The firm was founded in 1917 by Emilio Cuatrecasas Buquet. Specializing in Tax Law, it gradually gained considerable prominence, primarily in Catalonia and the Basque Country. Its major expansion took place in 1980, when it established itself in Spain’s main capital cities. It also solidified its Iberian identity through the integration of Portuguese firm Gonçalves Pereira and opened a new office in Brussels.
Offering legal services across all practice areas, it became the second largest Spanish law firm by billing volume and number of lawyers. At the turn of the century, it embarked on an intensive internationalization process, establishing a presence in 11 countries through 25 offices, including New York, London, and Shanghai. It further completed its Iberian territorial expansion through two mergers: with Portuguese firm Gonçalves Pereira, Castelo Branco & Associados, and with Andalusian firm Olivencia-Ballester.
In the most recent decade, the firm created a European network with leading firms in Germany (Gleiss Lutz), Italy (Chiomenti), and France (Gide Loyrette Nouel), while also committing to the Latin American market by opening its own offices in Bogotá, Mexico City, Lima, and Santiago de Chile.
Over this same period, Cuatrecasas implemented a strategy of direct expansion in the Latin American market through the establishment of its own offices and corporate legal infrastructure in Bogotá (Colombia), Mexico City (Mexico), Lima (Peru), and Santiago de Chile (Chile), moving away from traditional correspondent arrangements in favor of a unified service standard. Through these specialized local teams, the firm’s regional divisions focus on a transactional approach covering Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Project Finance, Energy and Infrastructure, International Tax Law, Commercial and Investment Arbitration, and Compliance.
