Santiago Hurtado y Javier Royo lanzan la 'boutique' ipseLaw

Santiago Hurtado and Javier Royo have launched a new boutique legal firm called ipseLaw, specializing in restructuring and insolvency, litigation, and recurrent corporate advice. The Spanish legal sector now sees the emergence of this boutique, as Hurtado and Royo depart from their previous roles at Dentons. The firm aims to accompany financial entities, companies requiring sustained legal advice, and clients navigating complex scenarios. ipseLaw deliberately avoids hourly billing and conflict of interest management, favoring senior strategic judgment and responsible use of generative AI technology.

The name ipseLaw, combining the Latin "ipse" and the English "law", reflects the firm's commitment to direct client advice without the intermediary structures found in large firms. The market is fragmented, requiring a distinction between operations demanding significant resources and clients needing strategic counsel regardless of size.

Hurtado emphasizes that AI liberates time for meaningful client interaction and solution-focused work. Royo highlights the reduction of time needed to explore alternatives from weeks to hours, thanks to AI-assisted analysis of numerous possibilities. ipseLaw operates in three areas: special situations encompassing financial and corporate restructuring, restructuring plans, judicial homologation, standstill agreements, interim financing, investor entry, and creditor proceedings; recurrent corporate advice focusing on commercial law, corporate governance, board secretariat, mergers and acquisitions, and contract drafting; and litigation stemming from restructuring, insolvency, and corporate conflicts.

Hurtado and Royo leverage over twenty years of joint experience in bankruptcy proceedings and restructuring as the foundation of their value proposition in the evolving insolvency framework. Hurtado is a de jure State lawyer and former senior legal advisor to the Ministry of Justice, while Royo specializes in advising both debtors and financial entities in insolvency processes.

The launch of ipseLaw joins a growing trend in the Spanish legal market, where international firm partners leave large firms to create specialized boutiques in an environment of market fragmentation and demand for both macro-operations and personalized advice.