Resolve disputes and enforce rights
Litigation and enforcement in Spain
Advice and representation in commercial disputes, interim protective measures, and recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Spain.
International lawyer.
International Legal Strategy.
Personal commitment to your matter.
Expertise brought together around your needs.
A decision to make, a transaction to structure or a dispute to resolve. I advise you personally, develop the legal strategy and lead the engagement. Where needed, I bring together lawyers and other specialists selected for their experience of the issues and jurisdictions involved.
International Legal Strategy (ILS) means designing, comparing and implementing legal solutions for complex decisions involving more than one legal system.
Tell me about your matterMember of the Madrid Bar since 2007 · First admitted to the Paris Bar in 2005
PhD in Public International Law · French, Spanish, EU and OHADA law
PhD in Public International Law · French, Spanish, EU and OHADA law
Anne-Sophie FirionLawyer in Madrid · PhD in International Law
01 - Your needs
From choosing the legal approach to putting it into practice.
Safeguard a relationship or transaction
International legal advice
Contracts, negotiations and compliance obligations for businesses and public bodies. Advice drawing, as the matter requires, on French law, Spanish law, EU law, public international law and OHADA law.
Design and lead a legal strategy
International Legal Strategy
Assess the options when a decision depends on several jurisdictions, rules or stakeholders. Design the legal structure and organise implementation with your existing advisers or a team assembled for the engagement.
Advise and act as arbitrator
International arbitration
Advice on dispute strategy and the choice of arbitrator; appointments as arbitrator in separate matters.
02 - International Legal Strategy
Before bringing everyone in,
establish the strategy.
You need to choose between legal routes, bring together different national legal analyses or decide which specialists to involve. My ILS practice supports that decision and sets out how to act on it.
A decision-focused assessment
Objectives, constraints, comparison of options and a reasoned recommendation.
A legal structure
How the relevant jurisdictions, legal instruments and professional contributions fit together.
An implementation plan
Work stages, expected contributions, decision points and review arrangements.
Strategy design can be commissioned as a standalone engagement. If you also ask me to lead implementation, we agree the coordination scope, the professionals involved and the fees. Each professional remains responsible for their contribution.
Discuss your projectPersonally led
Your point of contact.
A team shaped around the matter.
I remain personally involved in the analysis, decisions and management of the engagement. Additional specialists are proposed where the matter calls for them, with their involvement agreed with you.
Carefully selected professionals
Relevant experience, jurisdictional knowledge and the ability to work together guide the choice of team.
Clear leadership
An agreed scope, clear roles and communication organised around the decisions you need to make.
Agreed fees
Strategy, leadership and legal work are scoped to the engagement before work begins.
03 - Experience
Experience behind the advice.
Selected matters handled personally or as part of international law firm teams.
Public-private partnerships
CCJA/OHADA arbitration in Africa
President of an arbitral tribunal
Presided over a tribunal constituted under the auspices of the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA) in a dispute arising from a public-private partnership in Africa between a State and a business operator.
Telecommunications
International commercial dispute in Madrid
Sole arbitrator
Appointed by the Madrid Court of Arbitration as sole arbitrator in a dispute between two telecommunications companies.
Industrial sector
Enforcing EU Member State judgments in Spain
Advice and management of the matter
Advising on and conducting proceedings in Spain to enforce judgments issued in other EU Member States, including under Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 (Brussels I Recast).
Aviation sector
Defending a company before the Spanish courts
Advice and representation
Protected a company’s interests in commercial proceedings before the Spanish courts, combining procedural strategy with legal representation.
Business acquisition
Acquisition of a Spanish company by European investors
Legal advice and coordination
Advised investors based in several EU Member States on the acquisition of a Spanish company, coordinating a dedicated team, structuring the legal aspects of the transaction and drafting key agreements, including a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and a share purchase agreement (SPA).
Compliance and anti-corruption
Cross-border compliance and anti-corruption obligations
Legal counsel
Advised on compliance and anti-corruption obligations requiring the combined application of French public law, Spanish private law, EU law and public international law.
Art
Representation before the European Commission
Advice and representation
Advised and represented complainants in art law matters involving complaints to the European Commission against two Member States concerning alleged breaches of EU law.
Energy
Gas, electricity, and oil and gas
Work as part of arbitration teams
As part of an international law firm, participated in ICC arbitrations in the gas sector, ICSID proceedings in the electricity sector and ad hoc UNCITRAL arbitration between oil and gas companies.
Mining · OHADA
Corporate liability and governance
Contribution to a legal analysis
Working with an international law firm, contributed to an analysis of the liability of a company acting as both shareholder and board member of a mining company in an OHADA Member State.
Infrastructure · OHADA
Contractual provisions for a water infrastructure project
Support with contract drafting
Working with an international law firm, assisted with drafting contractual provisions for a water infrastructure project in an OHADA Member State.
No matters in this category.
Law firms and in-house legal teams
Your support in Spain.
Working alongside your team.
Targeted assistance or additional capacity within your team, tailored to the matter.
advice on Spanish law, interim measures, enforcement of foreign judgments or arbitral awards in Spain, and cross-border coordination: I work closely with your team within an agreed scope.
We establish responsibilities, reporting arrangements and the terms of our collaboration from the outset. Where the matter requires it, I bring in additional expertise.
Discuss working together04 - Background
An international practice developed between Paris and Madrid.
My practice combines international legal advice, litigation and arbitration. I hold a PhD in Public International Law and have also taught law at universities in Paris and Madrid.
EUROPEAN LEGAL PRACTICE
Professional engagements in European law and cross-border legal cooperation, complementing my independent practice in Madrid.
LUXEMBOURG
Court of Justice of the European Union
External Lawyer-Linguist · Assignments since 2013
BRUSSELS
Alphalex-Avocats GEIE
Correspondent in Spain · Since 2021
As part of my international advisory and litigation practice.
Bar admissions
Madrid Bar: member since 2007. Paris Bar: first admitted in 2005.
QualificationsPhD in Public International Law
Teaching and researchEight years of university-level law teaching, at Paris V University and subsequently as an associate professor attached to the International Law Chair at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Courses taught in French, Spanish and English. Legal research and published articles.
An African dimension?
I am also co-founder and managing director of RoAnn Africa Legal Consulting. RoAnn focuses on International Legal Strategy for decisions and transactions with an African dimension, between Europe and Africa and across African jurisdictions.
On selected engagements, I act as mission director. The engagement arrangements are agreed with the client at the outset.
Discover RoAnn ↗05 · Contact
Let’s discuss your matter.
What is your situation? Which countries are involved, and what are your objectives and deadlines? An initial conversation will help clarify your needs and how I can assist.
Professional address
Calle Velázquez 15, 1.º DR 28001 Madrid · Spain
The scope of the engagement, working arrangements and fees are agreed before work begins.