ECIJA > Madrid, Spain > Firm Profile
ECIJA Offices
TORRE DE CRISTAL
Pº DE LA CASTELLANA 259C
28046 MADRID
Spain
- Go to...
- Rankings
- Firm Profile
- Main Contacts
- Client Testimonials
- International Capabilities
- Diversity
- Press Releases
- Comparative Guides
ECIJA > The Legal 500 Rankings
Spain > Data privacy and data protection Tier 1
The IT, privacy and data protection practice at ECIJA remains a dominant force in the market, providing a comprehensive service to major multinational financial institutions and corporates on a broad span of issues. Such matters include the implementation of large data transfers and protection systems, regulatory compliance, litigation and sanctioning procedures, software rights and licensing issues. The team’s client portfolio includes household names including McDonald’s, Mercedes, Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Uber, and spans the retail, sport, technology, food and beverage, automotive, banking, IT and tourism sectors. In Madrid, managing partner Alejandro Touriño brings TMT expertise to the group, Daniel López advises on data security, and recently promoted partner Cristina Villasante specialises in digital transformation projects. Teresa Pereyra, an experienced data protection expert, and former associate at the firm, joined the team in September 2021.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘They are just brilliant. The know-how they have and the methodology is excellent. They are always available to help.’
‘I think it is the best team in Privacy and Technology, at least in Spain. They always anticipate our needs and are highly responsive to any unforeseen event.’
‘It is a perfectly coordinated team adapted to the day-to-day needs of the company. They stand out for their availability and for their knowledge of the internal functioning of a company, offering realistic and truly applicable solutions within the business.’
‘In-depth and up-to-date knowledge of the subject. They are people with a very marked vocation and it shows. Their contributions to complex problems are essential to provide realistic responses adapted to the needs of the company.’
Key clients
McDonald’s
Santander Bank
Segurcaixa Adeslas
Bupa Group (Sanitas)
AXA
Roche
Odeon & UCI cinemas group
H&M
Vodafone
Telefónica
Huawei
Dentsu Aegis Network
Mercedes
BNP Paribas
Liberty
Ferrovial
LG
Microsoft
LVMH
Hawkers
Orange
Loewe
Mediapro
Red Eléctrica
Enagás
Reale Seguros
Havaianas
Desigual
La Liga
Uber
Porsche
Renault
Schweppes
Coca-Cola
Work highlights
- Advised Inditex (a global retailer, which operates in 216 markets through its online platform) on information technology, privacy, new cookies requirements for websites and e-commerce, among other matters.
- Advising Mercadona Supermarkets on the implementation of the first European facial recognition system for the detection of persons with a final sentence and restraining order in its shops.
- Advised the Bank of Spain on the process of adaptation and compliance with the European and Spanish regulations on data protection, as well as its interrelation with other own economic, labour, tax and security regulations, providing support to the DPO in the issues that arise on a daily basis.
Spain > Industry focus: TMT Tier 1
ECIJA houses a large and ‘very responsive’ specialised TMT practice, which is always up to date ‘with the latest developments’ and earns plaudits for its ‘quality and knowledge’ of the sector. The team, which has established a strong reputation for matters pertaining to technology and the ‘the risks and opportunities’ in the sector, includes a number of renowned market experts, including founding partner Hugo Écija; managing partner Alejandro Touriño; ‘great negotiator’ Juan Salmeron; Emilio Prieto; and Cristina Villansante, appointed partner in December 2020. The department has been further reinforced with the arrival of two more partners, Helena Suárez and José Antonio Suárez, who joined from DA Lawyers in July 2021.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team are great because they understand profoundly the technology industry and the risks and opportunities within it.’
‘Juan Salmeron is a stand out partner in my view. Practical and a great negotiator.’
‘I believe that in Technology there is no other team like it in any other office in Spain. For their volume (they have an army of lawyers) and their ability to handle complex matters, they are excellent.’
‘I would highlight their availability and ability to resolve unforeseen events.’
‘It is a very business-oriented team that knows perfectly the sector on which they are required to give their advice.’
‘Speed, quality, and knowledge of the area of expertise.’
‘It is a specialty that requires high technical knowledge combined with the need to understand the specific needs of the business. This is something that ECIJA has achieved with great success.’
‘Precision and quality and sound advice always. Very responsive and always updated with the latest developments.’
Key clients
McDonalds
ACB (National Basketball League)
Sacyr
Inditex
Omnicom Media
Santander Bank
Segurcaixa Adeslas
Bupa Group (Sanitas)
ING
Havas Media
SAP
Mercadona
Atlético de Madrid
Roche
H&M
Vodafone
Telefonica
Huawei
Makro
NH Hotels
Meliá Hotels
Dentsu Aegis
Mercedes
BNP Paribas
Ferrovial
LG
Microsoft
LVMH
Orange
Loewe
Mediapro
Red Eléctrica
Havaianas
Desigual
La Liga
Porsche
Coca Cola
Uber
Glovo
Renault
Schweppes
Rakuten TV
Sky TV
Fox
Fremantle Media
Atresmedia
Mediapro
M&C Saatchi
Prisa Group
Hearts Magazines
Sony
Mediawan Studios
Philip Morris
Privalia (VeePee)
Work highlights
- Advising Inditex on information technology, privacy, new cookies requirements for websites and e-commerce, among other matters.
- Advising Mercadona on the implementation of the first European facial recognition system for the detection of persons.
- Advised Mediawan on all legal, corporate, and media regulatory aspects for the creation of a production hub in Spain, called Mediawan Studios Spain.
Spain > Intellectual property: Copyright Tier 2
Utilising its global presence (a combined hub of 57 offices in 18 countries) the IP team at ECIJA assists major multinationals on a broad spectrum of copyright issues. Collective management societies, audio-visual content distribution, market strategy, distribution agreement negotiation, copyright creation and regulatory compliance are among its areas of expertise. The multidisciplinary group counts telecoms, media, retail and software companies among its clients, including household names Microsoft, McDonald's, Facebook and Coca-Cola. Firm founder, chairman and partner Hugo Écija provides his expertise to advise clients in the media and new technologies sectors; he is joined by managing partner and president of the IT section for the Madrid Bar Association Alejandro Touriño; experienced technological contracts and software licence negotiator Cristina Villasante; and Juan Salmerón, who specialises in working with national and international TV and film producers.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘I have seen them grow for two decades and I have observed the way in which they have anticipated the rest of the sector, with a specialisation that in its day was an exception, and that they continue to lead because they always anticipate what is coming.’
‘Their personalized attention and their high specialization is what makes them different. Juan Salmerón is not only a great specialist and a great person, but he also has a side as a businessman that has opened doors for me to carry out projects that I would not have achieved otherwise. I really appreciate that involvement and also that he is always available.’
‘Direct and friendly treatment.’
‘Great knowledge of the company, the sector and new technologies.’
‘Ecija has a SUPER PROFESSIONAL team. The difference with other firms that I have worked with is the excellence of the human team in addition to the permanent availability to serve us professionally.’
Key clients
Microsoft
Mercedes Benz
Santander Bank
H&M
McDonald’s
Segurcaixa Adeslas
Sky TV
LVMH
Orange
ING Bank
Adidas
LG Electronics
Porsche
Huawei
Vodafone
Coca-Cola
Bundesliga
Hotelbeds
Meliá Hotels
NH Hotels
Bankinter
ACB (Spanish Basketball League)
La Liga (Spanish Football League)
Omnicom Group
Dentsu Aegis
Havas Media
Desigual
BSA (Business Software Alliance)
Work highlights
- Advising Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) on expanding its international presence through the opening of branded stores in new territories (such as US, Russia, Middle East, Mexico, etc.), and launching an e-commerce branded channel.
- Advised a major Video-on-Demand provider on managing all IP licensing matters, including acquisition of third-party rights and the selling of own generated content.
- Advised a well-known fashion producer on the design and execution of a digital franchise system and entry into 108 new markets.
Spain > Dispute resolution Tier 3
Firm-wide, ECIJA has grown significantly in recent years – in terms of headcount, clients and areas of practice – and this trend of expansion can also be seen in its dispute resolution practice. In team developments, Librado Loriente was promoted to partner, and Ana Belén Spinola was promoted to manager, in February 2021, and the department has recently won several new clients in the hotels, media and sports sectors, among others. Also of note is the firm’s extensive office network, particularly in Latin America, making the team well placed to handle a range of disputes, both domestic and cross-border. Javier Lopez and José María Abella are also noted. Jordi Pujante is a key contact in the Barcelona office.Other key lawyers:
Javier López; César Zarate; José María Abella; Víctor Moralo; Jordi Pujante; Rafael Azpitarte; Cristina Llop; Yolanda Lobao; Maite Mascaró; Librado Loriente; Ana Belén Spinola
Testimonials
‘They are very close and it is easy to contact them. They are a young and dynamic team.’
‘The firm creates strong ties with its clients based on proximity, technical solvency and maximum involvement. Their main strength is that they have achieved a high degree of knowledge of the internal processes of our company. For us it is essential to avoid standard solutions and receive a personalised approach to litigation.’
‘The technical solvency coupled with its closeness in the deal are its great virtues. The bond that is generated with the client makes it possible at all times to have the feeling of working as a team, and their wide availability to attend to emergencies constitutes an important value. The team led by Librado Loriente offers us a service with a high degree of excellence.’
‘Knowledge and follow-up of the project in an impeccable way. They make difficult situations easy. Very good coordination between the clients, witnesses, experts, etc.’
‘Jose Maria Abella is an exceptional leader in this practice.’
‘They have the flexibility and practical knowledge that this practice requires, not for that reason abandoning the theoretical knowledge that is undoubtedly essential. It compares very favourably with law firms of a similar size and presence in the legal market.’
‘Ecija is a firm in which experience and young talent are mixed. My treatment with Javier López is unbeatable, his knowledge of legal and practical aspects in contentious matters is of incredible value. Librado Loriente is also a great asset of the firm.’
Key clients
H&M
ING Bank
Orange
LG Electronics
Ferrovial
Accor Hotels
Starlite International Festival
Mediapro
Cajamar
Axactor
Atlético de Madrid Football Club
Spanish Hospitality Association
Santander Bank
Evolution Yachts
Helidosa Aviation Group
Hawkers
M&C Saachi Group
Atresmedia
Work highlights
- Represents the interests of Hostelería de España, including in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the client against the resolutions of the State and the Autonomous Communities in which the closure of hotels, restaurants and leisure establishments was agreed.
- Defended the interests of Ferrovial in a legal proceeding filed by Barcelona’s Port Authority, which claimed more than €97m from the client.
- Represents ING Bank in a judicial proceeding against REPUBLIC RETAILERS concerning an alleged contractual liability regarding a finance leasing contract.
Spain > Environment Tier 3
ECIJA has quickly established an impressive sustainability and environment practice, which attracts clients from a diverse range of sectors, including regional governments, charities and NGOs, and sports clubs. The ‘brilliant team of experienced and trustworthy lawyers‘ is ‘very well positioned in terms of waste management, ecological transition and circular economy‘ matters, and is also well versed in urban planning and land use. Environmental law and urban planning specialist Víctor Moralo ‘combines the highest legal skills with tireless commitment and steadfast determination to achieve the client’s success‘. Magdalena Bertram, Jordi Bonet and David Sánchez Lanuza are other names to note.Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The firm is very well positioned in terms of waste management, ecological transition and circular economy, both at the level of advice to companies and regional governments. It has participated as an advisor in the drafting of waste legislation.’
‘Good knowledge of the sector and transparency, making the relationship highly trustworthy.’
‘From my point of view, the main virtue of this firm is its knowledge of the sector. This makes them know perfectly how to propose strategies, solutions and actions. And also, very efficiently. I would also highlight the great personal treatment, which always facilitates communication. And specifically, I would highlight Víctor Moralo.’
‘They are an expert firm and very diligent in the matters in which they work. Especially in environmental issues such as waste management and water.’
‘Without a doubt, Victor Moralo is an outstanding member of the Ecija team, highly specialised in the issues that we require.’
‘For me, the rigor with which they deal with matters, specifically Víctor Moralo in the environmental area stands out for his humility and professionalism, being a heavyweight in terms of detailed analysis and proposal of solutions; for me this is a quality of excellence in a lawyer.’
‘Ecija has a brilliant team of experienced and trustworthy lawyers led by Victor Moralo. Constantly available and putting himself, and the team, out on behalf of their clients, his commitment and expertise can assure the best outcome in all cases. Their knowledge on the subject – environmental law at local, regional, national and international levels- is up to date, deep and interrelated to other relevant issues. Our experience proves that Ecija are not only dependable and skilled, but think out of the box and present creative and efficient solutions which have been emulated at EU institutions’
‘Victor Moralo combines the highest legal skills with tireless commitment and steadfast determination to achieve the client’s success. His attention to detail and to possible twists in the process together with his unwavering tenacity are crucial assets. As well as a brilliant lawyer, Mr Moralo has a warm and trustworthy personality with a sense of humor. Always ready to go that extra mile for his clients, his reputation in the field is ever-growing.’
Key clients
Atletico de Madrid Football Club
LG Electronics
Melia Hotels
MAKRO
GreenPeace
Tomra
Regional Government of the Balearic Islands
Regional Government of Valencia
Regional Government of Catalonia
Artificial Intelligence Structures
INTERNACO
ANDRIA SERVICIOS INMOBILIARIOS
Madrid Town Council
SAREB Bank
PARCESA
Friends of Earth NGO
Work highlights
- Acts as advisor on environmental legal issues to Greenpeace on the case brought by it and Spain’s other major ecological groups before the European Commission against the Spanish state for failure to comply with the preparatory objective for reutilisation and recycling.
- Advising Makro on the adoption of measures to comply with the provisions contained in waste prevention, recycling, reuse and restriction of disposable plastic products such as coffee capsules and single-use plastic tableware.
- Acts as advisor on environmental law issues to Melia Hotels.
Spain > White-collar crime Tier 3
Part of the firm's dispute resolution practice, the corporate crime group at ECIJA utilises its experienced team of 29 partners and global network (27 offices in 16 countries) to advise national and international corporations and individuals on a broad range of matters. These range from specialised risk advice for start-ups to comprehensive regulatory compliance strategies, such as risk management systems, anti-corruption policies, ethics codes and internal investigations. Led by corporate law expert and firm executive vice president Pablo Jiménez De Parga, the group’s portfolio features well-known companies as well as prominent individuals. The team is supported by dispute resolution partner José María Abella and regulatory compliance specialist César Zárate.Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘I chose Pablo Jiménez de Parga because I knew that he was one of the top in the sector, with very famous cases, and what has surprised me is his total availability and dedication.’
‘The team is multidisciplinary and addresses all the problems that arise with great professionalism.’
‘Great legal knowledge, knowledge of how our company works, they are versatile, flexible and adapt to internal requirements with enormous agility and efficiency.’
Key clients
Cofely España
JMAC Corporation
Makro
Indra
Kuailian (Private investors)
Alterna
Orange
The Phone House
Trece TV
Work highlights
- Conducting the defence of Manuel Chaves González, former President of the Government of Andalucía, in the criminal procedure known as “Caso ERE Andalucía”.
- Defending a client in the “Caso Palau-Millet” corruption case.
- Defending an individual in the “Caso Bankia” case, in which the top leaders of Bankia have been investigated and tried for having committed the crimes of investor fraud and accounting falsehood during the IPO of Bankia.
Spain > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4
Home to ‘top professionals’, ECIJA’s sizeable team consists of 50 lawyers and 20 partners locally; it recently added further depth to its ranks through the arrival of Borja Díaz-Guerra, former practice head of Benow Partners S.L.P., who joins with 14 years’ worth of experience in mergers, spin-offs, dissolutions, due diligence processes and restructurings. The ‘first-class’ Emilio Prieto is particularly integral to the practice and has garnered praise for his work on TMT-related deals.Other key lawyers:
Magdalena Bertram; Emilio Prieto; Leticia Domínguez; Borja Díaz-Guerra
Testimonials
‘I would say that Écija is at the top of experts who know the world of startups and scaleups in Spain and therefore it requires less effort to involve them in operations because they are already up to date with the main parameters.’
‘Closeness, strength, agility, ability to adapt.’
‘The ECIJA team has great virtues: 1. They work side by side with the client as if they were one 2. They do not focus on fees, dedicating the hours necessary for the success of the project. 3. Great technical knowledge, in all matters.’
‘Borja Diaz is our lawyer of reference. 1 Closeness to the client. 2 Empathy with the customer. 3 Adaptation to customer needs. 4 Search for the optimal solution for the client.’
‘Pragmatic, timely and quality advice. Excellent value for money.’
‘Emilio Prieto is a first-class corporate lawyer and at ease with a wide variety of cross-border commercial transactions. He is great partner to work with on difficult deals.’
‘We are extremely satisfied with Écija, they are great professionals who know the sector very well and know how to air problem areas in companies (be it labor, balance, tax, etc.) of which many times we were not at all aware. In my experience, they are always available for a contact, and are very flexible in case a change of situation forces you to change your approach to work midway through. We have worked especially with Magdalena Beltrán.’
‘Borja Díaz Guerra is without doubt a high-flyer given, in particular, his relative young age. He has an understated approach to his work, meticulous attention to detail and always retains in mind the big picture for the client – very commercial. We also appreciate his international background and know-how which gives significant comfort to our international investors.’
Key clients
Jenoptik AG
The Boeing Company
Deutsche Boerse AG
Enimbos
Globomedia
Honeywell
Yahoo
Pfizer
M&C Saatchi
Melia Hotel Group
Sony
PREMO GROUP
BDI Group
CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY (CSC)
GM Food Iberica
DHL
Atlético de Madrid Football Club
EOLIA
Conexo Ventures
Jenoptik AG
The Boeing Company
Deutsche Boerse AG
Enimbos
Globomedia
Honeywell
Yahoo
Pfizer
M&C Saatchi
Melia Hotel Group
Sony
PREMO GROUP
BDI Group
CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY (CSC)
GM Food Iberica
DHL
Atlético de Madrid Football Club
EOLIA
Conexo Ventures
Work highlights
- Advised Deutsche Boerse on a $15m investment round in Clarity AI, which is a Spanish fintech company that leverages Big Data and machine learning (ML) to help investors and traders understand the social impact of their investment portfolios.
- Represented Jenoptik in the purchase of the entire share capital of Broxburn, holding company of a robotic group operating in the the automotive sector.
- Advised on the purchase and sale of majority stake of Good Mood Productions to Mediawan.
Spain > Intellectual property: Trade marks Tier 4
Spain > EU and competition Tier 5
Patricia Liñan and Pedro Ayllón head the EU and antitrust practice at ECIJA. Liñan joined the firm in February 2021 from Bird & Bird, strengthening the department's competition capabilities, particularly in procedures before the CNMC and the European Commission, compliance training and damages claims. The department's client roster includes notable players from the telecoms, health and banking sectors, among others.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘I’d highlight their subject knowledge and experience in similar cases.’
‘Patricia Liñan stands out for her delivery and speed in resolution.’
Key clients
NOKIA
SPANISH BANK CONSORTIUM
LACTALIS
MEDTRONIC
PRIVALIA
BERGE GROUP
EURO 6000
RABOBANK
RECIRSA
HERMANOS CORREDOR
PROMOFARMA
CAF
BALEARIC TRANSPORT FEDERATION
Work highlights
- Representing Nokia in an investigation carried out by the Spanish Competition Authority in the railway safety and communications sector.
- Assisting Sociedad de Bancos Españoles para la Colaboración en Pagos, in all competition related matters in connection with its participation in the European Payments Initiative (EPI).
- Representing Lactalis in an appeal against a CNMC sanction for alleged price information exchanges.
Spain > Banking and finance Tier 7
ECIJA stands out for its sizeable offering for fintech and financial regulation, in which it advises a host of multinational banks and financial entities. Managing partner Alejandro Touriño has a grounding in IT and technology law, providing a strong base for the team’s fintech work. María González, Cristina Villasante and Alonso Hurtado are key contacts for compliance in the fintech space as well as wider IT issues for financial entities. Magdalena Bertram concentrates on transactional matters.Other key lawyers:
Alejandro Touriño; María González; Alonso Hurtado; Magdalena Bertram; Cristina Villasante; Daniel López Carballo; Patricia Liñan; Juan Eugenio Tordesillas
Testimonials
‘The team is always available and fully understands the needs of the business. It always puts itself in our position and does not limit itself to indicating what the norm says. Tries to find new alternatives with us. The relationship with the team is also unbeatable.’
‘María González is always aware of our needs and available, she also has extensive knowledge of regulation in data matters, PSD2 and in general in matters related to the digitization of financial services.’
Key clients
World Bank
Santander Bank
American Express
ING Bank
Bnext
Bank of Portugal
Bank of Spain
Bankinter Consumer Finance
SAP Concur
Signaturit
RCI Bank
VWFS – Volkswagen Financial Services
BBVA
Santander Consumer Finance
WiZink Bank
Euro 6000 (E6K)
Pichincha Bank
Triodos Bank
Bankia Bank
Paymatico
BFF Bank
Viabill Platform
PagoNxt
Directa24
Iberaval
Kineox
Monese
EPI (European Payments Initiative)
Zotapay
Commerzbank
Rabobank
La Caixa
PSA Finance
Spanish Banks Consortium
Work highlights
- Advising Banco Santander’s PagoNxt Platform on regulatory and legal matters.
- Assisting Wizink with the technological and regulatory impact on matters such as banking regulations, fraud prevention and debt recovery, among others.
- Acting for a consortium of twelve Spanish banks in their joint participation in the European Payments Initiative (EPI) project for the creation of a European payments solution.
Spain > Private equity
Colombia > TMT
The former Márquez Barrera Castañeda Ramírez (MBCR) became ECIJA Colombia in May 2021 following its association with Spanish firm -and telecoms heavyweight- ECIJA, which now has a presence in 14 jurisdictions across the Latin American region. MBCR had already made a name in the market on the back of its regulatory expertise in TMT and entertainment law, but had experienced personnel movement prior to the tie-up. Former practice co-head Natalia Barrera Silva moved in house as regional director of business and legal affairs at Netflix in October 2020, which also saw the arrival of IP and entertainment law specialist Patricia Renjifo (former founder of specialist consultancy Ley en Moviminento) as partner and practice co-head; and Victor Cuéllar Olarte (fomerly legal and public affairs director for Colombia at American Tower) as of counsel. Renjifo co-heads team with competition specialist Pablo Márquez (a former chairman of Colombia’s Commission for Communications Regulation), and contentiois specialist Julio Castañeda who handles both litigation and representation before regulatory authorities in the sector. Key support is provided by of counsel Pablo Onofre (merger control and antitrust, ICT law, and privacy & data protection); and senior associate Andrés Paillié (consumer protection, media, IP and entertainment law). As evidenced in a client roster that includes Foxtelecolombia, CMO Producciones and MediaPro, the practice has particular strength in media and entertainment. Recent matters include advising MercadoLibre (and payment processor MercadoPago) on regulatory matters, e-commerce regulation, privacy law and consumer law, among other matters.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Telefonica
ACN
SoyYo
Mercado Libre Colombia
American Towers Corporation
Samsung Colombia
Celsia
Airbnb
Jaguar Bite
CMO Producciones
MediaPro-Televideo
Camino
1TPE Comunicaciones Colombia
ECIJA > Firm Profile
ECIJA is one of the best multidisciplinary and independent firms in the Spanish market, as well as the firm of choice for TMT, IP and data protection. ECIJA has 29 offices in 16 countries and the largest presence of an Ibero-American firm in Latin America.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings | Gabriel Nadal | ||
| Commercial agreements | Juan Salmerón | ||
| Commercial agreements | Elena Annez de Taboada | ||
| Corporate/M&A | Hugo Écija | ||
| Corporate/M&A | Emilio Prieto | ||
| Corporate/M&A | Gabriel Nadal | ||
| Intellectual property and copyright | Hugo Écija | ||
| Intellectual property and copyright | Juan Salmerón | ||
| Intellectual property and copyright | Alejandro Touriño | ||
| IT, telecoms, data protection and outsourcing | Carlos Pérez | ||
| IT, telecoms, data protection and outsourcing | Alejandro Touriño | ||
| IT, telecoms, data protection and outsourcing | Alonso Hurtado | ||
| IT, telecoms, data protection and outsourcing | Xavier Muñoz | ||
| Labour and employment | Raúl Rojas | ||
| Labour and employment | Alfonso Autuori | ||
| Litigation and arbitration | Javier López | ||
| Litigation and arbitration | Maite Mascaró | ||
| Media and entertainment | Hugo Écija | ||
| Media and entertainment | Juan Salmerón | ||
| Public policy and regulatory | Xavier Muñoz | ||
| Private equity and venture capital | Emilio Prieto | ||
| Private equity and venture capital | Ricardo Oliveras | ||
| Real estate and planning | Gabriel Nadal | ||
| Real estate and planning | Maite Mascaró | ||
| Sport | Hugo Écija | ||
| Spanish and international tax | Constantino Vidal | ||
| Spanish and international tax | Nazario Mendoza | ||
| Sport | Ricardo Oliveras |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 750Languages
Spanish Catalan Euskera English French German ItalianMemberships
Meritas International Law FirmsOther
Other offices : Madrid Other offices : Barcelona Other offices : Valencia Other offices : Zaragoza Other offices : Islas Canarias Other offices : Lisbon/ Porto/ Braga Other offices : Santiago de Chile Other offices : Tegucigalpa / San Pedro Sula Other offices : San Jose/ Guanacaste Other offices : Managua Other offices : Guatemala Other offices : San Salvador Other offices : Panama Other offices : Rio de Janeiro/ São Paulo/ Brasilia/ Belo Horizonte Other offices : Bogotá Other offices : Mexico Other offices : Buenos Aires Other offices : Quito /GuayaquilClient Testimonials
CLIENT: Xavier Mas, Head of Legal & Compliance
COMPANY/FIRM: Media Markt
TESTIMONIAL: ECIJA offers us a comprehensive service, with very short response times but at the same time with an unbeatable technical level. The advice is exceptionally accurate, practical and proactive.
CLIENT: Virginia Cardenal Antón, Head of Management and Risks
COMPANY/FIRM: British Telecom
TESTIMONIAL: After so long, we continue trusting ECIJA as our legal partner because of its high dose of proactivity, knowledge of its clients’ sector, and its undoubted talent.
CLIENT: Manuel Urbano, CFO
COMPANY/FIRM: FremantleMedia
TESTIMONIAL: ECIJA’s team always proves to have a wide knowledge of the peculiarities of the media sector, giving high quality coverage to our legal needs in various areas of our business
CLIENT: Antonio García, General Counsel
COMPANY/FIRM: Orange
TESTIMONIAL: At ECIJA customer orientation prevails, understanding what you need, anticipating your needs and giving quick, effective and business-focused advice.
International Capabilities
Chairman: Hugo Écija
Vice President: Pablo Jiménez de Parga
Managing Partner: Alejandro Touriño
Number of partners: 140 Number of lawyers: 700
Languages: English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin
Firm Overview: ECIJA is one of the best multidisciplinary and independent firms in the Spanish market and also the firm of choice for TMT, IP and data protection. ECIJA has 27 offices in 16 countries (Spain, Portugal and LATAM) and the largest presence in Latin America.
Main Areas of Practice:
IT, Telecoms, Data Protection & Outsourcing:
22 partners; 120 fee earners based in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. TMT IT is a main area of focus for ECIJA. Its client´s portfolio includes large media corporations, software developers, advertising groups, electronics, telecommunication operators, financial institutions and energy companies.
- Advice to Santander Bank to implement a legal design project in regard to the master agreement with technological providers.
- Support to Mercadona in the implementation of a facial recognition technology system in all the company´s premises.
- Advice to McDonalds in compliance of privacy and data protection obligations in Spain.
Key Clients: Mercedes, LVMH Group, Microsoft, Inditex, Michelin, Telefónica, Santander, LG Electronics, Bank of Spain, Dentsu.
Contacts: Alejandro Touriño, Hugo Écija
Emails: atourino@ecija.com, hugo@ecija.com
Intellectual Property & Copyrights:
16 partners; 90 fee earners based in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. ECIJA has the largest, most skilled and diversified (it combines informatic engineers) team in IP in the Span- ish market.
- Advice to Rakuten TV on all IP licensing matters, including acquisition of third-party rights and the selling of own generated content.
- Negotiation on behalf of Orange with the nine copyright and related rights collective management societies (CMOs) that operate in Spain.
Key Clients: H&M, Fox, Rakuten TV, Indra, NH Hotels, Ferrovial, Vodafone, ONCE; Omnicom Media Group.
Contacts: Alejandro Touriño, Hugo Écija
Emails: atourino@ecija.com, hugo@ecija.com
Corporate/M&A & Private Equity:
53 partners; 70 fee earners based in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. ECIJA advices large Spain-based and international corporations, VC and private equity investors in na- tional and cross border transactions. ECIJA has wide expertise in sectors driven by innovation (such as tech- nology, clean energy, automotive, aerospace, financial services and life sciences).
- Counsel to Jenoptik AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange listed company) in the two first acquisitions of robotic companies in Spain.
- Advice to Deutsche Boerse AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange listed company) in a $15 million investment round in a fintech company.
Key Clients: Yahoo, Pfizer, The Boeing Company, Honeywell, Melia Hotel Group, M&C Saatchi, Jenoptik AG, DHL and Deutsche Boerse AG.
Contacts: Emilio Prieto, Gabriel Nadal
Emails: eprieto@ecija.com, gnadal@ecijalegal.com
Dispute Resolution, Litigation & Arbitration:
39 partners; 1200 fee earners based in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. ECIJA represents major clients in relevant cases in dispute resolution in technology, media, telecoms, construction and sports industries. The firm is pioneer in the use of new technologies such as ‘ethical hacking’ aimed to determine the source of criminal acts and collect digital evidence valid in Court proceedings.
- Representation of Orange in a large-scale volume proceeding in both civil and administrative proceedings.
- Representation of H&M in relevant a dispute in the civil and mercantile sphere concerning one of the company’s flagships stores.
Key Clients: Hiscox, British Telecom, Mercadona, Renault, Atletico de Madrid Club, Orange, ING Bank, EDP, Ferrovial, Starlite, Showa International
Contacts: Pablo Jiménez de Parga, Javier López,
Emails: pjdeparga@ecija.com, jlopez@ecija.com
Labour & Employment:
27 partners; 50 fee earners based in Spain, Portugal and Latin America. ECIJA acts in judicial processes in all matters and in collective bargaining processes and restructurings. It has a multidisciplinary division of professionals who are experts in LabourTech and Compliance.
- Advice to Bank of Spain on the implementation of a Security Operations Center (SOC) for monitoring technological systems and employees.
- Advice to ING Bank on use of technological means policy and digital disconnection policy.
Key Clients: Bank of Spain, Melia Hotels, Radisson Hotels, Eolia Energy, Vivanta, Atresmedia, ING Bank, Fremantle Media, MC & Saatchi
Contacts: Raúl Rojas, Fernando Vizcaino
Emails: rrojas@ecija.com, fvizcaino@ecija.com
Tax:
18 partners; 30 fee earners based in Spain, Portugal, Latin and Central America. ECIJA advises on tax driven structured finance, leasing and collective investment arrangements. The area focuses on corporate and international taxation, corporate reorganizations, digital society taxation and tax procedures.
- Advice to DHL on its indirect taxation policy.
- Advice to Repsol Foundation in the process of investment in startups (venture philanthropy).
Key Clients: Pilatus Aircraft Limited, Sprim Health Group; Repsol Foundation, DHL Global Forwarding
Contact: Constantino Vidal
Email: cvidal@ecija.com
Awards:
- Best Digital Economy, IT, IP and Data Protec- tion Law Firm of the Spanish Market and Most Innovative Project (Expansión Awards 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
- European Specialist (TMT) Law Firm and Highly Commended best Iberian Law Firm (The Lawyer 2019, 2020)
- Ranked amongst the most innovative law firms in Europe (Financial Times 2020)
Diversity
Diversity is a crucial value in ECIJA´s culture.
ECIJA is concerned about fostering diversity and granting inclusion. ECIJA’s challenge consists of officially shape its already open and flexible nature, in order to measure it and follow its application.
ECIJA has experienced how diversity and plurality enriches its daily work. This richness lies on the singularity of each lawyer. Based on that, ECIJA follows the way to adapt the Firm to each employee’s own features, providing accordingly personalized treatment (flexibility).
The keystone is structural change, allowing integration of every valid professional. We bet for a fully inclusive culture, focusing on talent, achievements and performance, putting aside subjective characteristics. For this reason, 2020 Sustainability strategy is focused on achieving real equality among ECIJA´s professionals as a first step in order to achieve real equality in our society.
ECIJA aims all the aforementioned intentions to permeate its daily working practices. In this sense, ECIJA develops a Global Diversity Program. This program consists of multiple initiatives, some of which are related to the formal functioning of the Firm (internal processes and procedures), while others are specific actions (workgroups and communication tools). Thanks to our innovative DNA, most of those initiatives are quite new and disruptive in Law Firms environment:
More Women STEM
This project aims to reveal the crucial role women play in professional environment and its leadership and guidance in future Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics careers.
It is focussed on promoting women’s role as change agent and encourages access of young women to future STEM professions. Particularly, this project provides teenage students with useful tools which will help them in their decision-making path in order to start successful professional careers.
Female students must realize their professional evolution is rooftop-less. They can reach as far as they want, and no social consensus must limit their dreams.
Conciliation and gender equality Committee
This workgroup is composed by ECIJA volunteers that, sponsored by the management team, meet periodically to discuss activities and actions which might help ECIJA walk the conciliation and equality path.
Internal communication open policy
ECIJA makes available to its professionals various internal, online and bidirectional communication channels. ECIJA’s lawyers feel free to express their points of view openly. ECIJA encourages its employees to freely share their interests and opinions via said communication channels.
There is also a specific area, named People & Culture, fully dedicated to listening and taking care of the Firm’s professionals. This specific team is led by the Chief Happiness Officer, whose main responsibility is to maintain ECIJA’s Happiness index at a top level.
Flexible schedule
In order to facilitate the inclusion of every profile, ECIJA grants 100% flexible working hours, without a specific hour of start and finish of workday. This policy enables employees to organize their work around their lives, not the other way around. As a result, almost 100% of ECIJA´s professionals have different working hours each day.
Smart Working
ECIJA also allows employees to work wherever they want, with no other requisite than covering their duties. The telework policy has no limitation in days or reasons. ECIJA relies, once more, in its professionals’ common sense. The Firm is focused on productivity and results, not in formality and rigorous working hours.
Press Releases
ECIJA GPA strengthens its presence in Ecuador with the opening of a new office in Manta
3rd February 2022 ECIJA GPA starts the year reinforcing its team with Ingrid Rodriguez as the new partner of the Manta office.Comparative Guides
-
Ecuador: Energy - Oil & Gas
Published: December 2021
Authors: Gonzalo González Bayardo Poveda Gustavo Arrobo-Moncayo
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Energy - Oil & Gas laws and regulations that may occur in Ecuador.
-
Dominican Republic: Private Client
Published: January 2022
Authors: Christian Molina Polibio Valenzuela Gabriel Dejarden
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Private Client laws and regulations that may occur in Dominican Republic.
- Data privacy and data protection
- Industry focus: TMT
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Intellectual property: Copyright
Firm Rankings
- Colombia > TMT