Madrid annual report
A Madrid office can ‘act as bridge’ to Latin America
and North Africa
Companies from across Europe are currently considering investment in Latin America, but
understanding cultural differences is a vital part of providing effective legal advice
Ángela López Molina
Offices in Madrid can act as bridges
between Europe and Latin America and
North Africa, says Ángela López Molina,
managing partner of DS OVSLAW’s
Madrid office. “Madrid has a privileged
position that we need to take care of
and maintain,” observes López Molina.
“It has always been seen as a bridge
to Latin America and people see it as
the equivalent of Miami in the US –
meanwhile, Madrid also has a privileged
relationship with North Africa.”
Madrid’s ability to act as a link to
other continents is particularly important
in today’s market, López Molina says.
“There is a boom in Latin America right
now and people are looking into what is
happening in the continent,” she explains.
Spanish companies, as well as businesses
from other parts of Europe are currently
considering investments in Latin America
and are therefore seeking legal counsel
with relevant international experience.
Maintaining close relationships
“At DS Madrid, we have a strong
international focus,” López Molina says.
“We not only practice Spanish law, we
also offer our network and international
experience to help clients develop their
businesses abroad.” DS , which has a
presence in Madrid and Barcelona, has 26
offices around the world covering Europe,
Latin America, Asia, Africa and Canada.
DS has French origins and a “Latin focus”,
according to López Molina. She adds that
the firm offers something different, in that
it is present in locations such as Africa and
South East Asia, which is “not common
for Anglo-Saxon law firms with similarly
large networks”. López Molina argues
that it is important to have a broad office
network and maintain close relationships
with clients in each jurisdiction.
López Molina adds that having an
understanding of cultural differences is
another vital part of providing effective
legal advice. “International experience
goes beyond just speaking the language –
it means recognising that things are done
differently in different places. You need
to have awareness, respect and an open
mindset.”
Communication is crucial
López Molina, who was a winner at the
Iberian Lawyer 40 under Forty Awards
in 2017, was appointed as managing
46 • IBERIAN LAWYER • May / June 2018
partner of DS Madrid earlier this year.
After several years working as a lawyer in
China with DS Avocats and then working
in law firms from Spain, the UK and
France, López Molina moved to Madrid
seven years ago to create and lead the
international legal department of a listed
Spanish infrastructure company. In her
new role at DS OVSLAW’s Madrid office,
López Molina oversees the activities of
a firm that focuses on “complex M&A
transactions, corporate and commercial
law, infrastructures, internet and new
technologies, pharma, real estate, labour
and tax”.
López Molina says the DS Madrid
office is currently expanding and looking
to hire “new talent”. She adds that
communication has become a “critical
component of the law firm’s strategy and,
if done effectively, it can help to attract
both clients and lawyers”.
In Madrid’s busy and competitive
market, effective marketing is of crucial
importance, says López Molina. “You
must send a very clear message about who
you are and what you are doing, where
you are and where you want to go,”