Uría Menéndez - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

Uría Menéndez performs exceedingly well in the corporate sector. Its largest contingent is for the corporate tax chapter, where eight professionals representing offices in Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon are identified as market leaders. In Madrid, the “highly regarded” Guillermo Canalejo specialises in cross-border investments and international tax planning, advising domestic and international clients. Rafael García Llaneza is a “prominent figure” with a practice that focuses on corporate tax, non-residents’ tax and accounting law, and more recently he has been involved in the planning and negotiation of several telecoms and renewable energy project finance deals. Jesús López Tello previously worked at the Spanish tax authority and is a “great asset” to his clients. He advises clients on the tax aspects of M&A, business combinations, structuring groups and activities and issuance of equity and debt instruments.

Seven nominees feature in the capital markets chapter: an active practice area for Uría Menéndez. Recent highlights include advising CVC on its €900 million disposal of Mivisa Envases Metalicos to funds managed by Blackstone and Nmás1, the largest private equity deal carried out in Spain in 2010. Carlos Costa Andrade is an “outstanding” practitioner and receives recognition for both his capital markets and M&A practices. Further recognition goes to managing partner of the firm Luis de Carlos, who receives high praise across three practice areas: banking, capital markets and corporate governance. Emilio Díaz Ruiz also appears in both the banking and capital markets chapters, he advises banks and investment companies and his work is “first-rate”.

Uría Menéndez ‘s M&A practice receives international acclaim and the team recently advised American biotechnology company Talecris on its €2.8 billion sale to Grifols, a Spanish-listed company with a presence in over 90 countries. The “greatly respected” Juan Miguel Goenechea combines his M&A expertise with that of corporate, banking, securities and internet, and is also highly recommended for his corporate governance expertise. Christian Hoedl also appears in both the M&A and corporate governance chapters and is described as “astute” in our research. Salvador Sánchez-Terán performs exceedingly well in the research with a presence across the corporate governance, M&A and private funds chapters. He is “business focused” and “top-notch”. Charles Coward is a “very skilled individual” and earns recognition for his corporate governance, M&A and real estate work, ranking highly in the corresponding chapters.

Six lawyers appear in the real estate chapter, noted for their market leading expertise. Fernando Azofra advises national and international clients on real estate and banking matters as well as on asset finance and M&A with an underlying real estate component. Diego Armero focuses on real estate transactions, in particular the sale and purchase of commercial property and is “top-tier”. In Barcelona, Ignacio Albiñana has led some of the most important M&A and financing transactions in the Spanish real estate market and is a “notable practitioner”. Duarte Garin heads the Lisbon office and focuses on real estate acquisitions and transactions.

The competition team enjoys five listings from the Brussels, Lisbon and Madrid offices. Representing the Brussels office is partner in charge Edurne Navarro Varona. Navarro focuses her practice on EU and Spanish competition law representing clients in the telecommunications, energy, transport, pharmaceuticals, defence and banking sectors and is “highly regarded”. In Madrid, Jaime Folguera has a “high profile” and advises on EU and Spanish mergers in a range of sectors. Alongside him, Alfonso Gutiérrez is “brilliant” and regularly represents clients in litigious matters concerning abuse of dominance or restrictive agreements.

The firm receives five nominations in the management labour and employment chapter with expertise covering employment contracts, labour relations, remuneration schemes, dismissals, reorganisation and restructuring and contentious matters. Lourdes Martín is a “highly skilled” practitioner specialising in labour and social security and frequently advising on pension plans, supplementary benefits and stock options. Filipe Fraústo da Silva, based in Lisbon, heads the labour law practice area in Portugal and deals mainly with employment and pensions, both in contentious and non-contentious matters. Mario Barros is “very perceptive and astute” according to our research. Located in Madrid, he specialises in the drafting and termination of employment contracts, particularly those of senior executives.

The depth of expertise that the firm holds across a breadth of sectors ensures that it is unrivalled in Spain.