Rafael Santos

• Civil, commercial and arbitration practice with a strong business focus.
• End-to-end legal advisory for the day to day operation and implementation and scaling of businesses.
• Design and oversee pre-litigation and litigation strategy (injunctions, claims, enforcement, arbitration) to
protect brand and reputational risk.
• Structuring, drafting and negotiation of a wide variety of commercial agreements, management and operator
agreements, franchise/brand and service agreements.
• Advising Spanish and international clients on public and private M&A, private equity, governance, restructurings
and general public and private company representation matters.
• Contentious work: pre-litigation strategy, injunctions, claims and enforcement in civil/mercantile courts and
arbitration.

• External in-house counsel for SMEs and mid-cap companies: day-to-day commercial, corporate and civil
contracting (services, distribution, supplier, lease, collaboration and shareholder agreements).
• Negotiated business-critical terms (service levels, liability caps, pricing, performance obligations) and
supported execution and enforcement.
• Managed contentious matters end-to-end: drafted claims, coordinated evidence and hearings, and handled
civil, commercial and administrative litigation.

• Drafting legislation with the Representatives on issues concerning international affairs and public affairs,
Audiovisual Regulations, Public Service and Land Policy.
• Act as liaison with, among others, the International Affairs Committee, Radio Televisión Española
Committee, Public Service Committee and Land Policy Committee while overseeing activities in the
Committees, including hearing preparations and progression of bills which involve the Representatives.
• Monitoring legislation and debate on the House Floor.
• Managing assistants team.

• Full contractual support for national and international industrial / services projects (EPC, O&M, JV and
service agreements).
• Led commercial negotiations with clients, subcontractors and partners to secure liability caps, service levels
and performance obligations.
• Coordinated external counsel, tax advisors and authorities in arbitration, litigation, administrative and
corporate proceedings.
• Supported project management and corporate transactions from a legal-risk and execution standpoint.

• Co-founded and operated two restaurants in Madrid; obtained licences and permits, negotiated commercial
leases and supplier agreements, and ensured compliance with food safety, hygiene and labour rules.
• Full P&L responsibility and day-to-day management (staffing, procurement, supplier relationships, payroll
/ invoicing, and cost control).

• Founded and managed a hospitality business with a 10-person team (front desk, housekeeping,
maintenance), ensuring compliance with municipal and regional tourism, health & safety and consumer
regulations.
• Negotiated supplier and OTA agreements, managed budgets and P&L, and drove channel mix / occupancy
strategy.
• Protected brand reputation by driving guest experience, handling escalations and mitigating operational /
legal risk and H&S exposure.

Focused on M&A and equity capital markets transactions.
• Conducted due diligence and drafted bilingual contracts.