People

Miquel is qualified both in Spain and England, having received the LLB from the Barcelona University, the LLM in Shipping Law from the Barcelona Law Society (where he was awarded with a Distinction) and the LLM in Shipping Law from Cardiff University.

He is a member of the Spanish Maritime Law Association (Member of the Managing Board), the Catalan Maritime Law Committee, the International Bar Association, Maritime and Transport Law Committee, and the Instituto Iberoamericano de Derecho Marítimo.

He is a visiting lecturer at The City Law School, The City University, London; at the Swansea University, Wales; at the Vigo University in Spain and at the Universiy of Piraeus in Greece.

After working for the Legal Office of the Barcelona Port Authority, Miquel joined P&O Nedlloyd where he worked as an account manager. He was then retained by the United Nations in Vienna within the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law's (UNCITRAL) Transportation Law Working Group, Maritime Law Branch. Miquel also lectured Maritime Law at the Webster University of Vienna.

Miquel then returned to private practice, first in Hamburg and then in Barcelona, after which he moved to London where he practiced as a Solicitor acting for the main shipowners, freight forwarders, logistics operators, P&I?s, insurance companies and banks based in London and also for Spanish and Latin-American companies, both in court and in arbitration proceedings.

His most recent work includes advising a shipowner after the sinking of one of its vessels in the Mediterranean Sea; adivising a shipowner after a collision suffered by one of its vessels off the Bay of Biscay; counseling a marine recoveries company on the recover of the cargo of a shipwreck; directing the drafting commission of a new bill of lading for a leading European shipping group; directing two maritime proceedings in Washington, USA, for a leading shipping Spanish trader; and defending the interests of a shipyard before a claim in excess of 200 million Euros.

Miquel has been appointted as Official Member of the Spanish Delegation to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) which on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain signed the Rotterdam Rules

Miquel speaks English, Spanish, German and Catalan.

You can contact Miquel Roca at +34 986443686 or by our contact form.

Patricia obtained her law degree at the Madrid Complutense University. She is an expert in International Commerce and an experienced mediator.

Patricia has more than 10 years PQE. She has developed most of her professional career in a leading national practice before joining Blas de Lezo. Patricia works on mercantile and commercial dispute resolution matters, counseling the firm's clients in corporate and company law, M&A and all matters related to the day to day running of their businesses. Patricia also has consolidated experience as a practicing mediator in a relevant number of commercial disputes.

Patricia speaks Spanish, English, French and Galician.

You can contact Patricia Díaz at +34 986443686 or by our contact form.

Alis is our Environment and Sustainability director. Qualified in Economics by the University of Wales, Cardiff and MSC in Environmental Science by the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Before joining Blas de Lezo, Alis worked at the Economic and Commercial Office for Austria and Eslovenia, based in Vienna and as an Environmental Consultant for the United Nations Industrial Development Office, in its Vienna head-quarters.

Alis then moved to London, where she was retained by a world-leading consultancy company, managing environmental projects in the UK and overseas. Also in the UK, Alis worked for the Environment Agency as an economist and environmental consultant.

Alis is a leader on its field. She is currently leading the drafting committee of the new Environmental Law of the Parliament of Galicia. She has been appointment as chair of the counseling committee to the Environmental Directorate of Galicia. She is working hand by hand with national and regional politians aiming for the law to be voted in Parliament later in the year.

Alis is also counseling the regional Government of Catalonia on its new Mobility and Environmental Plan.

Alis speaks Spanish, German, English and Galician.

You can contact Alis Cantano at +34 986443686 or by our contact form.

Guillem studied law at the Universidad Abat Oliba CEU in Barcelona. After qualifying as a lawyer, he decided to specialise in Maritime and Transport Law, taking the Master en Derecho y Negocio Marítimo y Gestión Portuaria (Master in Maritime Law and Shipping Business) held in the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña. Guillem is a member of the Asociación Hispano – Alemana de Juristas (German and Spanish Lawyer Association) and of the German Society for Transport Law, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transportrecht, having a tight relation with Germany. Guillem is also a visiting lecturer at the CEU San Pablo University n Barcelona.

Guillem worked as a technical adviser at the Spanish Delegation to the International Maritime Organisation in London. During his time in London, he participated in the negotiations between Spain and the IOPC Funds in the Prestige oil spill indemnisation and actively took part in the drafting of the outcome agreement. He also was part of the Spanish delegation that drafted the SUA Convention.

After his venture in the public sector, he moved back to private practice, being retained by one of the leading law firms in Hamburg, later in Madrid and in the end in Barcelona, always in the field of maritime law and transport.

Guillem's relevant work expirience include being part of the group of lawyers that participated in cases like the Yakolev 42 air crash, the Prestige oil spill or the disputes between Odyssey Marine Exploration and the Spanish Government which is still alive today.

Guillem speaks: Spanish, English, German and Catalan.

You can contact Guillem Permanyer at +34 933907151 or by our contact form.

Hugh Caldin works with Blas de Lezo as an External Consultant, dealing with all matters related to English matters and London Maritime Arbitrations.

Hugh has long experience in Maritime Law since he qualified in 1975, managing maritime and commercial court litigation cases, arbitrations and mediations. Before joining Blas de Lezo's team, he worked as a Solicitor in one of the leading London firms, being responsible for cases that reach as far as the House of Lords. Hugh is also a qualified an experienced Mediator.

He was a member of the Instituto Iberoamericano de Derecho Marítimo since its foundation in 1987, being one of the members responsible for the drafting of the Arbitration Rules of the CEAMAR, the Arbitration Centre of the IIDM in Caracas.

Hugh is also qualified in Spanish Studies by the University of Durham, and has a Master Degree on Latin American Studies by the University of London, being a great enthusiast of the Spanish culture.

You can contact Hugh Caldin at +34 986443686 or by our contact form.

Iria obtained her LLB from the Alfonso X University of Madrid, and holds an LLM on International Trade by the Santiago de Compostela University.

Iria advises our clients on complex logistics and international commerce operations, and also on international transport disputes.

She was born in Basel and lived in Switzerland since not that long ago, for which she maintains a very close personal and business relationship with the Helvetic country.

Iria speaks Spanish, English German, French and Italian.

You can contact Iria García at +34 986443686 or by our contact form.