Spanish law firm ECIJA has merged with Portuguese law firm Antas da Cunha to form one of the biggest players in the Iberian market with a global headcount of up to 35 partners and 180 professionals. ECIJA is a full-service law firm with particular expertise in TMT. Antas da Cunha was founded by managing partner Fernando Antas da Cunha in 2015 with around 40 lawyers.The combined entity will have 35 partners and more than 180 professionals throughout its six international offices, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Miami, Santiago de Chile and Lisbon.  It is also a member of the MERITAS alliance group for the Spanish market.  In Portugal, the firm will operate under the name of Antas da Cunha ECIJA and be managed by Fernando Antas da Cunha. 

Access to Portuguese-speaking countries

Hugo Ecija, founder and CEO of ECIJA, said: 'The Portuguese market has always been a natural aspiration. Now that we are consolidated in the top 10 Spanish law firms, it was also time to start our growth as an Iberian firm, motivated also by the needs of our clients, who are increasingly operating in Portugal. Our new headquarters in this market also provide an access to other Portuguese-speaking countries and emerging economies of the African continent.'  In relation to the merger process, Mr Écija added that it 'has been a relatively simple move due to the shared values and vision of both firms. Antas da Cunha is an innovative and client oriented firm with great experience and recognition.'

TMT

Commenting on the merger, Fernando Antas da Cunha said: 'The firm has grown very quickly during our first two years and we weren’t in the market to merge with an international firm. I had always assumed we would remain independent. However, the opportunity to start discussions with ECIJA happened organically and we are delighted to bring their expertise in the area of TMT to the Portuguese market. With GDPR less than one year away and the increasing importance of data privacy in today’s world, we strongly believe there is a big opportunity for us to capitalise on in Portugal. We are now facing the big challenge of creating a leading Iberian firm. Having the trajectory, know-how and market recognition of ECIJA in the TMT area will undoubtedly make us a very relevant player in the Portuguese market.'