Practice areas

• Corporate Governance
• Corporate/M&A
• ESG Criteria and Climate Change Regulation
• Infrastructure
• Private Equity

Profile

José María joined Pérez-Llorca as partner of the Corporate department in 2015. He has practiced law since 1997 and has worked at various prestigious Spanish and international firms and as General Counsel of AGBAR (one of the largest water utilities in Spain and South America).

Studies:

• 2011 General Management Programme (PDG), IESE Business School
• 1998 Doctorate in Law, Universidad de Zaragoza
• 1994 Master’s degree (LL.M), Harvard Law School
• 1991 Degree in Law, Universidad de Zaragoza

He speaks Spanish, Catalan, English and Italian.

Experience

José María specialises in both public and private M&A and leads the ESG practice at Pérez-Llorca. He has extensive experience in acquisitions, joint ventures and development of infrastructure projects in Spain and abroad (UK, USA, China, Chile, Colombia, etc.). José María also specialises in law for non-profit organisations and is secretary for a number of boards of trustees (Fundación AGBAR, Fundación CASSA). José María is secretary of the board of directors of several companies in the water sector (Aigües de Barcelona, Compañía de Aguas de Sabadell, Hidralia, etc.).

Academic and Publishing Collaborations

José María is currently associate professor of Commercial Law at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He also lectured on Commercial Law at ESADE and at the University of Zaragoza (1991-1997).

Alongside his frequent contributions to the press, José María has published several articles, including:

• “El uso de la informática como medio para controlar el fraude en los mercados de valores”. Revista Iberoamericana de derecho informático, no. 4, 1994, pp. 541 et seq.
• “Los inversores institucionales como medio para resolver el conflicto de intereses entre administradores y accionistas en las sociedades cotizadas”, Revista de Derecho Bancario y Bursátil, October-December 1995, pp. 857 et seq.
• “Algunos comentarios sobre la relación entre el derecho de defensa de la competencia y el Derecho de cooperativas”. Revista Jurídica de economía social y cooperativa, No. 10, 1999, pp. 25 et seq.
• “Inscripción en el Registro Mercantil de los consejos nombrados por representación proporcional en sociedades cuyas acciones están representadas por medio de anotaciones en cuenta y agrupación de acciones”, with Juan José Cánovas. Pérez-Llorca Legal Journal, no. 1, March 2019, pp. 94 et seq.
• “La nueva redacción del artículo 225 de la Ley de Sociedades de Capital y la defensa de la responsabilidad de los administradores”. With Rocío Pellejero. Actualidad Mercantil 2022. Tirant Lo Blanch, pp. 287 et seq.
• “Acerca de la adaptación del gobierno corporativo de las sociedades de capital españolas a los posibles impactos derivados del cambio climático”. 2022, Práctica Mercantil para abogados. La Ley, pp. 487 et seq.
• “Acerca del impacto de algunos criterios ESG en el sector farmacéutico”. Instituto de Derecho y Ética Industrial. Comunicaciones en Propiedad Industrial y Derecho de la Competencia. No. 97, September – December 2022, pp. 5 et seq.

He is also a regular speaker at seminars and conferences, including the following:

• “Nuevas oportunidades de inversión en el mercado energético español”. IE/Pérez-Llorca Chair on Commercial Law (June 2016). José María spoke at the event which took place at Metropolitan Club in New York.
• “Stakeholders y gobernanza de las compañías. Qué papel puede jugar el órgano de administración en la tutela de sus intereses”. José María spoke at the event that took place at the Círculo de Economía headquarters (October 2021) alongside Luis Seguí (founding partner and CEO of Miura Partners), Carmina Ganyet (member of the Círculo de Economía Board) and Xavier Pont (co-founder and CEO of Ship2B Ventures).
• “Finanzas Sostenibles y Taxonomía Europea. Reflexiones sobre la estrategia de la Unión Europea en la lucha contra el cambio climático”. IE/Pérez-Llorca Chair on Commercial Law (April 2022). José María spoke at the event which took place at the IE Paper Pavillion alongside Ana Puente ( Deputy Director General of Securities Markets and Financial Instruments Legislation at the Spanish Treasury, Ministry of Economic Affairs) and Juan Carlos Martínez Lázaro (Professor of Economics at IE University).
• “Normativa sobre el cambio climático en EE.UU. y Europa: requisitos de divulgación y consideraciones clave para los Administradores y Directivos”. IE/Pérez-Llorca Chair on Commercial Law (June 2022). José María spoke at the event which took place at the Metropolitan Club in New York together with Catherine M. Clarkin (Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell) and Sara Sánchez (Professor at IE Law School).

Professional Organisations

The Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB).
Membership Officer (European Representative) in the Water Law Commitee of the International Bar Association.

Recognition

José María de Paz features in the legal directory:

• Best Lawyers® in the practices of Corporate and M&A Law; Financial Institutions; Private Equity Law; Venture Capital Law, Banking and Finance Law, Capital Markets; Project Finance and Development Practice.

Awards

• Best Lawyers®: Venture Capital Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2021) in Barcelona.