Juan Oñate joins Stephenson Harwood to lead Madrid office

Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has announced that restructuring and insolvency specialist Juan Oñate will be joining the firm’s new office in Madrid, Spain. Juan – who joins from Pérez-Llorca – will take the role of Madrid Managing Partner.

“Juan is highly regarded and well known in the market,” said Eifion Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Stephenson Harwood. “He brings a first-class track record in complex restructuring work, as well as the energy and commercial focus we look for in our partners. His approach reflects our culture – he combines personality with professionalism, and he’s the kind of lawyer clients enjoy working with.”

Juan has spent his career at leading national and international firms, advising on some of Spain’s most significant cross-border insolvency and restructuring matters. He has extensive experience in the negotiation and approval of restructuring agreements, the purchase and recovery of non-performing loan portfolios, the defence of clawback actions and directors’ liability claims, M&A in pre insolvency and insolvency situations and civil and commercial litigation. He acts for a broad range of clients, including listed companies, major Spanish corporate groups, foreign investors, funds and banks.

“From the moment I met Eifion and the team at Stephenson Harwood, I was impressed by their ambition and the platform they are building,” said Juan. “The opportunity to lead a new office, backed by a such a strong international network, is compelling for me and my clients. From a personal point of view, it’s an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.”

The launch of Stephenson Harwood’s Madrid office marks a significant step in the firm’s international growth strategy. It enhances the firm’s ability to support clients with interests in Spain and the wider Iberian market, providing advice on both domestic and cross border matters.

“Expanding into Spain is an important step in our strategy to provide clients with top-tier legal expertise across Europe, the Middle East and Asia,” added Morris. “We have an exciting group of lawyers lined up to join us in Madrid, reflecting the interest in what we’re building here. Our ambition is to grow quickly and build a full-service team, establishing Stephenson Harwood as a leading international player in Spain across transactional – including corporate, tax, real estate and finance – and dispute resolution matters.”

Juan is joining partners Jesús Almoguera, Carlos Gonzalez and Eduardo Vazquez from leading Spanish boutique firm J Almoguera Abogados. Their move to Stephenson Harwood was announced previously.

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