Equipo Jurídico

Legal Team

URQUIOLA DE PALACIO DEL VALLE DE LERSUNDI

Urquiola de Palacio

A practicing lawyer since 1992, Urquiola de Palacio is Managing Partner at Palacio y Asociados, Attorneys at Law; she has experience in Civil and Commercial Law, European Law and International Law.
Ms. de Palacio has been an a

rbitrator since 2003, participating in arbitration procedures before the Spanish Court of Arbitration, the Madrid Court of Arbitration, the Court of Arbitration of the Madrid Bar Association and the Court of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She is also an international Arbitrator of the Civil and Commercial Arbitration Court (CIMA) and the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (CIAC). She has participated in both Law and Equity arbitrations in numerous capacities, as legal counsel (since 1993), secretary, sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator and president of the arbitral tribunal.

Urquiola de Palacio has been acting for many years as a mediator in civil and commercial matters, and is listed as a mediator in these fields by the Ministry of Justice.
In September 2019, Ms. de Palacio became the President of the Madrid Court of Arbitration of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (she has been a member of the Plenary of the Court since September 2017). Since October 2019, she has been Vice President of the Madrid International Arbitration Center, co-founded by the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services.

Urquiola de Palacio is Immediate Past President of the International Union of Lawyers (UIA) [www.uianet.org]. She is serving a third (non-consecutive) term as a member of the Council of Bar Associations of the Community of Madrid. She is member of the Board of Trustees of the ICAM-Cortina Foundation (which is linked to the Madrid Bar Association).

Since 2015, Ms. de Palacio has been teaching at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas ICAI-ICADE in the Master of Access to the Legal Profession program, where she lectures on litigation before the European Court of Human Rights. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the UC3M – Deloitte Legal Chair of Business Law (since November 2019) and is a member of the Academic Council of the Master’s Degree in EU Law (MUDUE) of the Carlos III University of Madrid (since May 2015). A frequent lecturer at various institutions, Ms. de Palacio regularly collaborates with the International University Competition on Arbitration and Commercial Law – Moot Madrid, organized by the Carlos III University of Madrid and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Ms. de Palacio was President of the Madrid Business Mediation Centre of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (from september 2019 to September 2023). She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish and Ibero-American Arbitration Club (2017-2020) and President of Women in CEA at the Spanish and Ibero-American Arbitration Club (2019-2022). She was also President of the Committee for the Evaluation of Arbitrator Candidates of the Arbitration Court of the Madrid Bar Association (2018-2019). Ms. de Palacio has been a member of the Governing Board of the Madrid Bar Association, a member of the Inter-professional Union of Madrid and Vice-President of the Madrid Bar Association’s Institution for the Protection of the Orphans of the Legal Profession. She has been a member, Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Board of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law at the Complutense University. In 2012, she was included by Spain in the list of candidates for ad hoc judges for the European Court of Human Rights. Between 2007 and 2009 she was part of the educational team tasked with the design and implementation of the law course in the Instituto de Empresa’s (IE) law degree. From 1993-2001, she was external legal counsel for the Commercial Law division of Banco Central Hispanoamericano, S.A.

Among other honors and awards, the Madrid Bar Association bestowed honorary membership on Ms. de Palacio in recognition of her service as Counselor of the Council of the Madrid Bar Association and for her work in favor of the legal profession throughout her professional career; and she has been recognized with the “Humanist Lawyer 2023” and “Puñetas de Oro 2023” Awards.

She is a Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Spain, affiliated with the 6th Section (Private International Law).

Born in Madrid on December 9, 1967, she holds a Law Degree from the Complutense University of Madrid. She studied at the Lycée Français de Madrid, obtaining both the Spanish and the French (majoring in economy) baccalaureates.

Other working languages: French and English.

Urquiola de Palacio

MARÍA DEL CARMEN OLÍAS RUBIO

María del Carmen Olías is a lawyer in practice since 1985. She is a founding partner of Palacio y Asociados and has long experience in providing legal advice on commercial and civil law to various companies and individuals, as well as in the field of asset management.

She has extensive legal practice in the field of litigation in both judicial and arbitration proceedings, in civil proceedings – particularly related to property rights and contractual obligations – and commercial matters relating to corporate law.

At Palacio & Asociados she is responsible for the management of the firm, coordinates liaisons with governmental bodies and is in charge of human resources.

JOSE MARÍA DE PALACIO

Jose María de Palacio holds a degree in Law from the Complutense University of Madrid (1986). He previously studied at the Lycée Français de Madrid, obtaining both the French (major in economics) and Spanish (1981) high-school certificates.

He was admitted to the practice of law in January 1987, with a focus on administrative, civil and commercial law while also carrying out technical management on numerous other projects. He has held the following functions:

  • Secretary Counsel of the Board of Directors of MEMOREX TELEX SA (American multinational in the sector of computing), INTER INNOVATION SA (Swedish multinational in the sector of information and technology), MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND COMPANY S.A. / HOSPITAL OF MADRID SA (Healthcare group that operates the Hospital of Madrid, Hospital Monteprincipe, Torrelodones Hospital, Hospital Madrid Norte Sanchinarro and Clara Campal Comprehensive Cancer Center).
  • External Advisor for, amongst others, Bankinter, S.A., Ministry of Economy and Trade of the Government of the Canary Islands (Mr Luis Hernández Pérez Cruz being in office) and Cruz Mayor Supermarkets Group.
  • After a period of interruption in the professional practice of law, he has returned to practice at Palacio y Asociados Abogados after serving as Manager Advisor of the Ombudsman Department.

Between May 1996 and October 2007, Mr Palacio held the following offices:

  • Executive Advisor to the Cabinet of the Justice Minister from 28 May 1996 to July 2000. In this area, he coordinated legislative projects of the Ministry of Justice throughout the Legislature, also intervening on behalf of the Ministry on numerous committees and subcommittees. Apart from parliamentary activity, he also was in charge of the institutional representation of the Ministry in various national and international forums, in addition to carrying out the tasks of coordination with the Ombudsman.
  • Head Advisor of the Interior and Defense Department of the Ombudsman from 3 July 2000 until March 2003. In this area, he directed the activity of the Department, preparing its Annual Reports. During this time, Mr Palacio also participated as a representative of an institution funded by the European Commission to modernize the administration of the Dominican Republic in 2002 program.
  • Between 2003 and 2007, Mr Palacio served as City Councilor of the municipality of Ibarra, Guipuzcoa, elected by the People’s Party in the 2003 municipal election.During this period, he maintained his professional practice as lawyer while serving on the Council.

French: Bilingual, English: fluent, Italian: medium-high.

RAMÓN PEÑA GONZALEZ-CONCHEIRO

Ramón Peña, a lawyer since March 2003 (Palacio y Asociados Abogados and independent practice with his own office in Vigo between September 2005 and September 2010), specializes in the fields of civil, commercial and administrative law. Mr Pena has amassed extensive experience in the technical management of administrative procedures, arbitration and court records throughout Spain.

In advising commercial clients, Mr Pena has been especially dedicated to legal auditing, strategic management, corporate restructuring and the provision of legal assistance to senior management. He also has specialization in negotiating techniques and processes and is a qualified mediator.

Born in Vigo on November 1, 1974, he holds a Degree in Law from the Spanish Open University (UNED) and a Master’s Degree in Legal Practice from the Instituto de Empresa (IE).

High level of English.