‘ECIJA signs Juan Antonio March, former Ambassador of Spain in the Russian Federation, to lead its expansion to the Asian market’

Madrid, 07-11-2011

ECIJA signs as partner, of Counsel, who has been Ambassador of Spain in the Russian Federation between 2007 to 2011 and previously Ambassador of Spain before the World Trade Organization (WTO) and specialized Organisms of United Nations in Geneva, Juan Antonio March, to lead the firm’ expansion to the Asian market.

With this signing ECIJA builds a very direct bridge with an emergent zone, every day subject of greater interest world-wide. Juan Antonio Marchhas declared that ‘the economic history of the CXXI is going to be played mainly in the greater emergent zones. Russia, with its double European and Asian vocation and its deep transformations in course, is without a doubt a country in which we must be much more present’. The ex- Ambassador of Spain in the Russian Federation has emphasized that ’after many years practicing the diplomacy and participating in multilateral negotiations in the UE, OECD and WTO that have fortified the legal security and open enormous possibilities to the economic globalisation’ I am very excited to join a firm such as ECIJA, with noticeable international vocation’.

Career path

Born in Barcelona in 1958. Juan Antonio March has been also Ambassador in countries of Central Asia and old republics of the ex-USSR such as: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Bielorrusia, besides General Director of Cooperation with LatAm in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vice-president of the Agency of Cooperation between 1993 – 1996; and Adviser of Embassy in London from 1996 to 2001 and Mexico from 2001 to 2004. Of distinctive economic profile, Juan Antonio March, Presided over in 2006 the WTO Committee of Finance and was destined 5 years in the OECD in Paris. Connoisseur of very diverse realities, has been responsible for the Mediterranean policy of the EU with European Commissioner Claude Cheysson at the end of the 80s, covering countries like Turkey, Egypt, and all the Maghreb; has centered its work these last years in Russia.

During its duties as Ambassador of Spain in Russia it has been promoted the Dual year Spain-Russia and made a remarkable advance of the Spanish investments in this country, as it has been formalized in the Forum of Saint Petersburg in June of this year when major Spanish companies such as Repsol, Talgo and Técnicas Reunidas signed emblematic contracts.

Hugo Écija, managing partner of ECIJA and Gabriel Nadal, managing director of ECIJA Barcelona office emphasize the personal qualities of JuanAntonio March and his recognized international prestige ‘as ‘critical to lead the firm’ international strategy and the opening to new emergent markets’. ‘From ECIJA we are conscious of the opportunities of consolidation and investment that the Spanish market in the next years offers and will offer, as well as of the importance that our economy will have the Asian market, and in particular countries like Russia’. Hugo Écija says.

‘We firmly believe in the need to reinforce our bet in the Russian market as a growth destination for Spanish companies’. Comments Gabriel Nadal.

About ECIJA

ECIJA is a full-service Firm that advises in all areas of business law. Currently, ECIJA is a Top 5 independent Law Firm in the Spanish market, as ranked by Best Law Firms in Spain in the market reference periodical Expansión (Spain Financial Times Partner).

ECIJA is the Spanish firm of reference in Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) and Life Science law. The most prestigious international rankings Chambers and Legal 500 confirm ECIJA’s position as leader in the areas of TMT, Corporate, M&A, Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property.

ECIJA is a firm that advises to more than half of the IBEX 35 companies in Spain, as well as to their foreign subsidiaries. ECIJA advises all the Spanish market from their emblematic offices of Madrid and Barcelona, and collaborates in all EU jurisdictions.

Press read press release here: ‘ECIJA signs Juan Antonio March, former Ambassador of Spain in the Russian Federation, to lead its expansion to the Asian market’