Iberian Lawyer’s Forty under 40 Awards recognise the achievements of the new generation of leading lawyers shaping the future of the legal profession. 

Held every year, Iberian Lawyer’s Forty under 40 Awards, honor lawyers across Spain and Portugal under the age of 40. The winners include only lawyers working in private practice. This year, the awards ceremony is being held the 23rd of September at the Westin Palace Hotel in Madrid – the Ceremony will be followed by a Gala Reception

NEW as from 2019 – the Forty under 40 Awards will be per category rewarding 20 individual and 20 team awards per category.

The Jury members will be a group of General Counsel and Head of Legal’s. The names will be announced later

The winners are as follows:

Best Practice Thought Leadership
Joaquín Fabré – Baker McKenzie
The lawyer is head of the Banking & Finance department in Baker Mckenzie’s Barcelona office. At the age of 37 Mr. Fabré has acquired extensive experience and is alredy recognised for his leadership and team management skills.

Lawyer of the Year M&A
Gonzalo Fernández Contreras – King & Wood Mallesons
The professional is very approachable, detail-oriented and backed by strong technical skills. A customer says about him: “He proactively analySes the issues and compares different strategies even in a changing situation. He is always able to offer the best strategy and solution for each case.”

Team of the Year M&A
Pérez-Llorca
With a team of talented young lawyers, the practice has been entrusted with the design of the most preeminent, complex, and cross-border transactions within the Iberian market. The department is known for advising top clients, who choose them for their outstanding performance

Lawyer of the Year Private Equity
Diana Ribeiro Duarte – Morais Leitão
Extremely dedicated and detail-oriented, the lawyer has developed unparalleled skills in managing multiple workflows in complex deals. The professional advises her clients in a number of different sectors, including health sector, infrastructures, energy and financial services.

Team of the Year Private Equity
DLA Piper Spain
The team is composed of multi-profile lawyers that provide legal support with flexibility and balance.

Lawyer of the Year Infrastructure and constructions
Jorge Perujo Fariña – Ontier
Over the last few years, he has acquired a solid experience in the sector, assisting clients with an international outlook and providing first-class support to his customers.

Team of the Year Infrastructure and Constructions
Allen & Overy
The team were among the most recommended during the research period. The law firm has distinguished itself as one of the most successful players in the market, providing great assistance in all aspects of infrastructure and constructions projects.

Lawyer of the Year Capital Markets
Orlando Vogler Guiné – VdA
With an in-depth knowledge of all legal aspects related to capital markets, the professional is valued by clients for his dedication, focus on the operations, and outstanding attention to the detail. During the reporting period, he worked on some of the most significant deals in this sector.

Team of the Year Capital Markets
Allen & Overy
With an established presence in the market, the law firm continues to play a leading role in the most sophisticated and innovative transactions in the market.  The team stands out for its ability to offer innovative solutions with tight timeframes.

Lawyer of the Year Banking & Finance
João Santos Carvalho – SRS Advogados
The professional is one of the most appreciated and esteemed lawyers in the sector. He can make the difference in the operations that matter, handling even the most demanding aspects – always at the highest level.

Team of the Year Banking & Finance
Morais Leitão
The team has many highly skilled and prepared professionals, globally recognised for being ready to handle the needs of the market. Last year, they worked on some of the most important deals in the Iberian market.

Lawyer of the Year Arbitration
Teresa Gutiérrez Chacón – Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
Teresa is an established professional who represented clients in domestic and international arbitration. During the last year, she replaced the partner, leading the firm’s Arbitration Group. In this position, she successfully held the firm’s leadership in five ongoing investment arbitrations.

Team of the Year Arbitration
VdA
75% of the Team is composed of lawyers under the age of 40. During the research period they were involved in both national and international Arbitration, as well as civil and commercial Litigation. The team operated in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking jurisdictions, demonstrating an all-around knowledge of the practice.

Lawyer of the Year Litigation
Carla Góis Coelho– PLMJ
The professional is a managing associate in the Dispute Resolution team, with more than 10 years’ experience in civil and corporate litigation. She acts for both, Portuguese and international clients, and she has recognised capacity when it comes to putting together and leading litigation teams for complex, high-profile litigation cases.

Team of the Year Litigation
Perez Llorca
During the reference period, the firm distinguished itself providing excellent and effective assistance to its clients. The firm is highly appreciated by the market, not only for its technical skills, but also for the correct behavior shown in a number of highly complex disputes.

Lawyer of the Year Energy
Álvarez Alberto – Mariscal & Abogados
The professional, appointed as a partner in January 2017, is valued for his versatility and for the ability to assist his clients in all the regulatory matters. His role is crucial in providing legal insights on how the frameworks should be developed in order to ensure the best outcome.

Team of the Year Energy
CMS Portugal
A strong and qualified team. CMS Portugal Energy and Climate Change team is composed by 90% of under 40 lawyers. The team is also well-known for its innovative approach and capacity to adapt to different types of clients with different goals and approaches.

Lawyer of the Year EU & Competition
Jaime de Blas – Pérez-Llorca
Over the past year, he has distinguished himself by participating in international transactions for important clients. The professional, who recently became partner of the firm, is an expert in Spanish and European competition Law. He advises clients on all manner of restrictive practices, abuses of dominant positions, and merger control issues in various sectors of the economy.

Team of the Year EU & Competition
PLMJ
A young team with an established expertise in the practice. During the period under review, the firm’s professionals have represented major companies operating in various industrial sectors. The law firm always represents an indispensable point of reference for their clients.

Lawyer of the Year Fintech
Isabel Pinheiro Torres – Abreu Advogados
Isabel has already a great experience in the field: she assists a wide range of clients in regulatory and compliance matters. She participated in international financing transactions, involving institutions, banks and other big players of the market and she still makes time to join socially valuable projects.

Team of the Year Fintech
ECIJA
Team highly appreciated by peers and clients alike. In the last twelve months, the practice has been involved in some of the most significant Fintech projects developed in the domestic market.

Lawyer of the Year Real Estate
Raquel Galinha Roque – CRS Advogados
The professional has always been essential to her clients, by providing them with excellent support. She is appreciated for being detail-oriented, innovative and for the ability to solve issues with a variety of creative solutions.

Team of the Year Real Estate
Dentons
During the research period, the team was involved in all the major real estate transactions, being a fundamental advisor. The firm follows its clients closely, gaining and maintaining their trust also by anticipating their needs.

Lawyer of the Year Tax
Francisco Cabral Matos – VdA
The professional is a leading lawyer in his generation and a recognized tax practitioner. Clients appreciate his ability to provide effective solutions and rely on him for the most complicated issues. Having him as an advisor is a factor of great additional value and confidence.

Team of the Year Tax
Abreu Advogados
During the reporting period, the team worked on transactions with major private clients from a variety of sectors. Their capability to be always ready to meet the needs of their clients is highly appreciated.

Lawyer of the Year IP & TMT
Alonso Hurtado– ECIJA
Clients and counterparts appreciate the professional for his outstanding performance during the reporting period. The lawyer has a deep and wide experience in all type of matters related to IT law, advising to top level public and private organisations on IT, telecoms & internet, data protection, as well as biotech issues.

Team of the Year IP & TMT
Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
The team have a deep knowledge of the sector, both in Litigation and non-contentious matters, but also an extraordinary understanding of any kind of legal issues related to TMT, Copyrights, Etertainment or Competition Law. During the reporting period, the most important international companies in the industry relied on them.

Lawyer of the Year Labour
Patricia Pila – DLA Piper Spain
The lawyer offers considerable added value for the clients. She is a high skilled lawyer, with high level of expertise. The professional is always available to support any urgent request and very responsive and pragmatic.

Team of the Year Labour
Ceca Magán Abogados
The firm is one of the most established in the Iberian market and its lawyers are recognised as a benchmark in the field of Labour law. Clients say they are always proactive and offer quick, successful and never predictable solutions.

Lawyer of the Year Life Sciences and Pharma
Ricardo do Nascimento Ferreira – Morais Leitão
Recently promoted to partner of the firm, the lawyer is highly appreciated for his skills and for an insight view of the business needs. Leader of his team, the professional has been one of the most active in the industry during the research period.

Team of the Year Life Sciences and Pharma
Eversheds Sutherland
The law firm has distinguished itself as one of the most successful players in the sector. The team is appreciated for its ability to be solution-oriented, extremely dedicated, and always available to support any urgent request.

Lawyer of the Year Public Law
Maria Zagallo – PLMJ
The lawyer joined the law firm as a partner in March 2021. Previously, she has worked for over 15 years in general public and administrative law, public procurement, and public-private partnerships. She has a unique background and her knowhow and experience in public projects is unmatched in the Iberian market.

Team of the Year Public Law
Sérvulo & Associados
With an excellent young team, the firm is appreciated by clients for its wide experience in the sector. During the research period, they provide legal support in some of the most important deals in the sector.

Lawyer of the Year Startup
Solange Fernandes – SRS Advogados
She is a specialist in this evolving field. Clients appreciate her for her availability and reactivity, whereas her colleagues and peers value her flexibility. An upstanding professional with valuable technical competences and strong soft skills.

Team of the Year Startup
CCA Law Firm
The team is able to provide assistance at the highest level to the start-ups that consult them. Their proactivity and attention to the clients’ needs, make their assistance essential to the customers.

Lawyer of the Year White Collar Crime
Juan Palomino – Pérez-Llorca
He is esteemed by clients and counterparts, appreciated for his balance and ability to offer high-level advice in all relevant areas of criminal law. He assists important national and international companies and is always close to his clients with brilliant solutions.

Team of the Year White Collar Crime
Ayuela Jiménez
Among the best known and most authoritative firms on the Iberian criminal law scene, the firm was highlighted in the research phase for the team’s ability to always be proactive and offer high-quality advice.

Lawyer of the Year Insurance
Álvaro Requeijo Torcal – Ambar Partners
The lawyer is extremely dedicated, well-prepared on technical aspects, always reaching for the best solutions. A customer says about him: “He proactively analyses the issues and compares different strategies, even in a fast-changing situation. He is always able to offer the best strategy and solution for each case.”

Team of the Year Insurance
Bird & Bird
Client-oriented and able to quickly cover all client’s needs. Appreciated – by clients and peers alike – for their ability to find the right synergies to deliver and receive exactly what is required.

Lawyer of the Year Insolvency & Restructuring
Paula Magalhães dos Santos – PRA
During the reporting period, the professional worked on numerous deals, confirming herself as one of the leading professionals in this field. Always close to clients, highly appreciated by colleagues/contractors.

Team of the Year Insolvency & Restructuring
Carles Cuesta Abogados
A team recognised by the market as one of the leaders in the field of restructuring operations. With a large amount of work carried out in this area, the firm is among the most valued and sought-after by clients. Always proactive.