Forging Cuatrecasas’s future: Javier Fontcuberta’s vision
An exclusive interview with the firm’s leader exploring recent accomplishments under his stewardship and prospects amid a challenging yet promising global environment
by ilaria iaquinta
Assuming leadership in times of extreme challenges can be an overwhelming task, but for Javier Fontcuberta, managing partner of Cuatrecasas, it has been an opportunity to exceed expectations. Taking the reins of the firm in December 2022, five months after the tragic passing of Jorge Badía, the lawyer has closed the first fiscal year of the firm with a record: a 10.2% increase in revenue compared to the previous year, reaching €388.7 million. And this despite the geopolitical tensions and market volatility that marked last year’s landscape. The secret to this success? A combination of strategic vision, market understanding, and a focus on talent and innovation.
But Fontcuberta doesn’t rest on his laurels. With a revamped firm management system, more participatory, he is ready to face the near future outlined in the new strategic plan until 2027. In an exclusive interview, the law firm’s managing partner shares his vision of the present and future of the firm.
Cuatrecasas has experienced significant growth in terms of revenue in 2023. What were the key factors contributing to this success in an environment marked by economic volatility and geopolitical tensions?
The key to success lies fundamentally in our deep understanding of the market. One of the main objectives of the new strategic plan is to understand how the market behaves, thoroughly know our clients, promote talent, and continue investing in knowledge development. I believe these four factors have had a significant impact on our ability to overcome the difficulties we faced in the complex global landscape of 2023. Our ability to anticipate and understand the market’s needs and our clients’ needs has been fundamental to our success.
What are the next financial objectives, both for 2024 and for the period until 2027?
Our focus is not solely on achieving a revenue target. While it is true that we are approaching a turnover of 400 million, our goal is not solely to surpass that figure immediately. We value sales and profitability, of course, but what is truly important is that the results are achieved by remaining true to our strategy and values. We bet on authentic talent, those who seek to impact the market and thoroughly understand our clients’ needs. We are not looking to offer theoretical solutions, but to respond to the questions our clients raise by projecting them onto their business. We believe that if we continue to focus on talent and understand our clients’ needs, we will achieve any economic objective we set ourselves. Our obsession is not only with numbers but with the quality and relevance of our work for our clients and the projection and career of our professionals.
The year 2024 marks the beginning of the new roadmap towards 2027, focusing on talent, greater specialization in service delivery, as indicated in the corporate sustainability report. What are the specific objectives and how do you plan to achieve them?
The firm’s main objective is to further intensify our commitment to serving clients. To achieve this, we need talent and a continuous investment in innovation and legal-technical development. These two pillars are fundamental to our progress. To this end, we have implemented a significant change in the firm’s internal architecture. Traditionally, law firms tend to be very closed and endogamous internal structures. However, we have carried out a review exercise of this model, restructuring the firm towards the outside. This implies breaking down the territorial barriers that existed previously and generating a more participatory firm. In our new strategic plan, we have identified 12 large areas of specialization, as well as numerous subspecialties.
Is each of these groups led by a responsible partner?
