Xavier Ruiz Joins Garrigues as a Partner in the New York Office

March, 2005 - Madrid, Spain

Xavier Ruiz, a Barcelona lawyer and expert in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions, has joined as new partner in the Garrigues New York office. Until now, Xavier Ruiz was the managing partner for the Latin American region and Spain in the U.S. law firm Mc Dermott, Will & Emery.

Xavier Ruiz’s hiring bolsters the team of Garrigues professionals working in the New York office, headed by the partner José Ramón Villar. His work in the Firm will focus on advising Spanish clients who are already operating in the U.S. or who are interested in investing there, as well as on coordinating all the common work generated in the U.S. by the member firms of the Latin American Alliance promoted by Garrigues.

Garrigues was the first Spanish law firm to open an office in New York in 1973 and, since then, has channeled a considerable portion of U.S. investments in Spain. “With the hiring of Xavier Ruiz we are seeking to enhance our presence in New York to provide the best possible service to our clients,” explains José María Alonso, Garrigues Managing Partner. “Furthermore, his experience in the Latin American and Spanish market will important for our Firm, as he will also help coordinating the Alliance’s common work in the U.S. market.”

Xavier Ruiz, who is 45, is an M&A specialist. He has been acknowledged as one of the foremost international experts in this practice area by the Legal Media Group’s international publication ‘Expert Guide’. Before joining Mc Dermott, Will & Emery (2003-2005), Xavier Ruiz practiced in the U.S. law firm Baker & McKenzie (1987-2003), where he was in charge of the M&A area in Buenos Aires (1994-1997) and as joint head of the Spain/Latin America group in its New York and Miami offices (1997-2003).

He holds a Law Degree from Barcelona University and a Master’s Degree Cum Laude in International Comparative Law from the Brussels Free University. He is a member of the Barcelona Bar Association and of the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce in New York.

dots