A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Pérez-Llorca, a Spanish law firm, has announced plans to open an office in Abu Dhabi in 2026, marking the first physical presence of an Ibero-American law firm in the emirate, according to a press release issued by the firm.
The firm said the new office will be located at the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and will serve as a regional centre to assist investors, particularly sovereign wealth funds.
Pérez-Llorca described Abu Dhabi as a strategic international investment hub, and said the decision reflects structural shifts in global capital flows, with Gulf-based institutional and private investors playing an increasingly important role in overseas investments.
The Abu Dhabi office will be headed by Gonçalo Capela Godinho, currently Country Chair of Pérez-Llorca’s Lisbon office. Initially, two associates from the firm will relocate alongside him to support the establishment of the new office and the development of institutional and commercial relationships in the region, the statement said.
Commenting on the move, Capela Godinho said: “By opening an office in Abu Dhabi, we can be closer to investors who have been playing an increasingly important role in transactions in the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America and Portuguese-speaking Africa. This is consistent with our strategy of orderly growth and our focus on advising on complex cross-border transactions, combining client proximity with direct legal enforcement in the relevant jurisdictions.”
Jorge Mondragón, Country Chair of Pérez-Llorca in Mexico, said the strengthening of economic ties between Mexico and the UAE is creating new investment opportunities.
“The strengthening of economic ties between Mexico and the UAE is opening up new investment opportunities in strategic sectors. Having a presence in Abu Dhabi reinforces our ability to accompany our clients in increasingly sophisticated transactions with cross-border components,” he said.
In recent years, the trade relationship between Mexico and the UAE has shown sustained growth. According to official figures from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral non-oil trade exceeded $2.6 billion in 2024, with annual growth of more than 3%, reflecting increased trade activity and mutual interest in deepening economic cooperation.
The firm said the Abu Dhabi office is not intended to develop local legal practice in the Middle East, but rather to strengthen proximity to international capital sources that invest in markets where Pérez-Llorca has the capacity to enforce local law. The new office will operate in close coordination with Pérez-Llorca’s existing international network, including teams in Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Colombia, as well as its offices in London, New York, Brussels and Singapore, the statement added.
In recent years, several international law firms, including Addleshaw Goddard, Simmons & Simmons and Forsters, have opened offices at ADGM. The international financial centre also reduced registration fees for non-financial entities in the beginning of 2025, coinciding with its expansion into Al Reem Island.