Public Law | Europe

Cuatrecasas has a distinguished team spread across the Iberian Peninsula, with smaller regional bases supporting larger teams in Barcelona and Madrid. The practice benefits from notable planning and energy regulatory practices, with the additional proven capacity to handle complex environment and life sciences regulatory topics. The law firm receives a significant volume of praise for its handling of contentious public law matters, including administrative appeals against the award of high-value public contracts and disputes arising from the breach of infrastructure construction contracts and regulations. The group also handles a steady stream of non-contentious mandates relating to public procurement or the acquisition of energy projects. Clients include oil and gas, pharmaceutical and hospitality companies.

Garrigues has a first-rate department with an impressive network of offices across Spain, offering outstanding national market coverage. The law firm has strong planning law capabilities, having handled standout mandates that entail the drafting of planning instruments and the expropriation of land in support of major Madrid infrastructure projects. It acts for key companies in the electricity and auditing sectors on compliance matters and in appeals against decisions taken by individual sector regulators. The group also assists with public procurement processes and advises on litigation arising in relation to the performance of public contracts or the process of administrative concessions.

Pérez-Llorca has impressive experience acting on private sector challenges relating to the introduction of new pieces of Spanish legislation, including instruments seeking to incorporate EU directives into national law. The team has handled high-profile proceedings that test the legitimacy of decisions taken for the resolution of systemically important banks. It provides support in public procurement processes and administrative appeals against the award of contracts. The law firm also advises on requests for the economic rebalancing of concession contracts and handles damages claims arising from the early termination of the same.

Uría Menéndez is often selected by sophisticated clients in the healthcare, financial services and construction sectors to handle complex public or administrative law mandates. The law firm advises private healthcare service providers on their entry into public-private partnerships for the construction and operation of hospitals in cities around Spain. It has experience in the design of public tenders for contracting authorities, and it assists infrastructure concessionaires with modifications to public works contracts. It advises key aviation or rail transport sector clients on their interactions with sector regulators. The group defends the interests of acquiring parties in appeals against the administration to authorise public M&A transactions. Uría Menéndez also benefits from a top-tier planning law practice.

Clifford Chance has notable expertise in handling public sector disputes and transactional mandates. The law firm advises on contentious mandates relating to public contracts, including disputes arising in relation to the award of new concessions or changes to the remuneration of existing contracts. It defends clients in cases seeking to overturn corporate approvals granted by Spain's key financial regulators. It also stands out for its advice to ride-hailing service providers on administrative and public law disputes relating to their authorisation to operate in Spain. The group counts major infrastructure, energy and utilities companies among its key clients.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo maintains its strong position as one of the top firms in Spain for a range of public law matters. The law firm's top-ranked environment practice has a superb reputation for its understanding of waste and water management regulations. The team advises on public tender processes for the award of water, waste collection or healthcare services contracts, and it assists with contentious claims arising in relation to awards or the fulfilment of concession contracts. It also has notable experience in regulatory issues affecting agrifood, ride-hailing or pharmaceutical companies.

Linklaters advises on diverse administrative law matters, including appeals against decisions taken by energy, financial services or telecommunications regulators. Complemented by a top-tier energy practice, the firm acts for an impressive client list consisting of prominent Spanish utilities companies and oil and gas suppliers in major regulatory disputes. It has acted for banks in high-profile cases relating to their remuneration for the provision of emergency finance for failed gas storage projects. Linklaters' public law team also assists with an analysis of regulatory issues arising in relation to M&A transactions.

Baño León Abogados is a dedicated domestic boutique with a strong client list consisting of industry associations and private companies. The law firm advises industrial companies on the impact of new regulations as well as strategic contentious claims. It has experience in significant cases referred up to the ECJ for a determination on the legality of new requirements for ride-sharing companies. It also advises on both the public authority and the private contractor side of disputes over the performance of public contracts.

GTA VILLAMAGNA is a strong domestic firm with a strong reputation for its capacity to handle significant public law matters. In addition to their proven skill in contentious and non-contentious mandates relating to the award or termination of public works contracts, the law firm's key partners have experience in planning, environment and energy sector regulatory matters. The law firm's client portfolio includes insolvent toll road operators, construction companies and transport concessionaires.

Herbert Smith Freehills' public law practice is predominantly built around energy regulatory and environmental matters. The law firm has won instructions from important mining and electricity companies on applications for operating permits, and it defends subsequent challenges brought on environmental grounds. The team challenges sanctions imposed by sector regulators for alleged non-compliance with specific regulations. Herbert Smith Freehills often advises on corporate or finance mandates that have important public law implications, with a particularly strong caseload of energy sector deals.

Hogan Lovells' public law team retains strong market support. The lawyers have proven experience both in public law litigation and in transactional support mandates. The law firm handles disputes arising in relation to public works contracts. The team offers additional knowledge in planning and environmental issues, acting for key clients operating in the waste management and mining sectors.

Ramón y Cajal has a strong public law practice, which draws on regulatory know-how in a range of sectors, including banking and energy. The law firm often advises construction or mining companies on contentious mandates linked to the award or performance of concession contracts. It assists with litigation filed as a result of the early termination of concessions. The team also acts for industry associations on varied advisory matters, including interactions with public authorities in respect of new regulations.

A&O Shearman has a foothold in the telecoms and media sectors, acting for major telecoms operators and broadcasters on ongoing regulatory issues or contentious-administrative appeals and proceedings arising in the course of their operations in Spain. The team also acts for engineering companies, toll road concessionaires and transport companies on issues relating to their participation in public contracts.

DLA Piper's Spanish office handles a range of contentious and advisory mandates linked to regulatory compliance and public contracts. It assists with public tenders, concession agreements and related contentious-administrative appeals. It advises major utilities companies on regulatory matters flowing from their operations in Spain. The law firm has further notable activity on behalf of companies active in the transport, life sciences, education and energy sectors.

MVA ASOCIADOS is a boutique firm that advises domestic and international clients on a range of public law issues. The team is especially well regarded for its handling of varied regulatory matters on behalf of clients in the energy sector. It also handles standout mandates relating to European law infringements.

ONTIER has experience in appeals of decisions taken by public authorities in relation to the resolution of Spanish banks. It assists with challenges to the introduction of legislation for the regulation of ride-sharing companies, and it advises concessionaires on claims filed in order to recover payments for the execution or early termination of public works contracts. The team is also well versed in handling public procurement cases.