Araoz & Rueda

ARAOZ & RUEDA is a leading Spanish independent firm with a 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 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. The firm also provides legal advice in a wide range of practice areas, including:

Private equity and 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 has wide experience advising in:

• Mergers and acquisitions of companies, takeover bids and purchase of assets, including the performance of these transactions in bankruptcy and pre-bankruptcy scenarios.
• Incorporation of companies and joint-venture structuring.
• Demerger, liquidation and dissolution of companies.
• MBOs, MBIs, LBO´s, BIMBO´s, etc.

Energy: The firm has a highly specialized 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.

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 and 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.

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.

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.

Regulatory and 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.

Capital markets and securities regulation: The firm has advised various listed Spanish companies in a variety of transactions involving the securities markets.

Insolvency and 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.

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.

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

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

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

National and 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.

National and 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.

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.