On Sunday 22nd of May 2005, our partner Guillermo Wakonigg, died in a road accident together with his wife Mónica, and their three children, María, Guillermo and Felipe. They were returning home to Madrid after a weekend in the country. For days, Madrid, Spain and way beyond mourned the passing of this tightly knit, model family, extinguished in a moment without a clear explanation of what transpired.

Guillermo was one of the founding partners of SOCIOS FINANCIEROS; he was a well loved colleague and friend to all at the Firm. For a decade and a half, we shared with him the pleasures, challenges and disappointments of creating one of the country's only independent corporate advisory firms which Guillermo regarded as his greatest inspiration and his life's work.

The loss of unquestionably one of the Spain's keenest financial intellects, as well as one of its most respected and well known personalities, is an unimaginably cruel blow to this firm from which recovery will be slow and painful. However, our sense of loss is matched by our resolve to give continuity to Guillermo's work, building on the values he inspired: patience, determination and dedication to our client's best interests.