Garrigues has announced the opening of a new office in Bucharest, Romania, as it seeks to further expand its international profile and specifically to capitalise on continued Spanish investment across Central and Eastern Europe.

The opening comes through a merger with local firm Mares & Asociatii, which it says, has been counselling leading Spanish corporations and other foreign investors, in the energy and infrastructure, finance and real estate sectors, in Romania for five years.

Name partner and founder Mihai Mares will join Garrigues as partner, and will manage the office alongside Jaime Fúster – Garrigues’ CEE Managing Partner. The new Bucharest office will initially have a team of ten lawyers, and offer a near full-service local practice.

The news follows the opening last year of Garrigues’ Warsaw office through a merger with local firm Fúster & Sartorius, and expands on its ambition to create a Spain-based global firm capitalising on the increasing expansion of Spanish corporations.

“The core idea is to be able to offer our clients a comprehensive service throughout Central and Eastern Europe,” says Fúster. 

Garrigues already counts seven offices outside of Spain and Portugal, in Brussels, Bucharest, Casablanca, London, New York, Shanghai and Warsaw, and a significant presence across Latin America through its Affinitas network.

Garrigues has also previously announced an intention to open in Bulgaria.