Teresa Méndez has developed her career in prestigious domestic and foreign law firms. Her academic background includes a degree in Law and Business Administration from ICADE, a Fulbright scholarship to study an LL.M. at Columbia University, and she has been admitted to the New York Bar since April 2009.
Specialised in corporate law, Teresa has extensive experience in M&A transactions, both for listed and unlisted companies. She has been involved in some of the most significant takeover bids of the past few years in Spain, as well as in IPOs, capital increases and debt restructurings. In private M&A, she has worked on transactions in a variety of sectors, representing industrial clients as well as private equity and sovereign wealth funds. Chosen as one of the top 50 women in the legal sector in the Iberian Peninsula (“Inspiralaw”) by Iberian Lawyer in 2021, she has been recognised since 2020 in Best Lawyers® in the practices of ‘M&A’ and ‘Sports’.
Prior to joining Pérez-Llorca, Javier Bau was a partner in the commercial practice of the Madrid office of a Big Four. Specialised in private equity and financial sector transactions, he has 17 years of experience advising domestic and foreign clients on transactional matters, particularly in M&A, joint ventures and carve-outs, with a special focus on private equity.
A graduate in Law from ESADE, Javier has been listed under the ‘M&A’ practice area of the Best Lawyers® legal directory since 2019. On the academic side, he is currently an associate lecturer at IE Law School, teaching a module on the Executive Programme in Corporate Law. Prior to this, he taught a module on Private M&A: Acquisitions and Joint Ventures at ESADE Law School – Ramón Llull University for nine years.
Pablo Hontoria joined Pérez-Llorca in 2011 and has spent his entire professional career at the firm: he opened the New York office of Pérez-Llorca together with Iván Delgado, completed an LL.M. in Columbia, worked for two years as an international associate in the New York office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher and returned to Madrid to rejoin one of the firm’s Corporate teams, where he has continued to have a significant international component. Pablo is the partner who will set up and develop the new office that Pérez-Llorca will open in Singapore in the first quarter of 2023.
Florence Legeay also has an extensive international career that began in the legal department of Hermés International in Paris. After that, she spent five years at another leading Spanish firm and in 2015 joined the Corporate team in our Barcelona office. Qualified to practise as a lawyer in both Spain and France, Florence has recognised experience in transactions with a high foreign component, both in corporate law and in real estate and financing.
The appointment of Teresa Méndez and the promotion of Florence Legeay to Corporate partner are part of Pérez-Llorca’s ‘Women in Corporate’ programme, through which the Firm promotes equality between men and women and fosters female talent in the Corporate area.
Lastly, Gabriel Salarich joins the firm as Counsel for the firm’s Finance team, in particular the Debt Capital Markets practice.
Prior to this, Gabriel worked as a lawyer in the Madrid office of a London Magic Circle firm. Specialised in the securities market, he boasts ample experience advising Spanish multinationals and companies on transactions in the fixed income and equity markets, such as bond issuances, high-yield bonds, establishing debt issuance programmes, securitisations and IPOs, among others. He has also provided regular advice to clients on transactions related to syndicated financings, refinancings and regulatory compliance.
The appointments of these partners will be proposed at Pérez-Llorca’s next General Meeting of Partners, to be held in January.