From Madrid to the transatlantic energy axis
As head of energy for Europe and the Americas at WFW, María Pilar García Guijarro reflects on her new role, the challenges facing the sector, and the strategic importance of the Spanish office
by ilaria iaquinta
Watson Farley & Williams’ Energy leadership for Europe and the Americas now has a firm base in Madrid. With the appointment of María Pilar García Guijarro to head this practice, the Spanish capital has consolidated its role as a strategic hub in the firm’s international growth. Having led the Spanish office since 2011, García Guijarro was already a member of WFW’s global strategy board. Her appointment adds a new dimension to a career closely linked to transactional work and a deep knowledge of the energy sector. Her main challenge: to apply the model successfully developed in Spain to the firm’s network across Europe and the Americas.
In conversation with Iberian Lawyer, she discusses the scope of her new responsibilities, Madrid’s increasing prominence within the firm, and the challenges of an energy transition that, in her view, demands long-term vision, clear regulatory frameworks, and a delicate balance between sustainability and competitiveness.
Your appointment represents significant strategic recognition for the Spanish office…
Yes, recognition for the work we’ve been doing for years.
What does this role mean to you?
Professionally, it’s an important recognition of my career as an expert in energy law, with international experience across many types of transactions, technologies and clients, built over decades. This diversity of experience allows us to develop strategies in jurisdictions that are less explored or at different stages of development or energy transition compared to the EU. On a personal level, it’s a great honour — it has filled me with enthusiasm and motivation, though it’s also a big challenge in terms of work-life balance. I’ve already held international roles for years, having been part of the firm’s Supervisory Board — its global strategy committee, composed of eight partners. This appointment goes further: it allows me to replicate the successful energy management model developed in Spain across the firm’s network in Europe and the Americas.
What changes in your day-to-day work?
It increases my commitment at international level. It means more meetings, more travel, more calls at unusual hours, and more time spent staying up to date on the markets I oversee. But it also means more influence, and more opportunity to shape strategic decisions within the firm.
I was already doing this work before the appointment — collaborating with teams in other jurisdictions, leading complex international transactions, and advising global clients on their energy decisions and investments. Now, together with my respected colleagues Henry Stewart and Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi, I’m responsible for taking our regional strategy further, aligning goals and delivering more ambitious results. All this, without giving up direct involvement in M&A — which remains my professional passion. Henry, Clarinda and I form a strong energy team. We understand each other well and complement each other — each of us brings experience in different regions. At the same time, we share a common vision and move in the same direction, with a strong focus on excellence and high-level specialisation.
Let’s go back to Spain. How has the office evolved since you took over in 2011?
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