Pérez-Llorca’s next frontier: Abu Dhabi
Gonçalo Capela Godinho explains the strategy behind Pérez-Llorca’s Middle East expansion, his Lisbon legacy and the firm’s ambitions for global growth
by glória paiva
Pérez-Llorca’s move into Abu Dhabi reflects a strategy focused on being closer to the world’s major sources of capital and investment flows. The Spanish firm entered the UAE market last June, opening a hub designed to connect Gulf investors with opportunities across Europe and Latin America (click to read). Led by Gonçalo Capela Godinho, former managing partner of the firm’s Lisbon office, the new office is part of Pérez-Llorca’s broader ambition to build an integrated Ibero-American legal platform.
The Abu Dhabi office expands Pérez-Llorca’s international network, working alongside teams in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, as well as professionals in London, New York, Brussels and Singapore. It also follows a period of growth in Portugal, where the Lisbon office, opened in 2024, increased revenues by an estimated 20.9% between 2024 and 2025, reaching approximately €10 million, according to Iberian Lawyer estimates (click to read). Following Godinho’s move to the UAE, the Lisbon office is now led by Carlos Vaz de Almeida, supported by two co-chairs, Inês Arruda and Adolfo Mesquita Nunes.
Gonçalo Capela Godinho spoke to Iberian Lawyer about the expectations for the new Abu Dhabi venture, the strategic rationale behind the expansion and his legacy in Lisbon.
What distinguishes Pérez-Llorca’s focus on the Middle East from that of other foreign firms operating in the region?
Abu Dhabi is one of the world’s leading centres for financial decision-making, innovation, energy and digital transition, and it is where many of the market players with a direct impact on global capital flows are concentrated. We are the first Iberian law firm with a physical presence in Abu Dhabi, and we have opted for a model that does not seek to practise local law or offer common law services, but rather to strengthen our proximity to capital and decision-makers, as well as our expertise in the jurisdictions where we offer local law advice – Iberia and Latin America. This decision is aligned with our ambition to support clients from the world’s major capital centres, backed by an integrated legal platform where clients find the same values, the same standards and the same way of working, regardless of geography.
What objectives justify the opening of the Abu Dhabi office at this point in time?
This decision is a natural step within Pérez Llorca’s long-term internationalisation strategy. For years, we have closely followed Gulf investors and witnessed the decisive role they have assumed in strategic sectors across Europe and Latin America. It therefore makes perfect sense for us to now be where the major decisions are made. For a long time, this market was primarily based on an outbound model – with capital from the region seeking assets abroad. Today, we are seeing a different level of maturity: the flow continues, but it now coexists with inbound investment and co-investments through highly sophisticated corporate and financial structures. Being present in Abu Dhabi allows us to advise on all stages of these projects and to be involved in highly complex transactions between the Gulf and the Ibero-American region.
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