative-law matters; and international arbitration expert Gabriel Bottini. The deep bench of experts also includes Álvaro López de Argumedo, who acts in civil litigation and international arbitration; Alejandro Ferreres Comella, who is known for contractual liability, tort and consumer litigation; and ‘stand out’ lawyer Cristian Gual Grau, who is ‘not only extremely intelligent with an eye for detail, but also very good with clients and has a practical approach’. Miguel Virgós left the firm to practice as an independent international arbitrator.

Spain > Employment Tier 1

Led by Mario Barros in Madrid, the employment department at Uría Menéndez has lawyers across the firm's four offices in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao) and covers the full range of contentious and advisory employment work. The dramatic increase in demand for employment law advice as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic was reflected by the team working on over 100 collective suspensions of employment in 2020, while its advice on international M&A deals and various judicial proceedings further illustrate the department's breadth. Sergio Ponce is a name to note for collective bargaining matters, and in Barcelona, Juan Reyes heads the employment team supported by Ana Alós. Álvaro Navarro stands out as a counsel. Former practice head Ignacio García-Perrote left in January 2020 after being appointed as a magistrate of the Spanish Supreme Court.

Spain > Environment Tier 1

Handling the gamut of contentious and advisory work in environmental law, Uría Menéndez's workload in 2020 included instructions from leading companies in energy, waste management, construction and utilities, in which soil and water pollution were common issues. Following the retirement of Carlos de Miguel Perales in December 2020, counsel Jesús Sedano now co-leads the practice from Madrid, alongside Juan Antonio Loste Madoz in the firm's Barcelona office. Madoz also has strengths in environmental liability assessments and climate change, while Sedano has broad environmental law capabilities as well as extensive experience in mining law and administrative proceedings. Noemí Blázquez and Jaime Calvo Retuerto are key contacts at the counsel level.

Spain > EU and competition Tier 1

Uría Menéndez is praised for its 'high degree of technical competence combined with the ability and willingness to understand the business and the client's issue'. The team has a large market share in both merger filings and cartel investigations before the CNMC, where it regularly acts for leading players in the telecoms, transport, consumer goods and financial services sectors, among others. Combining its traditional strengths in litigation with its competition law expertise, the firm also has a strong damages litigation practice. Jaime Folguera, who previously led the firm's Brussels office, and Antonio Guerra, who has previous experience working at the CNMC, jointly lead the practice. Patricia Vidal, Edurne Navarro and senior associate Tomás Arranz also receive praise.

Spain > Industry focus: Food Tier 1

Uría Menéndez advises Iberian and international food companies on corporate, commercial, finance and competition law matters, and also acts for private equity firms and financial institutions in transactions in the food sector. Corporate and commercial specialist Elena Úbeda heads the group from Barcelona, where IP, IT and unfair competition partner Montiano Monteagudo is also based. Corporate and banking expert Eduardo Bagaría - also in Barcelona - receives praise. Madrid-based corporate and private equity partner Manuel Echenique has recently led on several large transactions involving food and agriculture companies.

Spain > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 1

'One of the top firms in Spain in this field', the healthcare and life sciences department at Uría Menéndez handles a range of contentious and non-contentious matters, drawing on the experience of a multi-disciplinary group of lawyers. E-health is a particular area of expertise, and the team is also active in compliance issues, from internal investigations to the implementation of compliance programmes. Practice head Teresa Paz-Ares is an 'extraordinary lawyer'; she focuses her practice on M&A and corporate and commercial law. José Massaguer and Montiano Monteagudo are names to note for IP in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. Counsel Beatriz Cocina is another key member of the team.

Spain > Industry focus: Manufacturing Tier 1

The manufacturing practice group at Uría Menéndez fields corporate, IP, data privacy, environmental, competition and litigation experts; the multi-disciplinary team acts for manufacturers of cars, pharmaceutical products and heavy equipment, as well as investors looking to acquire companies in the heavy industry or automotive sectors. In competition law, Patricia Vidal is a 'deep expert in industrial sectors' and Jaime Folguera is a 'national and international reference in his field'. José Massaguer and Teresa Paz-Ares are other names to note.

Spain > Industry focus: Retail Tier 1

Uría Menéndez advises a broad range of producers, distributors and retailers in the fashion, consumer goods, toys, food and jewellery sectors. Multi-disciplinary lawyers in the firm's Barcelona and Madrid offices collaborate to assist clients in M&A and other corporate transactions, as well as litigation and general corporate and commercial law matters. Patricia Vidal advises retail companies on competition and EU law; Borja Sainz de Aja focuses on patents, trade marks, industrial designs and copyright; and Ramiro Rivera handles domestic and cross-border capital markets and finance deals.

Spain > Industry focus: TMT Tier 1

Uría Menéndez's TMT-sector services come under the banner of its digital law area, which draws together experts from a variety of practice areas, including IT, commercial, privacy, IP, M&A, tax, competition, regulatory and labour. Pablo González-Espejo heads the practice and is focused on commercial and company law in the audio-visual, telecommunications, sports and IT sectors. Leticia López-Lapuente's ongoing digital and data privacy advice to Repsol, Microsoft and Twitter continues to stand out, while Borja Sainz de Aja specialises in IP, competition and related litigation. At the associate level, Nerea Sanjuan has recently provided support to a number of telecoms and healthcare clients.

Spain > Insurance Tier 1

Uría Menéndez combines ‘experience and mastery in the regulatory and legal fields, with a transversal vision of accounting and financial issues’, which allows the insurance team to provide a ‘very high-quality service, standing out among its peers’. The practice is particularly known for insurance M&A, value-in-force monetisation transactions, cross-border deals and bancassurance work, as well as the restructuring of insurance businesses. Guillermo San Pedro leads the team and has ‘extensive experience in insurance M&A operations’, among other areas. Competition and EU Law expert Patricia Vidal and senior associate Jaime del Fraile, who has ‘experience, strength and talent’, are also names to note.

Spain > Intellectual property: Copyright Tier 1

Co-operating closely with the firm’s TMT and digital business groups, the IP team at Uría Menéndez provides ongoing copyright advice as well as contentious services and work arising from M&A transactions. Key clients include leading names in the banking, technology and media sectors and the team has recently shown strength in both litigation against collective management organisations and art law matters. Agustín González heads the team from the firm’s Madrid office, with Montiano Monteaguo being the key contact in Barcelona. Since publication, Rafael Sánchez Aristi left the firm in November 2021.

Spain > Intellectual property: patents Tier 1

Uría Menéndez advises across the range of patent matters, including advisory, licensing, M&A-related matters and disputes. The firm has broad sector coverage in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotech, sanitary, cosmetics, agriculture and general consumer goods, with particularly notable international clients in life sciences. Madrid-based practice head José Massaguer handles patent disputes and unfair competition proceedings, with strength in pharmaceuticals and electronics. Barcelona's Montiano Monteagudo has a primarily advisory practice, working with national and multinational companies, while Ingrid Pi i Amorós has broad patent litigation experience in the life sciences sector, with niche expertise in plant patents.

Spain > Intellectual property: Trade marks Tier 1

Uría Menéndez offers litigation, transactional and portfolio management advice on trade marks, with sector strengths including pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and chemicals. The team regularly acts for leading multinationals in these key sectors. Madrid's José Massaguer leads the team, and is experienced in trade mark defence before regulatory bodies and courts. Barcelona-based Montiano Monteagudo works with national and multinational clients on IP and unfair competition issues. Ingrid Pi i Amorós focuses on litigation.

Spain > Private equity Tier 1

Uría Menéndez is well versed in high-value private equity deals, and stands out for its office network and international best friends relationships, which make it well placed to handle cross-border transactions, particularly those involving Iberia and Latin America. Clients also benefit from the firm's full-service offering in Spain, which allows it to deploy multi-disciplinary teams of private equity, M&A, tax and finance lawyers. Manuel Echenique regularly takes a lead role on many of the department's private equity mandates; he co-heads the team with Francisco San Miguel. Christian Hoedl and Juan Miguel Goenechea Domínguez are also names to note.

Spain > Public law Tier 1

With ‘excellence, experience, a lot of technical knowledge and great commitment to the client', Uría Menéndez's public law department takes a cross-sector approach, with particular strength in finance, energy, infrastructure, transportation, natural resources, telecoms, water and health. In addition to its regulatory and litigation expertise, the department is known for public procurement, contracting work and health sector matters, where the department advises concessionaires of the public authorities and the main private health groups in Spain. Head of the public and environmental law team Mariano Magide stands out in the areas of constitutional and administrative law. Other key names for the firm are former lawyer for the state in the Spanish Constitutional Court Jesús Remón, and José Miguel Fatás, who advises on all aspects of administrative law, particularly in the telecoms and financial sectors, and also handles civil and administrative litigation and international arbitration.

Spain > Real estate and construction Tier 1

Providing ‘technical excellence and absolute availability’, Uría Menéndez has particular expertise in acquisition and financing transactions in the real estate sector. The firm has advised on matters involving offices, hotels and plots of land for development, as well as participating in real estate-related M&A and the transfer of iconic properties. The practice is also known for its substantial urban planning experience, based across its offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao. Fernando Azofra Vegas advises domestic and foreign companies on real estate, banking, asset finance and M&A transactions. He co-leads the team with corporate and commercial law expert Diego Armero Montes. The deep bench of expertise includes Ignacio Albiñana, who focuses his practice on M&A, real estate, banking and finance law; Javier Ruiz-Cámara, who is particularly active in asset finance, real estate refinancing, general real estate and NPL portfolio transactions; and senior associate Ivan Abad, who handles a range of matters, notably hotel deals and construction agreements.

Spain > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 1

The ‘perfect team’ at Uría Menéndez has the ability to ‘adapt to all situations and provides top-level proposals and solutions’. The ‘simply exceptional’ practice advises on company and group restructuring, debt refinancing, direct lending and special situations, as well as insolvency proceedings and related litigation. The firm also handles sales and acquisitions of non-strategic assets of financial institutions in Spain, including NPLs, real estate assets and property management platforms. Corporate, acquisition and project finance expert Ángel Pérez López leads the broad team of experts, which includes Carlos de Cárdenas Smith, who focuses on M&A, banking, finance and restructuring; and counsel Javier Rubio Sanz, who focuses on the negotiation and approval of refinancing agreements and judicial composition agreements.

Spain > Tax Tier 1

Providing 'technical soundness, good sense and prudence’, Uría Menéndez is known for its ability to ‘minimise tax risks by always putting itself in the customer's shoes and treating their problems as their own’. The ‘consistent, rigorous and dedicated’ practice is well versed in both contentious and non-contentious tax matters, including those related to business combinations, equity and finance restructurings, capital market deals, real estate transactions, corporate investments and business development structures, as well as policy developments. Practice head Rafael García Llaneza focuses on corporate tax, non-residents tax and accounting law. The deep bench of expertise includes ‘skilled negotiator’ David López Pombo, who ‘stands out in corporate taxation’; Víctor Viana Barral, who has the ability to ‘resolve seemingly intractable issues in tough negotiations with extraordinarily imaginative and highly tax efficient solutions’; Miguel Cremades, who handles corporate and international tax; and highly regarded senior associate Violeta Pina.

Spain > White-collar crime Tier 1

Uría Menéndez has cemented its reputation in the field of corporate criminal law and investigations through its involvement in high-profile cases, particularly in the financial services sector. The team has recently represented clients, which - aside from financial institutions - include major construction, engineering and energy companies, in criminal proceedings concerning fraud, corruption, money laundering and environmental offences. Óscar Morales, Ismael Clemente and Jaime Alonso jointly lead the practice; Manuel Álvarez and Enrique Rodríguez Celada are also noted. Carlos Bueren retired from practice.

Spain > Data privacy and data protection Tier 2

Leading companies in the technology, telecoms, social media and financial services sectors turn to Uría Menéndez's privacy and data protection team, which is ably led by Leticia López-Lapuente. The team remains busy advising clients on the data privacy aspects of new digital platforms and tools, and has also seen an uptick in cybersecurity work. The firm stands out for its longstanding expertise in the field of data privacy, as well as for its pro bono work, which includes the provision of privacy training to NGOs and foundations. In 2019, associate Reyes Bermejo Bosch was re-elected to the board of directors of the Spanish privacy association (APEP).

Spain > Projects and energy Tier 2

Uría Menéndez 'has a cohesive team that works wonders' and is noted for its 'exceptional technical knowledge'. It is often involved in relevant energy projects in Europe and Latin America, with recent work involving M&A, project finance and refinancing, where the team has experience on both the lender and borrower side. The sizeable team of corporate, commercial and finance specialists includes Ángel Pérez López, Juan Ignacio González Ruiz and Carlos López-Quiroga, who is also name to note for shipping and transport.

Spain > Transport: Other transport Tier 2

Particularly strong in aviation and shipping finance, Uría Menéndez also handles contentious and non-contentious logistics, transportation, urban mobility and technology matters. Combining cross-border transactional, litigation and regulatory expertise, the firm’s clients include port operators, terminals, tech companies, carriers by road, airlines, freight forwarders, shippers, energy and insurance companies. Practice head Carlos López-Quiroga specialises in maritime law and has experience in M&A in the transport sector, shipbuilding and tax lease structures. Also active in the area is associate Sofía Rodríguez Torres, who advises on domestic and international corporate, finance, maritime, aviation and transport law.

Spain > Transport: Shipping Tier 2

Advising insurers, reinsurers, P&I clubs and brokers, Uría Menéndez has particular strength acting for Scandinavian and US clients in shipping matters. The firm has substantial contentious and non-contentious expertise in maritime arbitration and M&A within the shipping and transport sector. Practice head Carlos López-Quiroga specialises in maritime law and has extensive experience in M&A in the transport sector, shipbuilding, tax lease structures for the acquisition of vessels, finance, transport and litigation. The team also benefits from the input of experienced associates, including José Sánchez-Fayos, who advises domestic and foreign shipping companies on a range of issues.

Latin America: International firms > Banking and finance Tier 4

Uría Menéndez has deep connections to Latin America, historically through its Spain offices and now also through its associated practice Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría in Colombia, Chile and Peru. The firm is at the forefront of energy and infrastructure finance, particularly for Spanish lenders and sponsors. It is also noted for restructurings and non-performing loan transactions. Eduardo Rodríguez-Rovira leads the Latin America group from Madrid where Ángel Pérez López is a key player in Latin America non-performing loan transactions.

Latin America: International firms > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Uría Menéndez is a leader in Spanish law-governed transactions and continues to deepen its presence in Latin America through Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría, its associate firm in Chile, Peru and Colombia. Eduardo Rodríguez-Rovira leads the Latin America group and has over 20 years experience in the region. Juan Martín Perrotto is noted for cross-border Latin America transactions involving investments from Europe and Asia. Pablo González-Espejo is key for Brazil deals, having focused on the jurisdiction for over 20 years; he led the team that advised Telefonica on its binding offer for the mobile assets of Oi, the Brazilian telecoms operator, jointly with Telecom Italia and America Movil, in relation to the  judicial reorganisation of Oi in Brazil.

Latin America: International firms > International arbitration Tier 4

Under the leadership of practice coordinators Gabriel Bottini (an experienced arbitrator) in Madrid and Fernando Aguilar de Carvalho in Lisbon, the international arbitration practice at Uría Menéndez has made steady progress, establishing itself as an independent department (separate from litigation, within the firm) over the course of the last year. Undertaking both commercial arbitration and investor-state disputes, the group has strong experience in the construction, agriculture and utilities sectors. Current matters include advising a consortium on a dispute arising from the construction of a tramway line in Ecuador and acting for the Dominican Republic in a PCA arbitration regarding state measures that resulted in an expropriation and consequent damages claims. However, Miguel Virgós left to establish his own eponymous boutique in February 2020.

Latin America: International firms > International arbitration > International arbitration Tier 4

Uría Menéndez