Andersen has been appointed as the exclusive legal services provider in Spain for the 37th edition of the America’s Cup, one of the most important sporting events in the world, which will be held in Barcelona in 2024, after being selected among the main law firms in Spain by ACE (America’s Cup Event) Barcelona S.L., the entity created by the Defender of the Race and holder of the rights to the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand.

Andersen is already providing legal advice to the organising team of the event, which in its 37^th edition in Barcelona will be held based on two fundamental pillars: sustainability and innovation

This is a major project that Andersen has achieved thanks to the commitment and collective effort of a multidisciplinary team, coordinated between all Spanish offices from the Barcelona office.

Andersen is working from the initial phase on very important milestones in the setting up of the event for the implementation of the project from all areas of law with the aim of contributing to the success of this new edition. Specifically, the team is involved in commercial and corporate matters, with the establishment of the companies involved in the organisation; in regulatory aspects, contributing to the legislative framework applicable to the event for the declaration of the project as an event of exceptional public interest; in the preparation of the regulatory package that would apply in the framework of the celebration of the event in various legal matters; as well as advising on immigration, labour and tax issues of those organisers and members of the different teams that have begun to travel to our country because of the event.

The Managing Partner of Andersen in Spain, José Vicente Morote, stressed the importance of hosting in Spain an international event of great impact such as the 37^th America’s Cup, which has only been defended in five other countries - Great Britain, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Bermuda -, as well as the satisfaction of “being able to provide our service from Andersen to contribute to the success of the race from our office in Barcelona and with the support of the rest of Spain.”

“The development of an event of such magnitude has many legal implications, from tax, regulatory, administrative, transfer pricing, intellectual property, cybersecurity, etc., in which our professionals work together with the organisers from the beginning and will work over the next years to ensure that the competition is contested with all the guarantees,” he stated.

“The 37^th America’s Cup in Barcelona is going to be one of the best in recent history. But putting together a major global event and all of the legal and contractual requirements is an endless but vitally important process to ensure a successful event. ACE Barcelona S.L. are pleased to be able to partner with Andersen’s in Barcelona to assist with all legal matters in Barcelona and Spain”, highlighted Grant Dalton, CEO of ACE.

The America’s Cup is the oldest competition in international sport, having been held since 1851, and the most important and prestigious in yachting. As a result, it is one of the events with the greatest economic and media impact for the host country, along with the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. Specifically, for the next edition, a significant economic impact is expected in Spain, as well as a significant increase in tourism during the competitions.

Andersen is an international firm with more than 350 professionals working in Spain from offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Malaga. The evolution of the firm, which has tripled its turnover and almost doubled its staff in the last five years, allows the firm to deal with major matters such as the America's Cup. This, together with the firm's international coverage, with a presence in more than 400 locations, gives the Firm the capacity to deal with additional matters in other countries that may be involved.