Team size: Four
Major legal advisers: Cuatrecasas, Andersen Legal, Pérez-Llorca, Garrigues, Broseta, La Firma Laboral

What are the most significant cases or transactions you and your team have been involved in?

Since the Covid crisis started, the company´s ordinary business (hotel management both from propco and opco point of view) has suffered a lot. Because of that our focus has been oriented to review any aspect that could improve the company’s financial situation: we have renegotiated or finished all the rental agreements and where that was not possible, we have started several rebus sic stantibus litigation procedures to redefine the rental agreements equilibrium. We are also involved in several financing transactions to ensure the Group´s financial needs. Apart from that we have also been focused on all legal tools provided to minimise the impact of the personnel concerning the non-ordinary business environment.

Even in the best-case scenario, Covid is likely to have far-reaching ramifications. How are you safeguarding the long-term health of the business?

As I summarised above, our main goal was to keep the company financed and structured so that when the ordinary course of business returned, we would be able to face it. We have learned to use our resources in an even more efficient way, and we have assisted our business colleagues to ensure the reopening of all the company’s assets.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

It is basic to be dynamic, adaptive, and updated on legal changes and always near the company´s business. It is essential that the in-house lawyer has a global perspective of their company and that such in-house lawyer is perceived as a partner and not as a stopper. Our mission is to help the company do its best, and that necessarily requires us to be accepted as a valuable piece that can help others.