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The Impact Lawyers publishes an interview with Antoni Gómez, Chair of Auren International. This interview and others can be found in the Survey on the internationalisation of law firms

What is the strategy you have followed when opening offices abroad? Why?

We have given priority to regions and countries with which Spain has a special relationship, firstly, with Latin America and, secondly, with Europe. We have recently incorporated Israel, as there is a very significant flow of cross-interests and, despite being a relatively small economy, it is at the international forefront in many sectors and with a clearly international vocation.

We prioritise synergies with our international offices, offering our clients a coordinated approach and a common methodology. We cover jurisdictions in which we do not have a direct presence through Antea, the Alliance of Independent Firms that we have promoted and which is present in more than 75 countries. With our international offices, we seek a strategy of shared action.

Whichever model you have chosen to establish yourself in a new jurisdiction, what are the biggest challenges you have faced?

The cultural aspects. It is very important for us to share the same values, both internally, in terms of the relationship between partners and with our professionals, and externally, with our clients. The differences between countries and the backgrounds of local partners require intense attention, as it is not just a matter of transferring and sharing methodology, but also of ensuring that we apply common criteria and styles in all the places where we are present.  

How has the COVID-19 crisis affected your international growth strategy?

The limitation of physical meetings has slowed down some integration talks that were significantly advanced, for example with Italy. The international conventions of Antea, our association of independent firms, are a key framework for discussing integration opportunities with some firms and, as a result of COVID-19, this year the meetings have been virtual, so such discussions have not been possible. We have had some other contacts in virtual format, but for us it is very important to share the experience of culture and values, as seen in exchanges between different people in the teams, which has not been possible at this juncture. 

This survey was conducted through Venize Comunicación between December 2020 and January 2021.