Pérez-Llorca starts operations in Abu Dhabi
Pérez-Llorca has begun operations in Abu Dhabi, opening an office within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the emirate’s international financial centre. The move marks a significant step in the Spanish firm’s 2026 international growth strategy, which also encompasses entry into the Peruvian market.
The Abu Dhabi office is headed by Gonçalo Capela Godinho (pictured), a partner with nearly twenty-five years of experience, including time spent in Latin America and New York. His expertise spans complex and cross-border transactions and was instrumental in establishing and consolidating Pérez-Llorca’s Lisbon office.
The new office will work in coordination with Pérez-Llorca’s existing teams in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia and Peru, as well as with professionals in London, New York, Brussels and Singapore, and the firm’s Portuguese-speaking Africa practice coordinated from Lisbon.
Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer of ADGM, said: “Pérez-Llorca’s decision to establish itself in Abu Dhabi reflects the growing importance of the Gulf in international investment and commercial activity. As capital becomes increasingly global, the demand for sophisticated legal and strategic advice grows. The firm’s presence further reinforces the breadth and depth of professional services available at ADGM and consolidates Abu Dhabi’s role as a platform for international investment and commercial activity.”
The office launch comes against a complex geopolitical backdrop in the region. Pérez-Llorca maintains a long-term view on the Middle East, considering that the economic fundamentals underpinning growth and the attraction of international investment in the Gulf remain intact. Over recent decades, sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors from the Gulf have significantly increased their participation in international transactions, becoming key players in sectors including infrastructure, energy, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy transition.
Pedro Pérez-Llorca, managing partner of the firm, noted that geopolitical cycles are part of the reality of any international market, and that the decision to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi is driven by a long-term vision and the conviction that the region will continue to play an increasingly relevant role in global investment flows.
International expansion strategy
The Abu Dhabi opening runs alongside Pérez-Llorca’s announced integration agreement with Miranda & Amado, a Peruvian firm, an operation announced in May that is expected to close in the coming weeks pending approval by the governing bodies of both firms.
Iván Delgado, International executive partner at Pérez-Llorca, said: “The launch of our office at ADGM and the forthcoming integration with Miranda & Amado in Peru are complementary milestones within the same international project. We want to be present both in markets that generate capital and in those that offer investment and growth opportunities. Abu Dhabi and Lima reinforce our capacity to connect international investors with strategic projects in Europe and Latin America, consolidating a platform in the Ibero-American space.”
