Bird & Bird > Madrid, Spain > Firm Profile

Bird & Bird > The Legal 500 Rankings

Spain > Industry focus: Retail Tier 1

Singled out for its key focus on new technologies, the multidisciplinary team at Bird & Bird offers market-leading advice to companies from the retail sector. The team is skilled at handling a wide range of matters, including IP, M&A, real estate and distribution agreements. Lourdes Ayala, head of the corporate, M&A and venture capital department, has a strong following of companies from the fashion and luxury goods sectors. Antonio Cueto provides expert IP advice and is a key contact for global fashion brands. Diana Sendagorta draws on her extensive experience in M&A, private equity and venture capital matters to advise clients on national and international transactions.

Spain > Intellectual property: patents Tier 1

With a robust offering that covers patent litigation, prosecution, and advisory services, the IP group at Bird & Bird is well placed to advise on domestic and cross-border matters across an array of sectors, most notably tech,  pharmaceuticals, and life sciences. José Miguel Lissén, who has a wealth of experience in the licensing and protection of patents, heads the team with IP prosecution and enforcement expert Mariano Santos; both practitioners are regularly called upon by clients from the biotech, electronics, and life sciences sectors. The department also benefits from the aptitude of Manuel Lobato, who shines in multijurisdictional patent litigation involving pharmaceuticals,  and Cintia Bernhardt, who focuses on patent litigation and enforcement in the media, telecoms, and e-commerce industries.

Spain > Intellectual property: Trade marks Tier 1

Regarded as an ‘agile legal team that fully adapts to the client’s needs', Bird & Bird‘s IP practice maintains a strong reputation in the Spanish market due to its deep expertise across trade mark litigation, regulatory, and contractual issues, as well as prosecution and enforcement issues. While particularly strong in the pharmaceutical, technology, and cosmetics sectors, the firm advises clients across a wide range of industries. Heading up the department are José Miguel Lissén, an IP litigation and licensing specialist, and Mariano Santos, who focuses on prosecution, enforcement, and anti-counterfeiting matters. Other active practitioners in the team include Manuel Lobato, a key contact for medical devices, pharma, media, retail and fashion clients, María Fernández, who focuses on trade mark protection in Spain and the EU, and Manuela Mendigutía, who specialises in brand prosecution issues.

Spain > Data privacy and data protection Tier 2

With strength in the technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals sectors, the data protection department at Bird & Bird assists with cyber security, privacy, and information security matters, including IT contracts, GDPR compliance, and litigation. The team’s scope of practice, alongside its cross-border capabilities continue to attract notable clients to its roster, including household names such as Adidas. Heading up the group is Joaquin Muñoz who concentrates on data protection compliance, information security, and IT outsourcing. Paula Garralón and Jaime Delgado stand out for their aptitude in handling e-commerce matters and data projects, while Elena Recla focuses on blockchain and AI matters.

Spain > Industry focus: Food Tier 2

Bird & Bird offers food and beverage clients a ‘one-stop-shop’ for a wide range of legal services, including competition, intellectual property, data protection, and transactional matters. Lourdes Ayala leads the corporate and M&A department, while Antonio Cueto handles IP issues. Manuel Lobato and Mariano Santos are also experts in IP issues, with Lobato specialising in patent litigation and Santos focusing on trade mark prosecution. Santiago Lardies oversees the private equity practice.

Spain > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

Bird & Bird handles the full range of employment and corporate mandates, in addition to acting in patent infringement and unfair competition proceedings. Coral Yáñez is a regulatory expert who often acts in judicial reviews. Manuel Lobato is a key name for patent and SPC litigation, while seasoned IP litigator José Miguel Lissén focuses on FRAND litigation. Lourdes Ayala has a great deal of expertise in financing issues and M&A, and Miguel Pastur routinely handles employment matters within the healthcare and life sciences spaces.

Spain > Intellectual property: Copyright Tier 2

Bird & Bird‘s IP group offers a comprehensive range of services, including advice on copyright litigation, licensing, enforcement, and regulatory and contractual matters. With extensive cross-border experience and strong expertise in the pharmaceuticals, food technology, and cosmetics sectors, the team continues to attract engagements from high-profile clients. José Miguel Lissén, who has in-depth knowledge of tech and life sciences-related matters, co-heads the practice alongside Mariano Santos; Lissén is proficient in infringement matters and litigation, while Santos is adept in prosecution and enforcement mandates. David Fuentes stands out for his expertise in both contentious and non-contentious IP matters, including licensing, transactions and litigation.

Spain > Venture capital Tier 2

Focused on three core areas, namely venture capital, venture debt and corporate venture capital, Bird & Bird‘s practice is adept at advising investors, start-ups, scaleups and CVCs on fundraising and investment rounds, and venture debt financings, with a particular emphasis on the tech and IT sectors. With extensive experience in the VC space, co-head Lourdes Ayala advises fast-growing companies and investors on the life cycle of investments. Fellow co-head José Luis Lorente focuses on fintech matters, while Alberto Rodriguez is the name to note for search fund mandates.

Spain > Insurance Tier 3

Noted for its ‘customer orientation, accessibility’ and ‘technical knowledge’, the team at Bird & Bird handles transactional, regulatory and contentious insurance work. Insurers and reinsurers, brokers and companies involved in insurance coverage disputes frequently look to the group for support. Practice head Luis Alfonso Fernández specialises in insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes, tort law, industrial losses, aviation claims and professional liability matters. Virginia Martínez offers across-the-board support in insurance regulatory, corporate and litigation matters.

Spain > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4

Singled out for its strong track record in tech-focused transactions, Bird & Bird also handles M&A, spin-offs, joint ventures and corporate restructurings across the life sciences, real estate, energy, healthcare and automotive sectors. The group is a popular choice for domestic and international clients, including small to medium-sized enterprises, investors and entrepreneurs. Practice head Lourdes Ayala specialises in M&A, venture capital and private equity transactions, while Alberto Rodriguez stands out for his work in deals involving the tech, gaming, e-sports and life sciences sectors.

Spain > Dispute resolution Tier 4

Bird & Bird has expertise in civil, commercial, and public litigation, as well as in both domestic and cross-border arbitration. The team has sector strengths in TMT, energy, and aviation, among others, and continues to attract new clients. Heading up the dispute resolution practice is Pablo Berenguer who is noted for his 'extensive experience in arbitration' in the technology sector. The group also benefits from the aptitude of Ana Lois - who concentrates on civil, commercial, and contentious-administrative matters - and Sofia Manzanares - who is adept at handling banking, construction, insolvency, and real estate disputes.

Spain > Industry focus: TMT Tier 4

Standing out for its strength in tech law matters, the TMT practice at Bird & Bird handles transactional, regulatory and contentious work across all subsegments. The group is a popular choice for major tech, telecoms and media companies, and is often called upon by its international network to advise on multijurisdictional projects. Pablo Berenguer, singled out for his knowledge of complex commercial contracts in the technology and communications sectors, jointly oversees the team with Joaquin Muñoz, who specialises in digital law and privacy matters.

Spain > Public law Tier 4

With expertise in the life sciences, energy, and utilities sectors, Bird & Bird's public law department offers support on regulatory compliance, public contracts, and regulatory matters. The team is well placed to advise clients on a wide range of mandates, including administrative litigation proceedings, administrative infringements and sanctions, and public tenders Leading the practice is Coral Yáñez, a reference for healthcare companies on all kinds of regulatory issues and administrative proceedings. The team also benefits from the expertise of Enrique Rivas Alba, who specialises in public procurement, and Alejandro Sola Herrera, who has a strong track record in contentious-administrative cases involving the tech and telecoms sectors.

Spain > Banking and finance Tier 5

Bird & Bird’s finance and financial regulation practice ‘offers first-class technical service in banking and finance’, earning recognition for its expertise in structured finance, distressed portfolio deals, asset finance, as well as refinancing and restructuring work. José Luis Lorente Howell advises domestic and international clients on regulatory and transactional matters, with a special focus on lender-side instructions. The practice was further strengthened by Fernando Gutiérrez‘s arrival in August 2023; Gutiérrez joined from Dentons bringing a wealth of experience in project, real estate, asset and fund finance.

Spain > Employment Tier 5

Offering both contentious and non-contentious services, the employment group at Bird & Bird is adept at handling an array of domestic and international employment matters, including employee terminations. Heading up the department is Miguel Pastur who specialises in restructuring and litigation, while Jorge Sanz is noted for his expertise in dismissals, social security issues, as well as HR matters, and Alejandro de Miguel is adept at litigation.

Spain > Projects and energy Tier 5

The energy and utilities team at Bird & Bird brings real expertise on renewable energy and green infrastructure transactions. Co-leading the group, José de Santiago Forn is an expert on sale and purchase agreements and power purchase agreements concerning renewable energy projects. Managing partner and regulatory and public law team head Coral Yáñez brings full lifecycle regulatory expertise on renewable energy projects, supplementing this with deep experience in handling administrative claims in the sector.

Spain > Real estate and construction Tier 5

Bird & Bird's real estate team often works in close collaboration with the corporate department to advise on investment transactions involving real estate projects, including portfolio deals, and sale and leaseback matters. The group, which acts for residential developers and companies from the logistics, energy, food and beverage, telecoms and life sciences sectors, has recently been particularly active in mandates involving data centre developments. Practice head Conchita Sainz is a key contact for domestic and international investment funds and corporations seeking advice on their real estate investments in Spain.