About

Globalvia is one of the world’s leaders in the management of infrastructure concessions, occupying one of the top positions in a number of rankings produced by infrastructure publications. José Manuel Sánchez Méndez joined Globalvia in 2010 as legal counsel manager for the railways division, following a successful career as senior counsel at international law firm Clifford Chance. Sánchez Méndez has been praised by industry and private practice sources for his innovative approach in the face of the economic crisis. ‘The crisis in Spain has impacted the infrastructure sector in an unprecedented way. The risks which legal advice has had to face, namely bankruptcy, have become real recently. This has required a new approach and creativity on the part of the law professional’ he comments. This makes the role of the lawyer more important than ever, and Sánchez Méndez has taken steps to promote the role of the in-house lawyer to be a member of the board of directors, which has increased the impact of legal advice. During his time in Globalvia, he has successfully navigated a number of strategic projects, but he considers his participation in the acquisition of Metro Seville as the landmark of his in-house career. The deal was recognised as World Finance’s Project Finance Deal of the year in 2014.