Pérez-Llorca hires EU law expert for a new office in Brussels

Pérez-Llorca hires EU law expert for a new office in Brussels

Senior government lawyer from the Ministry of Justice joins the Spanish law firm

One of the top 10 Spanish law firms Pérez-Llorca has hired European Union (EU) law expert to lead the opening of a new office in Brussels.

Sonsoles Centeno has joined the firm as a partner from a role as deputy director-general for EU and International Affairs (Ministry of Justice). She has almost two decades of experience as a senior government lawyer.

The firm said the Brussels launch (to happen in the latter half of 2022) would help expand its client base. The firm's significant portion of business revolves around advising large Spanish companies on matters related to public, competition and EU laws.

Pérez-Llorca litigates before the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg and is involved in proceedings before the European Commission and in the EU's regulatory development processes, which means, its partners are often in Brussels.

The Brussels office will be the first in Spain since it set up shop in New York in 2015, a year after it launched in London. The vast majority of the firm's more than 300 lawyers are based in its two Madrid offices, while a team of around 30 operates from its Barcelona office.

Centeno has served as chief state advocate before the Court of Justice of the European Union (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation) and as an agent of the Kingdom of Spain. Her responsibilities included directing legal advice on EU laws within the state attorney's office and managing the teams in Madrid and Brussels.