With this new office, Pérez-Llorca will become the first Spanish law firm to have a presence in Singapore, the city that will be the hub from which the firm will develop its strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes important economies such as China, Japan, Australia, Singapore itself, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Vietnam. Pérez-Llorca has been actively working in Asia for several years, through its Asian Desk.
Once the office in Singapore opens, Pérez-Llorca will have a physical presence in the world’s three main financial decision-making centres: New York, London and Singapore. The firm has been directing its strategy in the Americas from New York, with a special focus on the US East Coast and Latin America. From the firm’s London office, located in the Mayfair district close to major international financial sponsors and funds, the firm promotes its commercial and debt practices, which focus on work for these types of clients. The Singapore office will complete the plan to be located in the financial capitals of the three major economic development regions. As of a few months ago, Pérez-Llorca has also had an office in Brussels, from where it manages its European law practice and develops its public, regulatory and competition law practices, which are of central importance to the firm.
“This new office is a clear strategic fit for us. The Asian economy is, as we speak, outperforming both the American and European economies. We have to have a presence there, to help our clients and also for ourselves, to develop our own practice and to continue to learn. And Singapore is, without a doubt, the place to be in Asia-Pacific,” says Pedro Pérez-Llorca, Senior Partner at Pérez-Llorca.
The new office will be led by Pablo Hontoria, whose appointment as partner will be proposed at Pérez-Llorca’s next General Meeting of Partners. Hontoria will relocate to Singapore with a small team of lawyers from the firm.
Pablo Hontoria, who started his career at Pérez-Llorca in 2011, is seen by the firm as a great representative of its career and talent development plan. After a few years in the Madrid office, he worked with Iván Delgado on the opening of the firm’s New York office, where he stayed until 2017. In 2018, with the support of Pérez-Llorca, Hontoria completed a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at Columbia University and worked for two years as an international associate in the New York office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, as part of Pérez-Llorca’s talent exchange programme with leading New York firms. Back in Madrid, he rejoined one of the firm’s Corporate teams, from where his career, focused on advising large companies and funds on cross-border transactions, has continued to have a significant international component.
Hontoria is admitted to the New York State Bar Association (since 2020) and is a Spanish Foreign Legal Consultant before the New York Supreme Court (since 2016). He has extensive experience in advising national and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, transfers of assets and business units, as well as on corporate and corporate governance matters. He advises both private equity funds and industrial groups on cross-border transactions in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, software and food.
“I am very happy that it is Pablo Hontoria who is opening this office. He is a great representative of the career plan that we want to offer to anyone with ambition, with international training, office moves, placements in other offices and, in general, opportunities. This is a good firm if you are up for a challenge,” confirmed Pedro Pérez-Llorca.