Sonia Velasco
+34932905590
Sonia Velasco
Partner | Cuatrecasas
OFFICE
JURISDICTION
Spain
TOP 3 AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Personal and estate planning
Succession planning
Residency and domiciliation
CROSS-BORDER CLIENT EXPERIENCE IN
What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?
Our private client team in Cuatrecasas has been very successful due to its extensive knowledge in tax and civil law matters, gained through its extensive client base. We have organised our firm in practice groups based on technical expertise such as private client expertise, but also on business sectors and clients’ jurisdictions. We are advising many of the top families in the Catalonian region where I am based and I am proud of having been part of that success.
What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?
Based on the kind of clients we advise on private client issues, I would say that trust has to be the basis of any relationship. Clients have to see us as someone who is on their side and who will treat their heritage as if it were our own. Trust and confidentiality is the other principle that any relationship has to be based on.
What is your favourite quote?
"Communication, the thing humans forgot when we invented the words." Richard Branson.
Where have you seen growth in your practice over the last year?
We have been working in lots of estate planning cases. People have had the time to think about these issues and also, unfortunately, have seen the need to do so. In the next 12 months I prefect growth will come with tax residence tax audits, and relocations into Spain and out of Spain.
What do you think will be the biggest three challenges in your practice for the next 12 months?
1) Uncertainty
2) Keeping close contact with clients and colleagues
3) The motivation of our teams
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Work on identifying your strengths and weaknesses: work on your weaknesses and show the world your strengths.
Patricia Garcia Mediero
+34 94 423 21 56
Patricia Garcia Mediero
Senior Partner | Avantia Asesoramiento Fiscal y Legal
JURISDICTIONS QUALIFIED IN
Spain
England and Wales
TOP 3 AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Personal and estate planning
Asset holding structures
Tax
How did you get into private client?
I got involved in private client whilst I worked at PWC in Madrid, circa 1994. I got involved in a trust issue worth €100m+ which needed an international team and I jumped at the chance. I later moved to EY in 2001 until 2005 and then we started Avantia Asesoramiento Fiscal y Legal.
What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?
Stay calm and focused. Notice what is NOT being said.
What is your favourite quote?
“Every problem is also an opportunity.”
Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?
Breadmaking- in particular artisan bread making. I play around with lots of different types of flour- I do everything by hand!
When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?
Zalacain, Madrid. It is a very old, traditional restaurant, which they have refurbished – with a twist.
Florentino Carreño
Florentino Carreño
Partner | Cuatrecasas
JURISDICTIONS QUALIFIED IN
Spain
TOP AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Personal and estate planning
Succession planning
Tax
What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?
The pandemic’s impact on families and business is huge - what type of new world are we facing? How do we react to it? There are hard questions surrounding movement, tax and residency rights. We don’t always know the answers, but it is becoming our day to day.
How did you get into private client?
When I joined Cuatrecasas, there were only 26 lawyers in Madrid, 26 years ago. I practiced international taxation and as we started to grow, I started to solve problems for the individuals behind the financial institutions we advised. Now I am a private client lawyer with a very important understanding of the financial structuring of our clients’ business.
What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?
You must have a good understanding of the world and the trend of internationalisation. Always assume the need for complete transparency with clients and have excellent knowledge and working application of the jurisdictions they are in.
Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?
My children! I try to spend time with my family and my hobbies situate around this, which include golf, running. reading and watching a good TV series.
When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?
La Bodega De Uga, Lanzarote – we have been spending our summer there for the last 11 years. It is a wonderful restaurant which is not well known, but it is an experience!
Iñigo Aguirrezabala
Iñigo Aguirrezabala
Partner | Cuatrecasas
JURISDICTIONS QUALIFIED IN
Spain
TOP AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Personal and estate planning
Asset holding structures
Tax
What has been the highlight of your practice over the past 12 months?
During the last year, one of the most interesting technical issues that I have advised on was the applicability of the tax treaties signed by Spain, under Article 4, to a resident under the Spanish "inpatriate" preferred tax regime. I have also advised on the pre-immigration tax structure for a Peruvian UHNWI moving to Spain that had multiple assets and structures in different jurisdictions.
How did you get into private client?
I started my career with a partner that focused on family-owned businesses. I then worked for two years in private banking for a wealth planner. When I went back into law, I did a combination of both– and decided to concentrate my efforts on private client.
What advice would you give rising stars/new lawyers in the private client world?
I would advise them to focus on the clients and anticipate their needs, since the clients and their legal well-being are the most important thing to our profession. I would also advise them to acquire as much international legal knowledge as possible.
What is your favourite quote?
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela.
Do you have any outside interests or hobbies?
Snowboarding, sailing, biking and gastronomy.
When the restaurants reopen, where would you like to go?
Estimar, a seafood restaurant in Barcelona.
