Julene Areitio and Javier Villamía win second edition of Cuatrecasas Excellence in Law Award

Cuatrecasas has closed its second Premio Excelencia Jurídica (“Excellence in Law Award”), an internal initiative recognizing its lawyers’ intellectual output and legal quality, contributing to consolidating the firm’s technical excellence by rewarding the development and publication of articles in the academic field. The jury emphasized the high participation and quality of the work presented this year, reflecting the lawyers’ commitment to excellence and legal innovation. 

In the senior category, the award went to Julene Areitio for her article on Impacto del Control de Inversiones Extranjeras en el Sector de la Salud en España (The Impact of Foreign Investment Control on the Spanish Healthcare Sector), published in Revista de Derecho del Mercado de Valores (Capital Markets Law Journal), which takes an in-depth look at the implications of foreign investment control in the Spanish healthcare sector, particularly in the post-COVID context. The study addresses issues such as the importance of public health, critical infrastructures and the use of advanced technologies, providing a comparative view with other European regulations.

Speaking about her award, Julene highlighted, “I am very grateful for the support of the members of the jury, Cuatrecasas and each and every one of the people who have helped me with this project, one of the greatest challenges of my career. We are lucky to have these initiatives in the firm.”

In the junior category, the award went to Javier Villamía for “Business Restructuring after International M&A Transactions,” an article pending publication, which has been recognized for its detailed analysis of the tax implications and transfer pricing involved in corporate restructuring following international mergers and acquisitions. Villamía explored the need for compensation, the risks of permanent establishment, and the accounting and tax treatment of compensations, providing a valuable perspective for legal practice in this field.

In his words, “This is a double award because people you admire have approved your work. All that remains is to invite the next candidates to be part of this experience.”

Development of the second Excellence in Law Award

The second edition of the Cuatrecasas Excellence in Law Award was launched in November 2024, inviting all the firm's lawyers to participate. The candidates had to submit unpublished articles or articles published in journals recognized by the academic community. The firm established two categories based on the participants’ experience: junior (trainee lawyers, junior associates and associates) and senior (mid-level associates and senior associates), with a monetary prize for each. The application deadline was in February, and the winners were announced at the Extraordinary Partners Meeting in Barcelona on April 10.

This edition was an outstanding success, with a considerable number of lawyers participating—both young and experienced—from all the offices at Cuatrecasas. The jury rigorously assessed the works submitted, highlighting the innovation and technical expertise presented. .

Raimundo Segura was the chair of this year's panel and he commented, “There were 22 candidates in this edition, with 7 reaching the final round (3 in the senior category and 4 in the junior). While everyone's work was of high quality, the jury were pleasantly impressed by the depth of some of the work submitted by the junior candidates. Regarding the winners, we particularly valued the current importance of the topics covered, as well as the authors’ clear explanations, their orientation towards the practice of law and their relevant case law support.”

The jury was made up of proven experts from the firm, recognized for their technical capacity, cross-sectoral knowledge of law, and their vocation for continuous learning: Serena Cabrita (Tax), Luís Miguel Cortés (Corporate and M&A), Ignacio Costa (Tax), Ignacio Jabato (Labor and Employment), Marco Antonio de la Peña (Energy and Infrastructure), Fedra Valencia (Litigation and Arbitration) and Aurora Campins (ACI).