About
Provided by Uría Menéndez
Since the mid 1990s Uría Menéndez has been regularly advising clients on diverse cross-border transactions involving Cuba in all sectors of business.
Uría Menéndez’s approach to Cuba forms part of its overall approach to Latin America. Since Cuba is a Latin American jurisdiction of interest for Spanish investors, Uría Menéndez has been closely following the evolution of its legal framework, legal market and business environment, increasingly open to international investments. We also have experience in dealing with the effects of the US policies regarding investments in Cuba and closely follow the business opportunities that the Cuban government offers to foreign investors.
Lourdes Dávalos presence since 2011 boosted Uría Menéndez’s expertise in Cuba-related matters. Her local knowledge of Cuba’s legal and business markets is in all likelihood unmatched. She is a Cuban-born Cuban and Spanish lawyer who lives in Spain, where she collaborates with the head of the Latin American practice group, Eduardo Rodriguez-Rovira, in advising foreign investors with an interest in Cuba, particularly in the tourism, real estate and energy sectors. Jack Viamonte, also a Cuban national, is another member of our Cuban desk.
Uría Menéndez has built relationships with the main players in the Cuban market and maintains an excellent relationship with the best local professionals in Cuban law firms. We have a collaboration agreement in place with the local law firm Bufete de Servicios Especializados.
Chambers Review
Uría Menéndez is a prestigious full-service firm with a highly respected Cuba practice and longstanding involvement on the island. The team represents multinational companies in significant investment deals and is a market leader in tourism and real estate work. The department's advice covers leasing, loan agreements and management contracts, as well as setting up joint ventures with Cuban state-run companies. Its noted bench of practitioners has a strong track record in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors and has also represented financial institutions, including national development banks, as well as major companies from the agribusiness, fashion and drinks industries. Banco Internacional de Comercio and NK Rosneft count as new client wins for the firm.
Work Highlights
- Uría Menéndez advised Banco Nacional de Cuba on a series of sovereign debt claims brought against the bank by a Cayman Islands private fund.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Uría Menéndez has a team of highly specialised and experienced lawyers who provide an excellent service in this field. They handle highly complex matters with a team of professionals with varied areas of expertise, which allows them to offer comprehensive advice."
"I would compare Uría Menéndez to an elite legal practice in the USA. They have an excellent client service, as well as a hard-working, efficient and extremely responsive team."
"Uría Menéndez has a team of highly specialised and experienced lawyers who provide an excellent service in this field. They handle highly complex matters with a team of professionals with varied areas of expertise, which allows them to offer comprehensive advice."
"I would compare Uría Menéndez to an elite legal practice in the USA. They have an excellent client service, as well as a hard-working, efficient and extremely responsive team."
Notable Practitioners
Distinguished partner Lourdes Davalos Leon heads the Cuban desk at Uría Menéndez's Madrid office and has a distinguished track record representing international hotel chains on complex mandates. An impressed interviewee reports: "Lourdes Davalos Leon has a very strong level of sophistication and is one of the best lawyers in the Cuban market," while another remarks: "She is a very professional lawyer with proven ability to deliver added value to deals."
Eduardo Rodríguez-Rovira is head of Uría Menéndez's Latin American practice, and boasts extensive expertise advising multinationals on foreign investments across Latin America. One interviewee reports: "He understands the region and the market he is working in," while another adds: "Eduardo Rodríguez-Rovira is a reference in the area due to his specialised and experienced practice."
Ranked Lawyers at
Uría Menéndez
Cuba