Overview

Since both Spain and Portugal joined the EU and the eurozone, the Iberian Peninsula has undoubtedly become an integrated area for economic, financial, historical, cultural and geographical reasons. Centuries of hard physical and financial boundaries and of dynastic annexations have been replaced by hard economic competition between people and companies from both sides.

One could expect that, following the step towards European integration, the Iberian markets would give cause to a significant wave of mergers between companies. But reality shows that, after more than 25 years, only one merger between Iberian companies has taken place, giving rise to an Iberian name and structured practice: Cuatrecasas Goncalves Pereira.

So why has such a significant market not produced more mergers? In this article, Cuatrecasas's co-managing partner Manuel Castelo Branco asks why.

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