Shortly describe your professional career.

Luis: I am Spanish and I recently joined DLA Piper as Tax partner. I focus on international and corporate tax law, advising clients on the tax aspects of cross-border investments and corporate reorganisations, as well as on the structuring of private equity, real estate and distressed debt investments via regulated/unregulated funds and securitisation platforms. Before joining DLA Piper, I worked for on of the “magic circle” law firms, an independent law firm and a Big 4 accountancy firm.

Xavier: I am half Mexican and half French. I joined DLA Piper Luxembourg back in 2015 as a senior associate. I was appointed partner in 2017 and I head the Finance, Projects & Restructuring local team since then. I mostly advise our clients on cross-border banking and finance work, including secured lending, leveraged and acquisition finance, asset-backed finance, as well as insolvency and restructuring work. Prior to DLA Piper, I gained experience in major international law firms in major financial centers.

Xavier and Luis, together with other lawyers of DLA Piper, combine an extensive legal and tax expertise in cross-border matters, with the ability to entirely and efficiently work in Spanish.

Which activity does your company currently develop in Luxembourg?

Through our office in Luxembourg, DLA Piper provides a variety of legal services to our international business clients, driven by the increasingly global nature of their cross-border operations and investments.

Our lawyers work to ensure that our clients’ objectives are achieved, and we offer a range of business advise, including fund structuring, banking, private equity, insurance, corporate, tax, intellectual property and technology and litigation matters. We work closely with our colleagues across the globe to ensure that Luxembourg legal advice is provided seamlessly in complex multijurisdictional matters.

What added value does your company offer in Luxembourg compared to its competitors?

Clients value the ability of law firms to understand their business context and to provide legal advice accordingly. DLA Piper has the reach and depth of experience to meet the legal needs of our clients wherever they choose to do business. We seek to bring a real understanding of the challenges our clients face, and their need for competitive advantage.

Our team of dynamic, young lawyers relies on strong sector expertise and entrepreneurial mindset to build sustainable partnerships with clients. We overlay our global practice groups with global sector teams, which are designed specifically to mirror our clients’ business markets. Sector teams are cross-practice, so when advice is required, the DLA Piper lawyer acting on the matter is well-versed in the relevant legal area and jurisdiction, as well as the regulatory, risk and legal issues most applicable to the sector the client operates in.

We actively listen to, and connect with, our people, markets and clients to design the best solutions for their needs. We discuss clients’ business needs, their strategies and the importance of our work, applying sound commercial judgment to their decisions.

We think global and are multi-lingual, culturally sensitive, and innovative and we aim at applying sound commercial judgment to clients’ legal and final decisions.

How do you think the Spanish Financial Forum can add value to the financial services industry in Luxembourg and its professionals? 

The Spanish Financial Forum (SFF) brings together financial industry actors in Luxembourg to inform, and brainstorm with Spanish and LATAM markets professionals of the sector on trends and needs.

We believe it is a must-have to be part of this forum that boosts economic relations between these countries and helps generating new business opportunities for everyone.

SFF also plays a role of network facilitator by creating a space to exchange on industry economic and financial challenges.

Finally, we believe it’s really important to attract and retain Spanish talent in Luxembourg, and SFF helps to improve Luxembourg’s image.