Belén Lavandera | Lawyers

Country Of Admission

Spain

Services

Employment

Testimonial

"Since I joined Linklaters in 2010, I have provided top quality and sophisticated advice on all fields of employment law for major companies and private equity funds, both national and international."

Overview

Belén is a counsel in the employment practice in Madrid. She has broad experience advising national and international clients on all employment matters and she also works in close collaboration with the Linklaters global employment practice, which enables her to play a leading role and collaborate in multi-jurisdictional projects. Her areas of expertise are the following:

(i) Advice on board related matters such as contractual arrangements, amendment of terms, remuneration related issues and termination.

(ii) Design and implementation of incentive schemes and adaptation of remuneration policies to legal and good practice guidelines on remuneration.

(iii) Advice on all employment aspects of complex restructuring processes.

(iv) Hiring and termination of senior executives and members of companies’ governing bodies.

(v) Advice and lead counsel in disputes before the labour courts.

(vi) On-going employment advice on labour issues.

(vii) Advice on all employment aspects of M&As, including transfers of undertaking.

Work highlights

Carlyle: Advising on the design and implementation of a management incentive plan for circa 80 beneficiaries in the context of the acquisition of an up to 40% in CEPSA. Advising on the contractual arrangements for chief executive officers and directors of CEPSA.
Permira: Advising on the employment aspects of the acquisition of Universidad Europea, a leading group in the educational private sector in Spain and Portugal, this including several subsequent add-ons, and final sale to EQT of a majority stake. I led the collective redundancy proceeding carried out in 2021, which entailed circa 300 redundancies and, involved complex negotiation not only with trade unions but also with the Ministry of Labour Affairs. This employment restructuring was politically sensitive since it was the first-ever restructuring in the educational private sector in Spain.
Macquarie Group: Advising on all employment issues dealt by the Remuneration Committee of the Viesgo Group, as one of Macquarie’s energy investments in Spain, including the final sale of Viesgo to EDP.
Advising on all employment aspects of some of the most important national and international M&As. Recent highlights include, among others:
(i) advising TDR Capital and I Squared Capital on their €1.26bn successful competing takeover offer for Applus Services;
(ii) advising Ardian on the transfer to CVC Capital Partners of Monbake;
(iii) advising Tensile Capital Management and Portobello Capital on the acquisition of petrol station operator Plenoil; or,
(iv) advising Fiera Comox Partners on the acquisition from Cibus Capital of Innoliva.

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Beyond the Office

In parallel to her role as Counsel in Linklaters, she has been a university lecturer for seven years, at the Universidad San Pablo-CEU in Madrid, teaching the subject “Employment and Social Security Law” in the Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management.

She regularly participates in numerous conferences and publishes articles in both national and international journals and periodically participates, as legal counsel, in remuneration and compensation committees of major companies.

Education and Qualifications

She holds a degree in Law from University of Oviedo and Masters in International Labour Law from Universidad San Pablo-CEU. She also attended a course in Law and Economics from the Harvard Law School.

Immediately after obtaining the degree in law, she prepared herself for the official state exams to access to the judiciary career in Spain, working closely with a senior judge of the High Court of Justice of Asturias. Before joining Linklaters in 2010, she worked at the employment department of a local law firm.

Overview

(iii) Advice on all employment aspects of complex restructuring processes.

(iv) Hiring and termination of senior executives and members of companies’ governing bodies.

(v) Advice and lead counsel in disputes before the labour courts.

(vi) On-going employment advice on labour issues.

(vii) Advice on all employment aspects of M&As, including transfers of undertaking.

Work highlights

Carlyle: Advising on the design and implementation of a management incentive plan for circa 80 beneficiaries in the context of the acquisition of an up to 40% in CEPSA. Advising on the contractual arrangements for chief executive officers and directors of CEPSA.

Permira: Advising on the employment aspects of the acquisition of Universidad Europea, a leading group in the educational private sector in Spain and Portugal, this including several subsequent add-ons, and final sale to EQT of a majority stake. I led the collective redundancy proceeding carried out in 2021, which entailed circa 300 redundancies and, involved complex negotiation not only with trade unions but also with the Ministry of Labour Affairs. This employment restructuring was politically sensitive since it was the first-ever restructuring in the educational private sector in Spain.

Macquarie Group: Advising on all employment issues dealt by the Remuneration Committee of the Viesgo Group, as one of Macquarie’s energy investments in Spain, including the final sale of Viesgo to EDP.

Advising on all employment aspects of some of the most important national and international M&As. Recent highlights include, among others:
(i) advising TDR Capital and I Squared Capital on their €1.26bn successful competing takeover offer for Applus Services;
(ii) advising Ardian on the transfer to CVC Capital Partners of Monbake;
(iii) advising Tensile Capital Management and Portobello Capital on the acquisition of petrol station operator Plenoil; or,
(iv) advising Fiera Comox Partners on the acquisition from Cibus Capital of Innoliva.