Pérez-Llorca announced the start of its operations in Abu Dhabi, thus culminating one of the main initiatives of its international growth strategy for 2026. The opening reinforces the firm’s commitment to the Middle East, a key region for global investment, and is part of an international roadmap that this year also includes entry into Peru.
Located in ADGM, Abu Dhabi’s international financial center, the new office will allow Pérez-Llorca to strengthen its relationship with the main financial players in the Middle East and support their investments in the markets where the firm operates, working in collaboration with Pérez-Llorca’s teams in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, as well as with the Portuguese-speaking African practice coordinated from Lisbon and professionals in London, New York, Brussels and Singapore.
The office is led by Gonçalo Capela Godinho, a partner with nearly 25 years of international experience, including several years in Latin America and New York, with extensive experience in complex and cross-border transactions, and who has played a key role in the creation and rapid consolidation of Pérez-Llorca’s Lisbon office.
According to Capela Godinho, “Abu Dhabi has established itself as one of the leading international financial centers and a meeting point for some of the world’s most important institutional investors. Our presence in the region will allow us to strengthen relationships with our current clients and more closely support the investors who are driving some of the most significant transactions globally.”
Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, stated that “Pérez-Llorca’s decision to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi reflects the growing importance of the Gulf in international investment and business. As capital becomes increasingly global, the demand for sophisticated legal and strategic advice is growing. The firm’s presence further strengthens the breadth and depth of the professional services available at ADGM and consolidates Abu Dhabi’s role as a platform for international investment and business.”
Bet on the region
The opening of the office comes at a complex geopolitical time for the region. Nevertheless, Pérez-Llorca maintains a long-term vision for the Middle East and believes that the economic fundamentals that have driven growth and attracted international investment to the Gulf remain intact.
Since announcing the opening, the firm has reiterated that the project was part of a structural, not a temporary, strategy, based on proximity to major international investment centers and the ability to support its clients wherever new business opportunities arise.
In this respect, during the last few decades, sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors from the Gulf have significantly increased their presence in international operations, becoming key players in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, technology, health, real estate and energy transition.
“Geopolitical cycles are a reality in any international market. Our decision to establish ourselves in Abu Dhabi stems from a long-term vision and the conviction that the region will continue to play an increasingly important role in global investment flows. We remain fully committed to the region and to supporting our clients from an international perspective,” said Pedro Pérez-Llorca, managing partner of the firm.
Consolidation of the firm’s international project
With the start of Pérez-Llorca’s operations at ADGM, the firm takes another step in consolidating its international project.
This office joins the integration agreement of Pérez-Llorca with Miranda & Amado , a top-tier Peruvian firm, an operation announced in May and expected to close in the coming weeks once it is approved by the governing bodies of both firms.
Iván Delgado, International Executive Partner at Pérez-Llorca, emphasized that “the opening of our office at the ADGM and the upcoming integration with Miranda & Amado in Peru are complementary milestones within the same international project. We want to be present in both capital-generating markets and those offering investment and growth opportunities. Abu Dhabi and Lima strengthen our ability to connect international investors with strategic projects in Europe and Latin America, consolidating a unique platform in the Ibero-American sphere.”
With Abu Dhabi and Lima as new growth centers, Pérez-Llorca is advancing in the construction of an Ibero-American platform capable of connecting capital, legal talent and investment opportunities in strategic markets, reinforcing its ability to support clients and investors in highly complex cross-border transactions.
