Banking & Finance Annual Report 2017: Feeling Edgy

Brexit dealt a blow to banking and finance lawyers as investors got nervous, and this uncertainty looks set to continue – however, this problem will be partly offset by a new wave of foreign investors and direct lenders that are targeting the Iberian market

Banking and finance lawyers claim that, in general, the market is improving and that there are currently good opportunities for law firms. However, it's not all been plain sailing. Brexit, in particular, had the effect of unsettling investors, and a number of lawyers in Spain report that the flow of deals slowed as businesses' took time to digest the implications of the UK's historic referendum. Though investment activity picked up again in the latter part of 2016, the UK government's recent invoking of Article 50 – which begins the process of withdrawing from the European Union – could mean that deals start stalling once again, lawyers warn. That said, it's not all doom and gloom – institutional investors are