Cuatrecasas Expands Corporate Compliance Practice in Barcelona with Key Hire from Dentons

Cuatrecasas Expands Corporate Compliance Practice in Barcelona with Key Hire from Dentons

Cuatrecasas, Spain's second-largest law firm in terms of revenue, has recently welcomed Diego Pol, a prominent European compliance lawyer, to their team in Barcelona. Previously with Dentons for four years, Pol played a key role in leading the Spanish compliance team and co-chairing the European compliance practice.

Accompanying Pol in his transition are Cristina Serrahima and Carmen Cases, both compliance associates who were formerly based in Dentons' Barcelona office.

Cuatrecasas has high expectations for Pol, as he is anticipated to expand the firm's corporate compliance team, which has been a significant factor in their recent growth. Additionally, Pol is expected to broaden the team's scope by incorporating cross-sectoral and international elements.

“With the addition of Diego Pol to the team, Cuatrecasas has established itself as one of the leading law firms in compliance in Spain, and strengthens its capacity to advise on the most complex of cases, including international sanctions,” Javier Fontcuberta, Cuatrecasas managing partner, said.

Diego Pol specialises in providing legal counsel to both domestic and foreign clients regarding the identification and mitigation of legal risks and regulatory compliance matters.

His area of expertise encompasses anti-corruption regulations, export controls, and international trade sanctions. Furthermore, he offers guidance on the development of the compliance function and the implementation of systems for managing irregularities across various organizations.

Notably, Pol is the only lawyer in Spain recognized as an expert in international sanctions by the global directory, Who's Who Legal.

Having been admitted to the bar associations of both Spain and the United States, Pol previously worked at Baker McKenzie's Barcelona office before moving to Dentons in 2019. In the earlier stages of his career, Pol served as a clerk for Bruce Rogow, a renowned litigator in Florida.

The inclusion of Pol and his associates represents a significant enhancement to Cuatrecasas' compliance team, which already consists of 47 lawyers worldwide, including 25 partners, with nine of them stationed in Barcelona.

Diego Pol's decision to join Cuatrecasas comes after Dentons declared its intention to close its Barcelona office in January and merge the team into its Madrid base, aligning with the firm's strategy to centralize its operations in a single location across most European jurisdictions. While the majority of the team agreed to the relocation, a few members, such as Pol chose to work remotely from both Barcelona and Madrid.