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Portrait of Gonzalo Alvar

Profile

Gonzalo is a partner in the Madrid office. With a long and continued practice of working for shipyards, shipowners and banks, he is one of the most reputed lawyers in Spain in relation to the shipbuilding industry. During his career, he has participated in the negotiation of a number of shipbuilding projects, ship conversions and repair contracts.

His practice includes advising on shipbuilding contracts, security packages (including refund guarantees, insurances bonds and mortgages), financing agreements, the Spanish Tax Lease system, agency and brokerage contracts, subcontracts and supply contracts. He is also frequently requested by clients to follow up shipbuilding contracts until the delivery and registration of vessels. Gonzalo has broad experience in restructuring shipbuilding contracts and ancillary documentation when shipyards face economic distress situations.

Due to his recognized knowledge of the Spanish market, foreign law firms seek his advice on a regular basis. Gonzalo is member of the Spanish Maritime Law Association and Spanish Marine Cluster, and has been invited as a Spanish representative to the Forum of Dahkla (Blue Economy in Africa). He has also co-authored books on shipping law contracts, and published several articles related to shipbuilding and ship finance matters in specialized magazines.

Gonzalo is a recommended lawyer in Chambers and Partners in the category ‘Spain: Shipping Finance’.  

Recent work highlights

  • Assisting a Spanish shipyard in relation to shipbuilding contracts, refund guarantees, ship mortgages and deliveries for a series of four fish trawler vessels built for a Greenlandic shipowner.
  • Advising an international syndicate of banks (Italian/Spanish) regarding the granting, registration and cancellation of several ship mortgages for six Spanish flagged vessels.
  • Advising a Spanish shipyard on the acquisition of two hulls built by another insolvent Spanish shipyard, including the negotiation and successful restructuring of the full package of contractual documentation, involving insolvency administrators, the bank and shipowner (Cypriot).
  • Negotiating the full package of contractual documentation, including financing and tax lease agreements, for the construction of a series of five vessels for a European dredging company with a total investment of more than €750 million.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC311575 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 419867.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP