Call it a sign of the times. In May the Spanish government announced the results of its beauty contest for legal work on a €35 billion emergency fund designed to reduce regional government debt. Bidders for the work, which involved setting up the legal framework for the banks to disperse the funds to unpaid suppliers, included Spain’s three largest firms –Cuatrecasas, Goncalves Pereira; Garrigues; and Uria Menendez — and at least one Magic Circle firm, Clifford Chance. While it wasn’t surprising that Cuatrecasas, one of the oldest operating law firms in the Iberian market, ended up winning the work, what is shocking is the firm’s suggested fee: €1.
That wasn’t a fluke. Uria Menendez also volunteered to do the work for €1, and Garrigues and Clifford Chance offered reduced fees in an effort to land the prestigious assignment, which could lead to more work from the Spanish government. “Given the economic situation, we felt it was the right thing to do as a service to the government,” says Cuatrecasas corporate partner Federico Roig. (Uria declined to comment. Garrigues and Clifford Chance confirmed that they offered a reduced fee, but say that it was a reasonable one.)
