Banking and Financial Services

Financial Services and Banking is another particular focus of our international partners Hawkpoint (with 16 full-time professionals working in this area) and also one of SOCIOS FINANCIEROS' core sector competences. We are able to provide expert advice and execution to financial institutions throughout this sector (banking, insurance, fund management, private banking etc) backed up by unparralleled objectivity and without the obvious conflict of interests suffered by our investment banking competitors, many of which belong to integrated houses.

SOCIOS FINANCIEROS's competence in this sector is demonstrated by our long and close relationship with one of Spain's foremost national banks for which we have completed three different transactions as well as provided a large number of other advisory services.

Business Services

The European trend to business services outsourcing is well established in Spain and the growth prospects of the best performing companies have led to some of the highest valuations in both cross border and domestic M&A transactions. With business services one of the specialist areas of our international partners, Hawkpoint, where 7 professionals focus on this sector, SOCIOS FINANCIEROS enjoys a considerable competitive advantage in advising business services companies in realising their corporate and shareholder objectives.

Consumer Services

Increasing levels of disposable income in Spain's major cities have ensured a steady increase in both the size and number of consumer services companies. National brands are becoming stronger and regional companies are expanding through development capital and acquisitions throughout the Iberian Peninsular.

Leisure

Leaving aside a number of transactions in the area of restaurants and home entertainment, SOCIOS FINANCIEROS's principal focus in the leisure sector has been in the area of leisure attractions where the firm completed, on behalf of Advent Corporation, the acquisition of Spain's only quoted company, Parques Reunidos, S.A.

The Firm also alvised or co-advised Aspro Ocio on a total of 6 acquisitions of leisure attractions businesses through Europe creating Spains largest privately owned leisure group. The Firm has also provided restructuring advice to other owners of leisure attractions based in Spain.

Manufacturing Industries

Spain´s manufacturing base is made up largely of small and medium sized companies. The best of these have increasingly sophisticated corporate development needs, some because they have complex shareholder issues as they fall into second and third generation ownership, others because they need third party funds to reach their full potential. Many such companies attract constantly the attention of expansion-minded national corporations and multinationals leaving shareholders with difficult decisions whether to retain their company´s independence or realise their investment.

SOCIOS FINANCIEROS has a long history of assisting manufacturing companies in assessing their corporate development options and realising their objectives with disposals, acquisitions, industry searches, joint ventures and valuations.

Real Estate and Construction

Fuelled by its prodigious tourist industry and the modernization of its economic infrastructure, Spain's real estate sector has delivered some of the highest returns for European investors across a broad range of asset types. Innovative corporate finance solutions have played an integral part in achieving those returns and SOCIOS FINANCIEROS has been at the forefront in creating and implementing such solutions for its clients.

Creating joint venture agreements between major European investors and lightly capitalized local developers, introducing innovative ways of financing nursing homes, transacting the first sale and leaseback of a portfolio of real estate properties, originating and executing the first ever reverse takeover of a public company for a real estate investor, SOCIOS FINANCIEROS has become the first choice advisor for large or complex real estate transactions, bringing together sector insight and investment banking know-how.

Telecom & Media

Spain's telecom industry has not been spared the boom and bust cycle experienced in the world's other developed economies. Having assisted several of the stronger companies in the years of rapid growth both to obtain development capital and with make acquisitions, SOCIOS FINANCIEROS is now helping a number of the same companies to re-structure and re-capitalize in today's more testing environment. Our familiarity with the industry and the issues which need to be confronted continues to make the firm one of the preferred advisor for assistance with viability plans and refinancing initiatives. The firm's ability to add value in related sectors of Media and Entertainment has been enhanced by our cooperation agreement with Hawkpoint Media and Entertainment is one of Hawkpoint's key areas of focus with six full-time professionals dedicated to providing strategic advice and transaction execution in this sector at the highest level.