Special report: Spanish firms show global ambition with Latin America expansion
The big players in the Iberian legal market are not content with their domestic dominance and are looking abroad to increase revenue
Portugal’s PLMJ ends exclusive Dacheng relationship after Dentons merger
Portuguese firm PLMJ has ended its exclusive relationship with China’s Dacheng, a year after the latter announced its landmark merger with Dentons.
In-house interview: Nuno Bastos, Zurich Portugal
“Insurance is a kind of promise: if everything goes south, I’ll be here,” Zurich Portugal general counsel Nuno Bastos claims. But insurers are taking the hit from unstable markets, an increase in regulation and unpredictable natural catastrophes and have to adapt. Quickly
Outward bound: Portugal report
Recovering Portugal is becoming a land of opportunity for Iberian firms seeking a cross-border pipeline of work
Special report: Portugal’s M&A false starts
Portugal’s lawyers have been busy this year on a number of big deals, but not all have succeeded. Why?
Portugal’s Vieira de Almeida picks up 20-strong team from rival Miranda
Portuguese firm Vieira de Almeida (VdA) has hired around 20 lawyers, including six partners, from rival Miranda Correia Amendoeira & Associados, boosting its strength in oil and gas and African work. The news follows Miranda’s June announcement that the six partners, including chairman Rui Amendoeira, were quitting the firm (16 June 2015). Amendoeira is joining […]
Portugal – Less pain, more gain
Early repayment of its bailout and solid M&A interest from foreign investors have brought optimism to Portugal’s lawyers. The word ‘crisis’ no longer has such strong associations with the Portuguese market. The country recently announced it is paying back half of its bailout loan – around €14bn (£10.2bn) – to the IMF early, meaning things […]
Freshfields spins off Barcelona office into IP boutique
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has confirmed the closure of its Barcelona corporate practice and the spin-out of its IP/IT team in the city into new boutique, Intangibles Legal. Intangibles was launched by Freshfields counsel Sergio Miralles, who was responsible for the magic circle firm’s IP and IT practice in Spain, and associate Elena Molina. The decision […]
A&O, Linklaters and VdA help secure rescue of Portugal’s Banco Espirito Santo
Allen & Overy (A&O), Linklaters and Portuguese firm Vieira de Almeida (VdA) have been instructed on the restructuring and rescue of Portuguese Banco Espírito Santo (BES). The Central Bank of Portugal announced at the weekend that BES was to be split in two, with the bulk of its assets and liabilities transferred to a successor […]
Bakers and Garrigues advise on Catalunya Banc’s €1.2bn sale to BBVA
Baker & McKenzie has advised state-owned Spanish lender Catalunya Banc on its sale to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) for €1.2bn. BBVA won the mandate to buy the bank in a competitive auction run by the Spanish Bank Resturucturing Fund (FROB), fending off rival bidders including Banco Santander and Caixabank. As part of the sale, […]
Portugal’s PLMJ signs cooperation agreement with Madeira firm
Portuguese firm PLMJ has signed a new cooperation agreement with two-partner Madeira firm Mendes Londral & Associados (ML&A) in an extension to its network. The agreement adds a fifth region to PLMJ’s network of ‘partner’ firms, which already includes firms in the Portuguese cities of Coimbra, Viseu and Guimarães as well as the Azores. It […]
Ashurst Spanish litigation head quits to launch boutique
Ashurst’s Spanish litigation head Daniel Jiménez has left the firm to launch a litigation boutique, teaming up with white-collar crime specialist Margarita Santana from Madrid firm Lex Consulting Abogados. The duo have founded Santana Lorenzo & Jiménez (SLJ) in a bid to avoid the conflicts of interest found in larger firms. Jiménez joined Ashurst in 2009 […]