- Pérez-Llorca aims to develop a leading law practice in Colombia, with an initial team of 120 lawyers operating from Bogotá and Medellín
- This is the first time that a leading Colombian law firm has merged with an Ibero-American firm
- The agreement is structured as a full legal and economic integration, whereby all Gómez-Pinzón partners will become Pérez-Llorca partners
- The merger is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks
Pérez-Llorca has taken another step forward in its internationalisation strategy after signing a merger agreement with top Colombian law firm Gómez-Pinzón. This move will enable Pérez-Llorca to enter the Colombian market with the aim of acting as legal advisors on investment flows into Colombia from around the world, particularly from the United States, Europe, Mexico, Asia and other South American markets.
Gómez-Pinzón is bringing over an initial team of 120 lawyers from its offices in Bogotá and Medellín, with the ambition of jointly establishing the leading legal practice in Colombia and providing advice on large transactions, financings and transnational litigation, and serving as a partner of choice for large international firms, multinational companies and financial sponsors.
This is the first time a leading Colombian law firm has integrated fully, legally and economically with a Ibero-American firm. The transaction is supported by Gómez-Pinzón’s strong positioning and track record in the local market, and includes the incorporation of its partners and all of its professionals into the Pérez-Llorca structure. The merger is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks following approval by the governing bodies of both firms.
Both Pérez-Llorca and Gómez-Pinzón are long-established firms with solid recognition in their respective markets, backed by prestigious international directories. Together, they would have 30 Band 1 and 2 rankings in Chambers and Partners (Europe and Latin America) and 37 Tier 1 and 2 rankings in Legal 500 (EMEA and Latin America). Gómez-Pinzón is also ranked as an Elite firm in the Latin Lawyer 250, as is Pérez-Llorca Mexico.
In the words of Pedro Pérez-Llorca, the firm’s Senior Partner: “This merger will enable us to compete for leadership in Colombia and consolidate Pérez-Llorca’s position in Latin America, advancing our international growth strategy. Alongside Gómez-Pinzón, we aspire to build a firm that is the natural choice for major clients, both nationally and internationally, in their most complex transactions, litigation and regulatory matters. We also want to be the ideal platform for attracting the best professionals to develop their careers with us. Beyond this, we intend to be a Colombian firm, not a foreign one, and to make a positive contribution to the development of this legal market.”
Mauricio Piñeros, Senior Partner at Gómez-Pinzón, stated: “Combining Pérez-Llorca’s experience and capabilities with our in-depth knowledge of the local market and our talented and visionary team will enable us to support our clients with increasingly complex cross-border matters. It will also allow us to offer our professionals an international career. We are convinced that this merger will be a significant milestone in the evolution of legal practice in the region.”
Iván Delgado, Pérez-Llorca’s International Executive Partner, said: “The merger with Gómez-Pinzón bolsters our goal of consolidating a solid regional firm model, with the capacity to offer a unique value proposition in the Iberian and Latin American markets and a special focus on South America. We share Gómez-Pinzón’s values, ambition and a common vision for the advice we want to offer our clients, and together we aspire to become the local law firm of choice for international investors in the region.”
Progress and consolidation of Pérez-Llorca’s internationalisation strategy
Pérez-Llorca is taking another step forward in its internationalisation strategy, led by Iván Delgado, Pérez-Llorca’s International Executive Partner, consolidating a trajectory that in recent years has included key milestones such as the merger with the elite Mexican law firm González Calvillo, the firm’s establishment in Portugal and the strengthening of its presence in strategic financial and regulatory centres such as London, New York, Brussels and Singapore. This roadmap has had a direct impact on the firm’s results, ending 2024 with pro forma global turnover of €165.4 million, representing an increase of 33% over the previous year, with particularly significant growth in its business outside Spain, which already accounted for 20% of the firm’s revenue in the last financial year.
The merger with the elite Mexican law firm González Calvillo was completed in 2024, marking Pérez-Llorca’s entry into the Mexican market, a key hub for investment flows between the Americas, the United States and Europe. The move involved bringing in around 100 lawyers and a total team of approximately 160 professionals in Mexico City and Monterrey, a figure that has risen to almost 190 professionals after this initial year of integration. Since then, 10 new partners have been recruited and promoted and the team has been significantly strengthened.
Similarly, the establishment of the firm in Portugal through its Lisbon office is part of this international expansion strategy towards Iberian and Latin American markets. Currently, this office has around 40 professionals, with full transactional capacity and experience in highly complex transactions and litigation, which has allowed the firm to significantly expand its coverage in the Iberian Peninsula and to offer closer support to clients with interests in Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking markets.
The firm’s growth has been complemented by the strengthening of its international offices in London, New York, Brussels and Singapore, which allow it to maintain a direct and continuous relationship with international clients and leading global firms.
Thanks to this expansion, and following the completion of the merger with Gómez-Pinzón, Pérez-Llorca will have 11 offices and nearly a thousand professionals, consolidating a regional firm model in Iberian and Latin American markets and offering comprehensive advice on Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, Colombian and European law in Barcelona, Bogotá, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Medellín, Mexico City, Monterrey, New York and Singapore.
A commitment to Colombian talent and society
Pérez-Llorca and Gómez-Pinzón share a firm model focused on talent and long-term professional development. Colombian lawyers will have the same career, training and international mobility opportunities as the rest of the firm’s professionals.
In addition, both firms maintain an active commitment to the societies in which they operate, so Pérez-Llorca will continue Gómez-Pinzón’s pledge to develop Colombia and its institutions by strengthening pro bono programmes, national impact initiatives and projects to study local law, with the aim of being a constructive player in the country’s development and not simply a foreign firm with a presence in the market.
