Jesús Mandri, founding partner of Mandri Abogados, reveals in the special Leaders 2026: vision and challenges of Spanish law firms his roadmap to further consolidate his Madrid-based law firm as a reference in economic criminal law and compliance in a hypercompetitive market. Exclusively, he details the integration of AI to gain efficiency without compromising the lawyer’s legal judgment, anticipates a surge in criminal and compliance claims due to stricter regulations, outlines differentiation strategies that prioritize quality over low prices, and explains how he prepares his team to master emerging areas such as corporate criminal liability.
AI Integration: Efficiency with Human Oversight
AI is here to stay. At our law firm, we aim to implement AI without fear, but with judgment. Technology is a support tool, but it cannot and should not replace the lawyer’s legal judgment. Specifically, we will introduce improvements in our document management system and in the database of legislation and case law, applying only what truly enhances the quality of our services and always under our personal control.
In such a competitive sector, Jesús Mandri’s main strategy is to continue applying technology across all processes: “The legal sector is becoming increasingly competitive. Therefore, it is always necessary to seek areas for improvement that add value and make a law firm stand out. In our case, we will continue improving the quality of our services through the use of technology and the recent addition of a new lawyer to our team.”
“I do not foresee further geographical expansion of our law firm in 2026”
Our law firm specializes in criminal law and has the trust of clients throughout the country. Therefore, although our headquarters are in Madrid, we participate in legal proceedings across Spain, either in person or via video conference. The latter allows clients to save both time and costs. For this reason, I do not foresee further geographical expansion of our law firm beyond the potential addition of new lawyers to our team.
“2025 was a good year for the law firm”
“We met our objectives thanks to optimal resource management and the excellent work of the entire Mandri Abogados team. We approach 2026 with renewed enthusiasm and a strong desire to continue improving and to stand out for the quality of our services.”
Strategic Differentiation: Specialization and LegalTech vs. the Price War
The law firm has focused its differentiation strategy on high technical specialization and the delivery of quality legal advice aimed at providing precise and strategic solutions to our clients. Faced with increasing pressure to lower fees, the goal has not been to compete on price, but to reinforce quality, availability, and client proximity, consolidating long-term professional relationships based on trust.
In this context, legal technology has been incorporated as a support tool to improve internal efficiency, optimize knowledge management, and streamline certain processes, allowing more time for analysis and personalized advice. This combination of specialization and client focus has enabled the law firm to maintain continuous growth, preserving service quality and profitability without abandoning its specialized practice model.
Criminal Law and Compliance on the Rise: Mandri Strengthens Specialization Ahead of a 2026 with Greater Regulatory Oversight
n 2026, Mandri Abogados anticipates a significant increase in demand for criminal law and compliance services, “driven by a more stringent regulatory environment and greater criminal and reputational exposure for companies and executives.” This scenario, Jesús explains, “foresees sustained growth in areas such as economic criminal law, corporate criminal liability, and internal investigations related to business activities, as well as the consolidation of criminal compliance as a key preventive tool.”
To meet this challenge, the law firm will strengthen its “model based on technical specialization and the use of technology as a support element for the efficient management of workload.”
“The team is preparing through ongoing training in criminal law and compliance, updates on jurisprudential and regulatory criteria, and optimization of procedural and preventive management, with the aim of handling a larger number of cases without compromising the quality or rigor of our legal services,” stated founding partner Jesús Mandri.
