Sara is an associate in the litigation and arbitration practice in the Madrid office, specialised in regulatory advice in the financial services sector.
She has experience in new financial entities constitution, conducting the legal analysis of European and Spanish applicable law, preparing and coordinating the filing before the supervisor and providing continued assessment to financial and non-financial companies regarding the main European and Spanish applicable law. She has also been involved in M&A operations of financial regulated entities and in non-opposition filings before the Spanish supervisors.
She has been co-author in press releases, involved in in-person seminars regarding financial services regulation, as well as has taught in courses related to incoming financial services regulation.
Background
She has a dual degree in International studies and Law by Universidad Carlos III in Madrid (Spain), part of which was studied on international exchange programs in Université Paris Nanterre (Law degree) and University of California Santa Barbara (Global Studies degree). She also holds a master's degree for Admission to the Bar by Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid and Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) and a master's degree in International law, trade and international relations (LLM) by Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) in Madrid. She speaks Spanish, English and French. She is a member of the Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Madrid (ICAM – Madrid Bar Association).
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- a UK Electronic Money Institution (EMI) on the obtention of the EMI authorization before the Bank of Spain for its Spanish company*
- a UK Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) on the obtention of the registration before the Bank of Spain as VASP to operate in Spain. Also, on continuous assessment regarding regulatory, product and services queries*
- a Spanish Payment Institution (PI) on the M&A process of selling the company and on obtaining the authorisation for the purchase of the qualifying holding of the Spanish PI before the Bank of Spain*
- a US regulated financial services company on the assessment during the Sandbox project before the competent authorities*
- a Spanish company focused on financial services on the analysis of the application of PSD2 and EMD2 related to new products and services*
*Experience prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills
