Public Law | Europe

Cuatrecasas is 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 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 firm 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 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 on appeals against decisions taken by individual sector regulators. The firm 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.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo maintains its strong position as one of the top firms in Spain for a range of public law matters. The firm's top-ranked environment law 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 either in relation to awards or the fulfilment of concession contracts. It also has notable experience in regulatory issues affecting agri-food, ride-hailing or pharmaceutical companies.

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 firm also advises on requests for the economic re-balancing 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 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 firm defends the interests of acquiring parties in appeals against the administration to authorise public M&A transactions. Uría also benefits from a top-tier planning law practice.

Clifford Chance has notable expertise handling public sector disputes and transactional mandates. The 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 firm counts major infrastructure, energy and utilities companies among its key clients.

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 on major regulatory disputes. It has acted for banks on 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.

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 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.

Allen & Overy 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.

Baño León Abogados is a dedicated domestic boutique with a strong client list consisting of industry associations and private companies. The 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 ridesharing 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 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 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 climbs a tier up as a result of strong market support. The lawyers have proven experience both in public law litigation and in transactional support mandates. The 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.

PwC Tax & Legal leverages the strength of its tax, environment and competition law departments to provide a broad public law offering. The firm advises water suppliers, rail operators and toll road concessionaires on the entry into new public contracts and on any subsequent disputes arising in relation to the performance or termination of the same.

Andersen Spain has a strong presence in some of the key areas that make up its public law practice, including planning and environment law. The team also handles appeals against the award of public contracts, and it has contributed to the development of new legislation.

Baker McKenzie represents large multinational corporations in a range of public law matters such as the preparation of agreements with public administrations and related disputes. It regularly advises on zoning, planning and environmental matters. It also acts on regulatory mandates affecting the telecommunications, natural resources and waste management industries as well as the healthcare sector.

CMS has a solid public law practice which serves a variety of listed domestic companies, governmental bodies and local branches of major multinationals. Its lawyers advise on contentious and advisory matters for key clients in the energy, telecoms and financial services sectors. It also handles bids for public contracts and related litigation.

Deloitte Legal's Spanish branch handles a range of administrative issues for clients in regulated sectors, including energy, infrastructure, transport and finance. The law firm is also experienced in drafting public procurement documents and handling related disputes.

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 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 advising 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 ridesharing 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.