Latham & Watkins LLP > Madrid, Spain > Firm Profile
Latham & Watkins LLP Offices
Plaza de la Independencia, 6
Madrid 28001
Spain
Latham & Watkins LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Spain > Banking and finance Tier 2
Latham & Watkins LLP stands out for its ability to handle cross-border financial transactions, with the Madrid team frequently working alongside the firm’s offices in London, Milan and the US to advise on high-value matters. The team members are highly regarded for their expertise in debt restructurings, but are also experienced in asset finance, acquisition finance and direct lending, acting for clients including leading Spanish and international banks and private equity firms. Fernando Colomina serves as Spanish chair of the finance department, and co-heads the team with Pedro de Rojas, whose practice also covers leveraged transactions and corporate finance. Counsel Luis Sánchez is noted for his advice on investments by specialised investment funds in distressed assets.Practice head(s):
Fernando Colomina; Pedro de Rojas
Other key lawyers:
Luis Sánchez; Aitor Errasti
Spain > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
At Latham & Watkins LLP, a US headquartered firm, the team in Spain hones its focus on deals within the private equity, energy, real estate, healthcare and telecoms sector. Ignacio Pallarés handles acquisitions and divestitures related to both public and private companies, regulatory transaction on transactions which intersect the North American, Asian, Latin American and European markets; he co-leads the team alongside MarÃa José Descalzo who is particularly acclaimed for matters within the energy and infrastructure sectors. The team was significantly bolstered in September 2022 as Alejandro Ortiz, one of the market’s leading dealmakers, joined from Linklaters.Practice head(s):
MarÃa José Descalzo; Ignacio Pallarés
Other key lawyers:
Ignacio Gómez-Sancha; José Antonio Sánchez Dafos; Alejandro Ortiz
Work highlights
Spain > EU and competition Tier 2
Latham & Watkins has 'enormous experience' of advising major Spanish and international companies on obtaining merger and foreign direct investment clearances from the national and EU competition authorities, as well as in other jurisdictions around the world. The team also has a strong track record of representing clients in investigations by the CNMC and in subsequent litigation before the national courts of all levels, as well as handling private enforcement actions and state aid proceedings. The team in Madrid is led by José MarÃa Jiménez-Laiglesia, who has extensive experience of advising Spanish multinationals on high-profile competition matters, and can also draw on the support of Javier Ruiz Calzado, Héctor Armengod and Carles Esteva Mosso in Brussels.
Practice head(s):
José MarÃa Jiménez-Laiglesia
Other key lawyers:
Javier Ruiz Calzado; Héctor Armengod; Carles Esteva; Carlos Betoret
Testimonials
‘José MarÃa Jiménez-Laiglesia and his team are great lawyers with enormous experience in competition matters. They propose ideas and suggestions that are highly valued.’
Spain > Private equity Tier 2
In a headline move, Latham & Watkins LLP recently welcomed Alejandro Ortiz from Linklaters; he arrives with a reputation as one of the market’s go-to names for blockbuster deals, having overseen some of the market’s largest takeover bid, LBO and exit transactions. The practice, which was already home to a number of seasoned practitioners, is especially accomplished within sectors such as real estate, technology, financial services, manufacturing, infrastructure and retail and is co-headed by Ignacio Pallarés  and MarÃa José Descalzo; the former leverages a track record of having overseen large deals throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas while the latter hones her focus on IPOs, project finance, joint ventures and M&A within the energy field.Practice head(s):
Ignacio Pallarés; MarÃa José Descalzo
Other key lawyers:
Ignacio Gómez-Sancha; José Antonio Sánchez Dafos; Rafael Molina
Testimonials
‘What makes this practice unique is their ability to work with their US counterparts in a fairly seamless fashion. This was incredibly important for our process. Level of professionalism, responsiveness and ability to communicate local business process requirements and Spain specific protocols was extremely helpful.’
‘Each of these folks were incredibly on point, timely and really push the opposing counsel to move on an expedited timeline.’
Work highlights
Spain > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 2
Latham & Watkins LLP's practice stands out for its strength in cross-border restructurings, acting alongside the firm's international offices on a number of high-profile recent transactions. The team, which assists a wide range of creditors, debtors and investors, is also active in complex debt refinancings, distressed M&A and insolvency litigation. Practice head Pedro de Rojas is a highly regarded practitioner, with an excellent track record in handling multi-jurisdictional restructurings. Ignacio Gómez-Sancha has expertise in advising listed companies on restructurings, Fernando Colomina handles the financing side of complex restructurings, and Óscar Franco is a specialist in insolvency litigation.Practice head(s):
Pedro de Rojas
Other key lawyers:
Ignacio Gómez-Sancha; Óscar Franco; Fernando Colomina; Luis Sánchez; Carmen Alonso
Spain > Tax Tier 2
Latham & Watkins LLP's 'first-rate' team handles the tax aspects of complex, cross-border transactions, including M&A deals, restructurings, capital markets and financial matters. The group has extensive experience in advising major Spanish corporations on international transactions, as well as foreign financial institutions and private equity funds on investments in the Spanish market. Practice co-head Jordi DomÃnguez is active in high-profile M&A, private equity, banking and capital markets transactions, while practice co-head Iván Rabanillo has expertise in advising on the tax aspects of cross-border transactions. Associate Blanca Vázquez de Castro acts for clients from the real estate, telecoms and financial services sectors.Practice head(s):
Jordi DomÃnguez; Iván Rabanillo
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘A first-rate multidisciplinary team. The service is incredible.’
‘Jordi DomÃnguez, Blanca Vázquez de Castro and Juan RodrÃguez are all an absolute ten out of ten in terms of professionalism, speed of response, availability, depth of analysis and closeness with the client.’
Spain > Capital markets: Equity Tier 3
Spain > Real estate and construction Tier 3
Often assisting institutional investors and private equity firms, the team at Latham & Watkins LLP regularly collaborates with the firm's M&A and financing departments to handle real estate matters. Rafael Molina leads the practice and draws on over 20 years of experience in corporate, finance and real estate deals. He is reputed for his work in distressed transactions, and also advises global and regional financial institutions, investors and investment banks on an array of other corporate and real estate investments. Veronika Miskovichova has been particularly involved in NPL and REO portfolio mandates.Practice head(s):
Rafael Molina
Other key lawyers:
Veronika Miskovichova
Testimonials
‘The team is very strong and capable of dealing with highly complex negotiations and transactions, they are always providing alternatives and solutions. The quality of the work and their negotiation skills are a plus point.’
‘Rafael Molina, in addition to his knowledge, is a great negotiator, and handles operations very well.’
‘What makes this practice unique are three things: closeness to the client, technical and market knowledge, and excellent service.’
Key clients
Activum SG Iberia
Apollo Management International
Arcano Partners
Avenue Capital
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Blackbrook Capital
Cerberus Capital Management
Fortress Investment Group
Goldman Sachs
Hyatt Hotels Corporation
KKR
Pradera
Savills
Spain > Dispute resolution Tier 5
Major private equity houses and investment funds turn to Latham & Watkins LLP‘s Madrid-based team for assistance in high-value disputes concerning their portfolio companies in Spain and the acquisition of loan portfolios, respectively. Commercial litigation involving contracts and other agreements is also a mainstay for the team, which is also active in arbitration. Practice head Óscar Franco is noted for his ‘agility in solutions‘, ‘precision in diagnosis‘ and ‘incredible ease of negotiating with counterparties‘. He is supported by associate Roberto Muñoz, who is quickly gaining experience in domestic and cross-border disputes.Practice head(s):
Óscar Franco
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘In my opinion Óscar Franco, Roberto Muñoz and Eduardo GarcÃa are the best professionals in the industry. Specifically, Óscar Franco is the lawyer to whom I would entrust any conflict in any industry. Especially highlight his availability, agility in solutions, simplicity and precision in diagnosis and the incredible ease of negotiating with counterparties.’
Spain > Capital markets: Debt
Latin America: International firms > Corporate and M&A
Latham & Watkins LLP has a highly integrated Latin America practice with many team members crossing various disciplines at the same time as having high levels of core specialisation. Over the years, it has advanced to the forefront of energy and infrastructure transactions in the region, which now includes growth areas such as renewables and energy transition. While it has historically focused on investments going into Latin America, it is now increasingly active in cross-border transactions into North America by businesses in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and other jurisdictions. Moreover, it is leveraging its status as a leader in start-ups and emerging companies to target this sector in Latin America; it advised Avenir Growth Capital on its $111m Series B funding of Chile-based Xepelin, a provider of B2B payments and financial services for SMBs in Latin America. New York partner Antonio Del Pino, global chair of the Latin America practice, has an outstanding record in M&A and private equity transactions. Madrid’s Ignacio Pallarés has a long history of representing Spanish corporates in their investments in Latin America. Washington DC’s Carlos Ardila, a Colombian native, was promoted to partner in January 2023; he has impressive experience in corporate transactions and financings. Dual-qualified (Argentina/New York) associate Francisco J Lanusse is one-to-watch. ÂPractice head(s):
Antonio Del Pino
Testimonials
‘The work of Antonio Del Pino and his team is highly specialised, they have very complete specialists in different areas and an absolute level of commitment to the client.’
‘Thorough knowledge of their areas of expertise and especially of operations in Latin America.’
‘An experienced team with a great ability to negotiate successfully and a very quick response to customer needs. They were able to put together a team to take on a transaction that was negotiated in less than two weeks, very efficiently and quickly.’
‘All of the firm’s attorneys displayed in-depth knowledge of their practice areas and were able to resolve all sensitive points in the transaction very quickly; there was a special dedication from the team of specialised contracts for manufacturing, the commercialisation of products and intellectual property, which demonstrated great capacity. Antonio del Pino is an extraordinary partner, who transmits calm, is very rational and focused on results, and a great negotiator. He knows what the points to deliver are, and which issues are critical. He had a very quick and efficient response time. Francisco Lanusse is a great associate, with a great capacity for work, who knows all the issues of M&A transactions perfectly, and is very dedicated and extraordinary in negotiating contracts.’
‘The LW team has a very strong M&A practice, with extraordinary professionals. They have a great ability to work in cross-border operations, with a diverse staff that has roots in Latin America — certainly on the operations in which I have interacted with them. The integration of their team helps a lot in these types of operations.’
‘I would highlight Tony del Pino and Javier Stark. Very keen to find solutions and get deals done.’
‘Latham has a great M&A team led by Tony del Pino. Tony, in particular, has great skill and astuteness as a negotiator, avoiding unnecessary clashes and tailoring the direction of the negotiation to meet the client’s interests, without creating unnecessary tension. A wise and cunning negotiator. This sets them apart from other law firms in NY, which negotiate with more intensity.’
‘Latham’s M&A team has the support and depth of the entire firm, with highly specialised and sophisticated areas. In one operation, in the energy area, a negotiation was achieved in record time, with the support of various teams of specialists in the firm. The leadership of Tony del Pino is fundamental. We have also had a very positive interaction with Carlos Ardila.’
Key clients
Global Infrastructure Partners
Tresalia Capital
SierraCol Energy Limited
Octal Holding & Co
Telefónica
Paracel
Softys
AME Holding
ArcLight Capital
Vivalto Santé
Triumph Modular
PopUP Design
ParaFi Capital
Repsol
BHP Billiton Petroleum
Marlin Equity Partners
Emergent Cold LatAm Management
Work highlights
- Advised Global Infrastructure Partners on its acquisition of Atlas Renewable Energy (a clean energy company that develops, builds, and operates solar and wind projects in Latin America), from private equity firm Actis.
- Advised Telefónica Colombia on the sale of a 60% stake in its Fiber-to-the-Home infrastructure business to KKR.
- Advised AME Holding on the investment in HIF Global (a Chile-based developer of carbon-neutral eFuels projects), by Porsche, EIG, AME, Baker Hughes, and Gemstone Investments.
Latham & Watkins LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: Latham & Watkins is a leading international law firm serving multinational companies, start-ups, investment banks, private equity funds, venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, governments and other organisations. The firm’s global platform spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, and consists of internationally recognised practices across a wide spectrum of transactional, litigation, corporate and regulatory areas. Latham’s lawyers offer unrivalled legal resources and strategic commercial thinking to provide clients with innovative solutions to complex business and legal matters.
Lawyers here represent Spanish companies, private equity firms and financial institutions in inbound and outbound transactions and disputes, as well as acting for international companies conducting business throughout Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish practice, primarily focusing on M&A, private equity, capital markets, litigation, administrative and regulatory, tax, and antitrust and competition, plays a critical role in Latham’s ability to serve clients worldwide.
The Spanish practice not only draws its strength from the expertise of the lawyers in Spain, but also includes the experience of lawyers based in offices around the world who have significant experience representing entities with Spanish interests. In addition, the Spanish team works closely with the firm’s Latin American practice group to facilitate transactions throughout Latin America.
Areas of practice: Lawyers in Latham’s Spanish M&A and finance practice have broad experience in cross-border M&A transactions involving Spanish companies and non-Spanish companies doing business in Spain, including company acquisitions, advice on excluding tender offers and/or extending European-based tender offers to the US market and arranging public financing. The private equity team has broad experience advising on a full range of transactions, from seed and early-stage capital situations to leveraged buyouts, PIPEs, growth equity investments, spin-outs, rollups, take-privates of established companies, and lately, restructurings and other distress-related transactions, in national or cross-border deals.
Latham & Watkins’ Spanish capital markets lawyers advise on domestic and international aspects of capital markets transactions, as well as on regulatory and corporate governance issues. This is an advantage for their clients when advising on international transactions, and the ability to play a dual role distinguishes the firm from most others in Spain.
Latham & Watkins has one of the strongest litigation and regulatory practices in Spain. Lawyers in this practice have vast experience in litigation and dispute resolution, as well as experience advising clients in national and cross-border arbitration proceedings. They have worked on projects and transactions related to public and administrative law, including matters such as energy, water regulation, transport, telecommunications, administrative proceedings, environmental and, in general, all matters where public administration is involved.
Latham & Watkins’ Spanish tax practice includes a team of highly regarded lawyers specialising in transactional tax, international tax, tax planning and tax structuring of cross-border M&A, capital markets offerings and restructuring transactions. Latham’s Spanish tax lawyers regularly advise companies listed in the Ibex 35 index, Spanish companies and multinational groups, private equity funds, investment funds, venture capital firms and financial institutions on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactional tax matters.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
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Corporate M&A | |||
Capital markets | |||
Litigation | |||
Tax | |||
Antitrust and competition | |||
Finance |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
José MarÃa Alonso | José MarÃa Alonso advises clients on the regulatory aspects of complex corporate… | View Profile | |
José MarÃa Alonso | José MarÃa Alonso advises clients on the regulatory aspects of complex corporate… | View Profile | |
Carlos Betoret | Carlos Betoret is an associate in the Madrid office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Fernando Colomina | Fernando Colomina advises borrowers and lenders on complex financing structures in cross-border… | View Profile | |
MarÃa José Descalzo | MarÃa José Descalzo represents Spanish and international clients on complex transactions, particularly… | View Profile | |
Jordi DomÃnguez | Jordi DomÃnguez advises Spanish and multinational clients on the full spectrum of… | View Profile | |
Óscar Franco | Óscar Franco is a partner in Latham & Watkins’ Madrid office and… | View Profile | |
Ignacio Gómez-Sancha | Ignacio Gómez-Sancha, Managing Partner of the Madrid office of Latham & Watkins,… | View Profile | |
José-Maria Jiménez-Laiglesia | View Profile | ||
José MarÃa Jiménez-Laiglesia | José MarÃa Jiménez-Laiglesia represents Spanish and international clients before Spanish and EU… | View Profile | |
Luis Manuel Lozano | Luis Lozano counsels Spanish and international clients on sophisticated M&A and private… | View Profile | |
Ms Veronika Miskovichova | Veronika Miskovichova advises large clients on private equity transactions with a real… | View Profile | |
Rafael Molina | Rafael Molina represents Spanish and international clients in their most sophisticated transactions… | View Profile | |
Mr Roberto Muñoz | Roberto Muñoz is an associate in the Madrid office of Latham &… | View Profile | |
Alejandro Ortiz | Alejandro Ortiz advises clients on their most valuable mergers and acquisitions and… | View Profile | |
Ignacio Pallarés | Ignacio Pallarés advises private equity funds and leading Spanish companies on all… | View Profile | |
Ivan Rabanillo | Ivan Rabanillo advises clients on Spanish and international tax aspects of cutting-edge… | View Profile | |
Naiara RodrÃguez-Escudero | Naiara RodrÃguez-Escudero leads the Benefits, Compensation & Employment Practice in Madrid and… | View Profile | |
Mr Luis Sánchez | Luis Sánchez Mendez represents domestic and international clients in a range of… | View Profile | |
José Antonio Sánchez-Dafos | José Antonio Sánchez-Dafos advises clients on cross-border M&A and private equity transactions,… | View Profile | |
Blanca Vázquez de Castro | Blanca Vázquez de Castro represents large Spanish corporates and global private equity… | View Profile | |
Pedro de Rojas | Mr. de Rojas leverages his deep knowledge of the restructuring process and… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 2,600+Languages
English French German Italian Portuguese SpanishOther
Other offices : Barcelona Other offices : Beijing Other offices : Boston Other offices : Brussels Other offices : Century City Other offices : Chicago Other offices : Dubai Other offices : Düsseldorf Other offices : Frankfurt Other offices : Hamburg Other offices : Hong Kong Other offices : Houston Other offices : London Other offices : Los Angeles Other offices : Milan Other offices : Moscow Other offices : Munich Other offices : New Jersey Other offices : New York Other offices : Orange County Other offices : Paris Other offices : Riyadh Other offices : Rome Other offices : San Diego Other offices : San Francisco Other offices : Seoul Other offices : Shanghai Other offices : Silicon Valley Other offices : Singapore Other offices : Tokyo Other offices : Washington DCLegal Briefings
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