Expertise

Joaquín Sales is partner and head of the Banking & Finance team of the Madrid office. A lawyer with over 25 years of experience, Joaquín advises banks, financial institutions, investment funds, and corporations on all kinds of financing transactions: project finance, acquisition finance, corporate, and asset finance. He also has in-depth experience in structured finance transactions and securitisation deals, both domestic and international.

Joaquín also provides guidance to commercial banks, multilateral banks, funds, and corporations in the energy, infrastructure, TMT, and capital market sectors.

Some of the companies he has advised include, among others, Abac Capital, Abanca, Arcano, Asterion Industrial Partners, Australia National Bank, AustralianSuper, Bank of Shanghai, BBVA, CaixaBank, CAPZA, EDP Energias de Portugal, EDP Renováveis, European Investment Bank, Export Import Bank of China, Finerge, Galp, GED Capital, Hispasat, ICO, Magnum Industrial Partners, MCH Private Equity, Portobello Capital, Qualitas Equity Funds, Santander, Valencia Club de Fútbol, and VM Energía.

Experience

Highlighted deals include:

  • Advising Banco Santander in the monetization of a lease agreement in Korea
  • Project Giga: advising Banco Santander and the European Investment Bank in the financing of a 1GW portfolio of PV plants developed by Solaria.
  • Project Titan: advising the European Investment Bank in the financing of a portfolio of PV plants with hybridization facilities developed by Galp.
  • Advising Spanish private equity funds on fund financings under Spanish and English law.
  • Advice to Hispasat on several ECA – backed financings (US EXIM Bank, Export Development Canada, COFACE, BPI France) for the construction and launch of new satellites, including Amazonas Nexxus, Amazonas 6, Amazonas 5, and Amazonas 4.

Joaquín contributes on an ongoing basis to “Lexology – Project Finance”, “Lexology – Acquisition Finance” and “The Project Finance Law Review”, published by Law Business Research, as well as on the publication “International Secured Transactions”, by the Center for International Legal Studies.

Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
Recognition
  • Tier 3 in Banking & Finance by Chambers & Partners
  • Tier 4 in Project Finance by Chambers & Partners
Testimonials

“Joaquín Sales is recognised by clients as a practical, creative lawyer who displays superior project management skills.” 

Chambers & Partners

“Is extraordinary from a technical point of view, very senior but always directly involved and extremely pleasant to work with.”

Chambers & Partners

"He's customer-oriented and has many years of experience. He identifies the needs of the company in each case."

Chambers & Partners

Education
  • Law and Business Degree. (Universidad Pontificia de Comillas – ICADE)