Lesayra Legal

Abraham Nájera Pascual

Partner

Banking & Finance

PROFILE

Former head of the Banking & Finance area at CMS Spain since 2010 and Co-Head of the CMS Global Banking & Finance Practice Area Group since 2013, Abraham and his team left said firm in 2020, after 22 years, to found LESAYRA together with Javier Leyva and Rafael Sánchez.

Abraham leads one of the most active transactional Banking & Finance teams in Spain, particularly in restructuring and refinancing, real estate finance, project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, asset finance, commodities finance, and securitization transactions, acting for lenders and borrowers in national and international deals.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law from Universidad de La Rioja (1998).

Degree in Psychology from Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (2002).

RECOGNITIONS

Abraham has been selected and recommended, since 2007, by Chambers and Partners Europe and Global (Banking & Finance; band 3), Legal 500 (Banking and Finance; band 3), IFLR 1000 (Banking / Project Finance; tiers 5 and 4) and Best Lawyers (Banking and Finance Law - Corporate, Projects, Structured Finance).

He was also one of the winners of the prestigious Iberian Lawyer “Forty under 40” Awards 2015.

In 2019, his team was recognized as the ”FinTech Firm of the Year” at the “Forty under 40” Awards.

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

Javier Leyva Olarte

Partner

Corporate / M&A

PROFILE

After more than 20 years in several international law firms, Javier founded LESAYRA in 2020 together with Rafael Sánchez and Abraham Nájera.

He began his career as a lawyer in 2000 at the Corporate/M&A department of E&Y Spain. He subsequently joined Donahue & Partners LLP/ Ernst & Young LLP, New York, where he focused on advising U.S. headed multinational groups in the design, coordination and implementation of multi-jurisdictional legal and tax restructuring projects. In 2007, Javier joined the Corporate/M&A team of CMS Spain.

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience in connection with:

• M&A transactions, in the sectors of private equity, energy, real estate, infrastructures, consumer products and gas & oil.

• Corporate law, including general advice in all corporate matters and developing company secretary functions.

• Corporate restructuring and reorganization for many numbers of clients both domestic and international (including industrial players, private equity funds and individuals).

• General commercial law, including domestic and international contracting.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (1997).

Master’s Degree in Corporate Legal Advice, Instituto de Empresa (1999).

RECOGNITIONS

Javier has been selected and recommended since 2016 by the specialized directory Best Lawyers.

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

Rafael Sáez Chamorro

Partner

Insurance, Corporate / M&A

PROFILE

After 16 years in the Corporate/M&A and Insurance areas of CMS Spain, where he has developed all this professional career, in 2022 joined LESAYRA as a partner, together with Rafael Sánchez, Javier Leyva and Abraham Nájera.

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience in connection with:

Corporate and regulatory aspects of the Spanish insurance market, advising numerous Spanish and international insurance entities, together with the main insurance distribution groups conducting businesses in Spain.
Insurtech and Fintech projects.
M&A transactions, focused on the sectors of insurance, energy, private equity, real estate and consumer products.
Underwriting of W&I insurance products and handling of claims with insurance companies.
Corporate law, including general advice in all corporate and commercial aspects, and including the development of company secretary functions.
Corporate restructuring and reorganization of national and international groups of companies.
General civil and commercial law, including domestic and international contracting.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2005).

Master of Laws (LL.M.), IE Law School (2006).

RECOGNITIONS

Rafael was recognised as “Associate to Watch” from 2014 to 2016 by the legal directory Chambers and Partners. Moreover, he was a nominee for the Iberian Lawyer “Forty under 40” award in 2019.

He is usually ranked by other specialised legal directories such as Best Lawyers and Legal500.

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

Rafael Sánchez Jiménez

Partner

Corporate / M&A

PROFILE

After 16 years at the Corporate/M&A area of CMS Spain (which he joined as a junior lawyer and left as a partner), in 2020 and together with Javier Leyva and Abraham Nájera, Rafael founded LESAYRA.

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience in connection with:

• M&A transactions, focused on the sectors of private equity, energy, infrastructures, real estate and start-ups.

• Corporate governance of IBEX-35 listed companies.

• Corporate law (including preparation of General Shareholders’ Meetings of IBEX-35 listed companies).

• Capital markets (IPOs, rights issues and tender offers of IBEX-35 listed companies).

• Restructuring and reorganization of groups of companies.

• General commercial law, including domestic and international contracting.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, ICADE (E-3 program) (2002).

Degree in Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, ICADE (E-3 program) (2003).

Harvard Law School: Harvard Course in Law and Economics (2008).

RECOGNITIONS

Rafael features in legal directories such as Best Lawyers and was a nominee for the Iberian Lawyer “Forty under 40” Awards in 2019.

“Best transaction 2017” - Expansión Jurídico Awards (Siemens-Gamesa merger, where Rafael played a key role).

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

Concepción Padilla Valcárcel

Senior Associate

Banking & Finance

PROFILE

After working at Deloitte, in 2014 Concepción joined the Banking & Finance area at CMS Spain headed by Abraham Nájera, where she developed her professional career until 2020, when she joined LESAYRA together with the entire team led by Abraham.

Concepción is part of one of the most active transactional Banking & Finance teams in Spain, particularly in restructuring and refinancing, real estate finance, project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, asset finance, commodities finance, and securitization transactions, acting for lenders and borrowers in national and international deals.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law and International Relations from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, ICADE (2012).

Master’s degree in Business Law from CIFF Business School UAH, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (2013).

RECOGNITIONS

In 2019, the team Concepción is part of was recognized as the “FinTech Firm of the Year” at the Iberian Lawyer “Forty under 40” Awards.

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

French.

Romanian.

Ana González del Valle

Associate

Banking & Finance

PROFILE

After her time at the Banking & Finance area of CMS Spain, Ana, along with her teammates, followed Abraham Najera’s steps to be part of LESAYRA.

Ana is part of one of the most active transactional Banking & Finance teams in Spain, particularly in restructuring and refinancing, real estate finance, project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, asset finance, commodities finance, and securitization transactions, acting for lenders and borrowers in national and international deals.

EDUCATION

Bilingual Dual Degree in Law and Business Administration from IE University (2018).

Bilingual Dual Master’s Degree for Admission to the Bar and Corporate Legal Advice (LLM) from Instituto de Empresa (2019).

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

Brenda Arias Navarro

Associate

Banking & Finance

PROFILE

Brenda is part of one of the most active transactional Banking & Finance teams in Spain, particularly in restructuring and refinancing, real estate finance, project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, asset finance, commodities finance, and securitization transactions, acting for lenders and borrowers in national and international deals.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law (Diploma in Economic Law) from Universidad de Navarra (2022).

Double master’s degree for Admission to the Bar and Business Law from Universidad de Navarra (2023).

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

French.

Natalia Terol Uixera

Associate

Banking & Finance

PROFILE

After several years at the Banking & Finance area of CMS Spain, Natalia, along with her teammates, followed Abraham Najera’s steps to be part of LESAYRA.

Natalia is part of one of the most active transactional Banking & Finance teams in Spain, particularly in restructuring and refinancing, real estate finance, project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, asset finance, commodities finance, and securitization transactions, acting for lenders and borrowers in national and international deals.

EDUCATION

Degree in Law from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2016).

Master’s degree for Admission to the Bar from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Madrid (2018).

Master’s degree in Global Business Law from ESADE, Madrid (2018).

RECOGNITIONS

In 2019, the team Natalia is part of was recognized as the “FinTech Firm of the Year” at the Iberian Lawyer “Forty under 40” Awards.

LANGUAGES

Spanish.

English.

French.

Valencian.