Broadly speaking, what forecasts do you have regarding the evolution of the business of your office during this year, both nationally and internationally?

The company is going through a period of significant expansion. We closed 2017 with very positive figures, an increase in turnover of 32% and 23% in the workforce, and this year we are working to continue the trend of growth in line with our stable and consolidated evolution. This year we have opened an office in Seville, which allows us to expand territories to better meet the demand of our customers, and we have moved our headquarters in Madrid mainly because of the need for more space, occupying a building in Velázquez Street, in a clear commitment to continue growing.

At an international level, Andersen Global has doubled its presence in one year, from offices in 16 countries to 47 markets, with more than 110 offices and 3,500 professionals. An expansion focused mainly on Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

What factors do you think have influenced this evolution?

Having overcome the years of crisis, we find ourselves in a moment of greater economic stability and this is clearly reflected in investment, the increase in corporate operations and the growth of different sectors. Not only the public investment takes the pulse again, but we see an emerging entry of foreign capital betting on our economy and this, added to the strength of sectors such as real estate, industrial, tourism or agrifood, have allowed the offices to continue growing.

However, we must be cautious as we observe some signs of a slowdown in the economy, which we hope will not be profound.

What initiatives does your organization take to continue growing?

Our strategy is to comply with our three fundamental values: commitment, excellence and transparency.

In the first place, we follow a clear commitment to the incorporation of talent. We believe in people and we believe that with the base to be able to offer a service of excellence that allows us to continue growing.

In addition, we believe in the need to offer a service that adapts perfectly to the client, knowing their business and adapting to their needs, and that is why we have set up transversal teams that integrate areas and offices, such as real estate, agrifood or compliance or culture teams, focused more on sectors and responding to the client's needs than on traditional practices.

Finally, in order to continue growing, it is essential to optimize resources, and this involves incorporating new processes, increasing efficiency in the structure, promoting innovation and digitalization, among others.

What role do you think the areas of marketing and communication play in this evolution?

The areas of marketing and communication play a fundamental role in our strategy. On the one hand, they allow us to transmit our values and corporate culture both internally, making our professionals the firm's best ambassadors, and externally, positioning our brand with our seal and reinforcing our reputation. On the other hand, it is the link with part of society to be able to communicate in a clear and transparent way, as well as the support that allows us to materialize the business development strategy.

In your opinion, which organisational model is the legal sector heading towards? Do

offices to rethink their structures?

Totally.  All models are subject to revision in today's changing world. Our mission is the same. To be close to the customer, to accompany him, to offer solutions and to anticipate his problems. In order to do this, we have to be, as the business world is demanding and like this, stronger and more competitive, more efficient, more modern and agile. And this affects both firms with large structures and those with smaller structures,

Moreover, in a globalized world, in which companies and operations have an increasingly international component, law firms are forced to grow to respond to market demands, making mergers and integrations necessary and unavoidable.

What role does technology already play within your organization and how do you think it is

affecting your service delivery model?

As in the rest of the sectors, technology has turned the business model upside down. There is always a long way to go here, as technology is constantly evolving, which requires a double effort, both in terms of adaptation and in terms of constantly analysing which technologies are efficient and which are not, trying to incorporate processes that increase efficiency, profitability and the organisation of the professionals themselves.

The digital revolution also has a direct impact on the training of professionals, and

in the selection of talent. What skills should a lawyer have today in this context?

What training tasks do you carry out in your office in this respect?

Forms of work have changed in all sectors and professionals are required to have greater skills, both technological and commercial. This is not something of now, any professional any company must be up to date in the knowledge and use of the latest tools that the market makes available to them to develop their mission. Otherwise, we can be left behind when it comes to develop, organize our processes and offer the best services.

What is the relevance of an event such as the Legal Management Forum and why is it so important for a firm like yours to participate in it?

The Legal Management Forum is the benchmark event for lawyers in Spain, in which the latest trends and challenges in the sector are analysed. For this reason, we believe it is essential to contribute to this meeting which, in addition to being able to do our bit to highlight the changes in the sector, allows us to learn about the latest trends from the hands of the best experts.

See the interview in Diario La Ley