Bird & Bird establishes presence in Lisbon

The international commercial law firm continues its expansion strategy and opens a new office in Lisbon. Ana Rita Paínho takes over the management of the eight-strong team.

Strategic expansion of the Iberian presence

The law firm is consistently pursuing its growth strategy and, following the recent office openings in Riyadh and Tokyo, is now also establishing a presence in Portugal. The launch of the Lisbon office is imminent and will complement the existing office in Madrid to form a coherent Iberian network. The initial team comprises eight lawyers who will work closely with their Spanish colleagues. This dovetailing should enable clients to receive consistent advice in both markets.

Focus on technology and innovation

Ana Rita Paínho will be managing partner of the new office. The range of advice focuses on intellectual property, technology, media & telecommunications, life sciences as well as corporate and M&A transactions. Employment law and dispute resolution are also offered.

Coral Yáñez, Managing Partner in Madrid, justifies the choice of location with Portugal's growing reputation as a technology hub. The country is developing into an important innovation center and is attracting international clients accordingly.

Part of the five-year strategic plan

CEO Christian Bartsch sees the Lisbon expansion as an important component of the firm's medium-term strategy. The opportunity to offer clients uniform legal advice across the entire Iberian peninsula creates considerable synergies.

Significance for German professional services

For German tax advisors and auditors with international clients, such law firm expansions open up new opportunities for cooperation. Cross-border M&A transactions and compliance projects increasingly require coordinated advice between different jurisdictions. The strategic positioning in technology hotspots such as Lisbon also signals the growing need for advice on digital economy issues.