Cuatrecasas confirms Badía as CEO and Fontana as chairman

Cuatrecasas has elected Rafael Fontana as chairman and Jorge Badía as the firm’s new chief executive officer (CEO).

The appointments represent a change in the firm’s management structure – Fontana was previously CEO, while Badía (pictured) was managing partner.

The appointments were made after a partners vote in Barcelona this week.

The firm said the changes would mean Badía would acquire greater executive power.

In 2018, the firm’s revenue increased 12 per cent to €277.4 million.

Fontana said Cuatrecasas had “strong Iberian roots” and with the change was now “looking to the future”.
He added: “Four years ago we began transforming the business and today we are reaping the rewards with historic growth, a solid team and a desire to continue innovating. I am convinced that Jorge Badía will continue to govern this ship in an exemplary manner.”

Badía commented: “I assume this position with great enthusiasm, and I am fully committed to leading this project together with Rafael Fontana and the entire team. We will bet on ideas that transform the legal profession, we will listen and give way to young and female talent, and we will use new methods of working to enable us to be more efficient. We will continue to grow together with our clients and our people.”

The firm has also announced the appointment of ten new equity partners: Frederico Bettencourt Ferreira, litigation and arbitration (Lisbon); Julio Brasa, public Law (Madrid); Gonzalo Jiménez de Andrade, litigation and arbitration (Madrid); Vanessa Pérez, litigation and arbitration (Girona); Javier Sánchez, litigation and arbitration (Barcelona); Javier Sola, labour (Palma); Pol Solsona, finance (Barcelona); Pedro Sotomayor, finance and tax (Barcelona); Albert Trias de Bes, corporate (Barcelona); Lourenço Vilhena de Freitas, public Law (Lisbon).