Clifford Chance

"Clifford Chance has evolved not only to adapt to new technologies or to the changes in our clients, but also to the demands of the new generations of lawyers."

I joined Clifford Chance in October 2014. I still remember that during my first week I was asked to help with a very complex transaction related to the audio-visual sector in Spain. I have always loved football and watching movies and tv series. This transaction was fantastic, since it combined antitrust law -which was the field I wanted to specialize in following my LLM at the College of Europe- and some of my hobbies. I was learning from incredible lawyers, working on something intellectually complex, and in a sector I was really interested in. It was a great start!

Almost 8 years have passed since I joined, and the path has been amazing. The day-to-day work is still exciting and very challenging. Within Antitrust we really are a global team. We are in regular contact with colleagues in our offices around Europe but also beyond, such as Australia, China or the US. Of course, we work a lot, but it is always easier with the help of such a unique team.

One of the things I really like about Clifford Chance (and, in particular, the Antitrust team in Madrid) is that you will get as much responsibility as you are able to handle. As an example, in 2018, when I had less than 4 years' experience as a lawyer, I participated in an oral hearing before the Spanish Competition Authority on behalf of one of our clients in the context of a cartel investigation. All the other speakers from other law firms were partners. As an anecdote, I remember that all the partners from the other law firms were wondering who I was and how old I was – in fact, some of these partners even asked me my age after I had spoken! It was an amazing experience, and the client was very happy with it. 

I also love the fact that Clifford Chance is a law firm in constant evolution. Our law firm has evolved not only to adapt itself to new technologies or to the changes of our clients, but also to the demands of the new generations of lawyers. As an example of this, in August 2019 I benefitted from 'CC Choice' and took a 3-month sabbatical. I travelled around the world for 3 months and to put it simply, it was the best experience of my life. I was 100% on sabbatical: I left my laptop at home and did not respond to a single e-mail during those 3 months. This experience was only possible because Clifford Chance fully supported it, as one of the measures taken by the firm to facilitate a better work-life balance. And more importantly, all the clients I was working with at the time were also supportive and happy that I was benefitting from this opportunity. Of course, they were even happier when I came back, the same lawyer (for better or for worse) but with renewed energy and a clear mindset.

In 2021 I also had the opportunity to do secondments in both the Paris and Brussels offices. Working abroad was an incredible experience as I had the opportunity to work with different clients and meet colleagues from other jurisdictions. Of course, I also improved my French language skills, ate loads of crêpes and waffles and had a great time in those cities.

Finally, I have also seen the evolution of Clifford Chance when it comes to Diversity. We started the ARCUS network (LGBT network) in the Madrid office 3 years ago, which is part of the wider global ARCUS network. Being involved in ARCUS, I can acknowledge the great effort Clifford Chance is making to embrace diversity and look for new diverse talent (and retain its existing talent) in every jurisdiction. Work still has to be done, but we are definitely working hard and moving in the right direction.