Araoz & Rueda

Number of partners worldwide: 11
Number of other lawyers worldwide: 25
Languages: English, French, German, Spanish

Firm Overview:
ARAOZ & RUEDA is a leading Spanish independent firm with broad-based corporate and commercial practice and particular expertise and market recognition in M&A and private equity. Formed in 1994, the firm was recognised early on by the specialised magazines and legal guides as an ‘M&A boutique’. Having grown in size and expanded its scope of services over time, the firm has participated in many of the most significant national and international transactions with blue-chip clients and other leading law firms and involving both listed and non-listed companies. The firm also provides legal advice in a wide range of practice areas in which its lawyers are highly regarded and recommended by specialised legal guides, including: corporate, tax, employment, banking and finance, capital markets and securities regulation, competition (antitrust) and unfair competition, intellectual property, litigation and domestic and international arbitration, national and international contracting, administrative law, real estate and regulatory and compliance. The firm has a strong and growing international orientation with a significant base of international clients and most of its lawyers having international experience and/or education.

Main Areas of Practice: 

Private Equity & Venture Capital:
The firm has broad experience in advising private equity investors and venture capital entities in a variety of sectors and for all forms of investments (shares, senior, mezzanine and participative loans, etc.) and divestments.

M&A/Corporate:
The firm advises industrial and financial clients, both as purchasers and sellers, in the acquisition of companies, joint-ventures, mergers and splits-off, including the drafting and negotiation of the contracts and the process of legal review (due diligence).

Tax:
The firm’s tax practice covers all aspects of corporate taxation and tax structuring.

Employment:
The firm’s advice includes collective and individual dismissals, union-related matters, plant closings and work transfers and involves an extensive litigation practice.

Banking & Finance:
The firm advises financial entities as well as borrowers in a broad range of sectors and transactions, including corporate financing, structured finance, acquisition finance, project finance and real estate finance.

Capital Markets & Securities Regulation:
The firm has advised various listed Spanish companies in a variety of transactions involving the securities markets.

Litigation:
In the litigation area the firm acts in all sorts of judicial proceedings in corporate and commercial matters, representing clients before courts of all levels.

Insolvency & Restructuring:
The firm has a specialisation in insolvency law and restructuring, having provided advice both in the preparation of the petition for voluntary insolvency proceedings and defence of the client’s interests during the whole processes and to the administrators appointed by the Commercial Courts. The firm also regularly advises creditors in insolvency proceedings.

National & International Arbitration:
As a natural offshoot of its corporate and commercial orientation, the firm advises clients in arbitral proceedings, under the rules of both international and domestic institutions. Furthermore, partners of the firm are frequently designated as arbitrators in international arbitrations administered by the aforementioned arbitral institutions.

Administrative:
The firm advises numerous clients in a wide range of sectors (outdoor advertising, street furniture, motorways, defence, etc), evaluating the proposals of potential bidders in tenders with the Public Administration and advising on the necessary legal requirements.

Regulatory & Compliance:
The firm helps clients manage the myriad of national, regional and local regulations affecting their industries. It also represents clients in proceedings before regulatory authorities such as the Spanish Energy Commission, the Spanish Telecommunications Commission as well as the Spanish Securities Commission.

Energy:
The firm has a highly specialised and multidisciplinary team of lawyers with a sound understanding knowledge of the energy sector, particularly in relation to renewable energy projects where they provide clients with a comprehensive legal advice, providing practical solutions in all legal issues arising from an energy project at any stage and combining the regulatory, contractual, real estate, corporate and finance aspects.

Unfair Competition:
The firm has made successful court claims against acts of unfair competition injurious to the interests of its clients.

Competition (Antitrust):
The firm advises on all aspects of competition law, including merger notifications, antitrust compliance programmes, transactional matters and co-operative agreements.

Intellectual Property:
The firm is particularly involved in licensing, contractual and commercial exploitation of intellectual property.

Real Estate:
The firm has broad experience in sale and purchase agreements, transfer, lease agreements and management and administration of all kinds of real estate assets and real estate companies and advises on the financing of real estate projects and carries out related due diligence.

National & International Contracting:
The firm advises in national as well as international commercial contracting in a wide range of manufacturing, distribution, purchasing, sale, licensing, installation, outsourcing, marketing, telecommunications, sponsorship, etc.

Clients:
The firm represents foreign clients in a variety of industries, including the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemicals, engineering, telecommunications, media and technology, automotive, healthcare, transport and logistics and leisure industries.