40 under Forty Awards 2017
Outstanding Achievement ( Law Firm ) Awards
Spain : Diana Rivera , Cuatrecasas
Diana Rivera is a partner at Cuatrecasas in Madrid . She is the coordinator of the start-ups and venture capital practice , a role that involves driving and directing promotional tasks assigned to 15 partners from a range of practice areas . She has advised on a number of notable venture capital deals in Spain , including the acquisition by Rocket of La Nevera Roja and its subsequent sale to Just Eat . She also advised on Michelin ’ s acquisition of Restaurantes . com , and has also been instructed in relation to major investments made by Samaipata Ventures .
Her role also involved defining a new Strategic Plan for Cuatrecasas , as well as participating in several internal projects aimed at increasing innovation and efficiency . One such initiative is focused on retaining and developing female talent and female leaders . “ I co-organised the three editions of the Women in Business conference held by Cuatrecasas ,” Rivera says . “ The first conference , held in 2014 , was a pioneering event for the Spanish legal community . It has now become a consolidated annual forum where top Spanish and international female executives debate topical issues affecting all business sectors .”
Pro bono committee Rivera is also the coordinator of the Cuatrecasas pro bono committee . The committee ’ s functions include promoting pro bono activity , which is why she regularly represents the firm at pro bono forums , including the annual European Pro Bono Forum organised by PILnet .
A recent highlight was the creation of a working group to develop the business plan for a pro bono ‘ clearinghouse ’ in Spain , a project that was coordinated by the Cyrus R . Vance Center for International Justice . “ This project aims to play a key role in developing and institutionalising pro bono work in the Spanish legal market by helping bring together law firms to collaborate on these causes .”
Portugal : Bruno Xavier de Pina , PLMJ
Bruno Xavier de Pina is a partner and head of the Angola desk at PLMJ in Lisbon . He started his career at Deloitte before moving to Miranda and Raposo Bernardo . He joined PLMJ in 2010 and became a partner in 2016 . Born in Sao Tome , he was one of the first African- Portuguese lawyers to develop a specialised African practice , working on ground-breaking projects in emerging countries such as Angola , Cape Verde and Sao Tome Principe . His Angola desk has garnered recognition from Chambers Global ( 2017 ) as well as The Legal 500 ( 2016 , 2017 ). The level of Portuguese investment in Angola is significant , while the African nation is also Portugal ’ s fourth-largest export market , with sales of around € 3bn per year .
In recent years , Xavier De Pina has participated in large cross-border transactions in sectors ranging from oil and gas , infrastructure and real estate to financial services . Clients he has advised include Daewoo , HSBC , Standard Bank , GE Oil & Gas , EnerMech , and Sonils . He has also advised on two of the major cement producing private investment projects in Angola with a value of more than $ 1bn .
Demanding project Among Xavier De Pina ’ s main objectives has been the development of PLMJ ’ s Angolan office , where he spends around 40 per cent of his time . “ This was a very demanding project , as I had to make sure that a wide range of requirements were met , including ensuring full compliance with the Angola Bar Association rules , developing a local brand , training Angolan lawyers and developing a social responsibility strategy .” In relation to social responsibility , Xavier De Pina feels compelled to dedicate time and resources to local communities : “ We support the Angolan cultural scene through the PLMJ Foundation , and we also participate in Arts Village- Children of Mussulo , a pro bono project on Mussulo Island in Luanda .”
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