Stephenson Harwood has announced that it is opening a new office in Madrid after acquiring a local three-partner boutique.
The UK-based firm said it aimed to build a full service team to establish itself as a prominent international competitor in Spain, offering transactional – including corporate, tax, real estate and finance – and dispute resolution matters. The Madrid office will initially focus on two of the firm’s core sectors: private capital and funds, and energy transition and infrastructure.
Firm chief executive officer, Eifion Morris, said: “Our expansion into Madrid is an important step in our strategy to provide clients with access to top-tier legal expertise across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
“Unlike many peer firms, we’ve ruled out a merger with a US law firm. Our commitment is to offer our clients and our people an alternative to the transatlantic law firm model.”
The five-lawyer team from Spanish boutique firm J Almoguera Abogados (JAA), including partners Jesús Almoguera, Carlos Gonzalez and Eduardo Vazquez, is set to join Stephenson Harwood for the launch. The office is expected to be operational later this year.
Almoguera, the founding partner of JAA, commented: “Our expertise in complex litigation, arbitration and special situations aligns with Stephenson Harwood’s strengths in these areas, and we share a vision for building a successful practice in Madrid that combines local knowledge with international reach.”
The launch marks a re-entry into Madrid for Stephenson Harwood, which in 2002 handed its five-partner office there to DLA Piper following a strategy review.
The new Madrid office will join the firm’s other 10 locations across three continents and will be its fourth in Europe alongside London, Paris and Athens. The firm, which has around 220 partners worldwide and grew revenue 17% to top £300m last year, also launched in Saudi Arabia last October with a three-partner team.
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