USA
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish and Catalan
Practice Areas
Admitted to practice in both New York and Spain, Mr. Ruiz brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in cross-border corporate and finance transactions involving the United States, Spain, and Latin America.
Career
Mr. Ruiz has served as M&A or finance counsel to major European and Asian corporations, including Sony Corporation, Telefonica, Prosegur, BBVA, Indra, Mapfre, Dragados, Abengoa, Caixabank, ACS, Vantico (Ciba Geigy), Global Critical Logistics, Eurostars, Planeta, Insudpharma, and Wallbox (a NYSE-listed company). He also regularly advises European and Latin American family offices on U.S. transactional and corporate matters.
He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce in New York (2010-2014).
In 2024, Mr. Ruiz was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of the Civil Merit of the Kingdom of Spain for his efforts to foster business relationships between the U.S. and Spain.
Professional Memberships
American Bar Association and International Bar Association
Expert in these Jurisdictions
New York and Spain
Experience
• RC Law, Founding Partner, 2017 (New York/Florida).
• Holland & Knight (New York), Partner (April 2014 to November 2016).
• K&L Gates (New York), Partner (February 2011 to March 2014).
• Garrigues (New York), Partner (March 2005 to February 2011).
• McDermott Will & Emery (New York), Partner (February 2003 to February 2005).
• Baker & McKenzie (San Francisco, Chicago, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, New York), Associate / Partner (January 1988 to January 2003).
Work Highlights
• Acted for a Spanish financial lender in a $600 million acquisition financing for a Colombian company’s tender offer for a Peruvian listed company.
• Represented a Swiss travel conglomerate in various acquisitions of U.S. business operators.
• Advised Mexican sellers on a $250 million sale of a family-owned media and entertainment business to a U.S. network.
• Acted for a Swiss/U.K. chemical conglomerate through the spin-off of its specialty chemical business.
• Acted for a Spanish-listed security group in a $200 million acquisition of the largest Latin American security group. Led the reorganization of Western Hemisphere subsidiaries for a Japanese electronics conglomerate, valued at over $1 billion.
• Advised a Spanish telecommunications company on a $350 million tender offer for a Central American carrier.
• Assisted a U.S. private equity firm with acquiring a Spanish soft drink business.
• Advised on the sale of a manufacturing plant in Spain for a U.S.-listed pharmaceutical company.
• Advised on the sale of a specialty chemical business in Spain for a U.S.-listed chemical group.
• Advised a Spanish pharmaceutical company in the acquisition of a Nasdaq listed US company.
• Advised a Chilean group in its acquisition of the Latin American network of a US leading outdoor advertising company.
• Advised a Spanish pharmaceutical company as anchor investor in a PIPE issuance of a Luxembourg, Nasdaq registered company.
• Acted as international counsel of an Ecuadorian group on its acquisition of the local operations of a European state owned oil & gas group.
Education
University of Barcelona
Licenciado en Derecho (JD-equivalent)
1982
Free University of Brussels
Master in International and Comparative Law (Cum Laude)
1986
University of California at Berkeley
LLM (with Honors). Fulbright Scholar.
1987