Bird & Bird bolsters its Dispute Resolution practice in Madrid with the hire of an insurance team led by Luis Alfonso Fernández Manzano and Virginia Martínez Fernández

The arrival of Luis, Virginia and their team is a key part of the firm’s strategic growth plan for the Madrid office, particularly in the regulatory insurance and reinsurance space. There is an increasing need for this specialism across the firm and the arrival of this new team will further promote Bird & Bird’s insurance offering within the international Dispute Resolution practice.

Luis Alfonso Fernández Manzano

Luis joins from Hogan Lovells where he was the head of the Spanish Insurance and Reinsurance practice and the Product Liability practice groups. He was also the head of the Madrid Litigation practice. Luis has a vast amount of experience in litigation with regards to insurance matters, tort law, insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes, claims handling, industrial losses, aviation claims, professional liability, medical malpractice, directors and officer’s liability insurance, cyber risks and financial lines. He is also a highly regarded specialist in reinsurance contracts and practice and on the regulatory aspects of the insurance and reinsurance industry, such as policy wording and insurance distribution agreements, insurtech, social benefits and pensions regulation.
Luis is a regular contributor of articles concerning insurance contracts and practice, insurance regulation and he is a co-author of several books about liability issues and insurance law in Spain. He is also a Professor of Insurance Law and Tort Law at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE).

Virginia Martínez Fernández

Virginia also joins from Hogan Lovells where she was the head of the Insurance and Reinsurance Regulatory practice. She regularly advises clients regarding the interpretation of the Spanish insurance and reinsurance, insurance and reinsurance distribution and pension plans regulation. She also has experience designing insurance distribution structures in Spain, drafting and negotiating all types of contracts in the insurance field (agency, third party administrator, brokerage agreements and reinsurance contracts) and filings with the Spanish Insurance Regulator (“Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones”). Virginia is also very experienced in designing and adapting insurance products, having assisted in the launch of all kind of insurance products in Spain, especially in mass insurance policies. She has also participated in several corporate transactions (bank-assurance alliances, portfolio transfers, mergers, VIF reinsurance transactions, etc.) covering the regulatory requirements and licenses applications.

In addition, Virginia often advises clients on litigation related to insurance: professional liability claims (doctors, lawyers and architects' liability), industrial risks, products liability, construction damages and resolution of insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes.

Joining with Luis and Virginia from Hogan Lovells are associates Teresa Repullo Conde and Virginia Domínguez Hierro.

Coral Yáñez and Isidro de Moral, co-heads of Madrid at Bird & Bird comment: “We are delighted to welcome Luis, Virginia and the team to Bird & Bird in Madrid. They are both highly reputed lawyers with a strong sector focus which perfectly complements Bird & Bird’s strategy. Their arrival will provide us with a more robust and diverse offering and also the ability to advise clients in other areas, including product liability on medical devices, healthcare/life sciences, tort law, aviation and public procurement which will considerably boost our expertise in this field both in Madrid and the international market.”

Evelyn Tjon-En-Fa, co-head of the international Dispute Resolution practice and head of the international Insurance group at Bird & Bird adds: “The arrival of this strong team of insurance specialists in Madrid will further boost our international dispute resolution, liability and insurance practices across all of our sector groups. I look forward to working with them!”

Luis says: “I’m delighted to be joining such a renowned, international law firm such as Bird & Bird. As one of the most successful insurance teams in the Spanish market, the future strategy of our team will be to focus on the type of work that will allow us to make a real difference in the insurance sector. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the international Dispute Resolution team and collaborating closely with the firm’s other practices, including the Corporate, Tax, Employment, Data Privacy and Insolvency groups.”

Virginia comments: “Bird & Bird’s strong sector focus and international scope is what enticed me to join the firm. A key part of my role will be to focus on the development and growth of the Insurance and Reinsurance practice at Bird & Bird. I look forward to meeting the team in Madrid and working with my new international colleagues.”