Jose Antonio Sánchez-Dafos

Partner

Madrid
jose.sanchez@lw.com
+34.91.791.5028

PRACTICES

  • Emerging Companies & Growth
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity

INDUSTRIES

  • Energy & Infrastructure
  • Entertainment, Sports & Media
  • Fintech
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Technology

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • Spain (Abogado)

EDUCATION

  • M.A. in Information Technology, University of Kent, 1995
  • LLB in Law, University of Kent, 1994
  • Law Degree, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1993

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

  • English

PROFILE

José Antonio Sánchez-Dafos advises clients on cross-border M&A and private equity transactions, particularly involving the technology sector.  

He combines deep local experience with a sophisticated understanding of global transactions to guide major international and Spanish private equity funds and companies on:

  • Mergers, acquisitions, and disposals
  • Leveraged buyouts
  • Add-on acquisitions
  • Joint ventures
  • Advising management
  • SPAC-related transactions

José Antonio anticipates potential transactional hurdles and creates efficiencies that close deals. Drawing on his international education and extensive global transactional experience, he serves as a trusted advisor who understands clients’ strategic needs on a global scale. 

José Antonio represents venture capital funds as emerging companies navigate the corporate life cycle, from raising venture capital to exit or listing.

A recognized leader at the firm, he serves as Chair of the Global Technology Committee. He previously served as Local Chair of the Corporate Department in Madrid, as well as on the Associates Committee. Outside the firm, he teaches postgraduate M&A courses at IE Law School and Carlos III University. 
He maintains an active pro bono practice, including helping charitable organizations incorporate in Spain. 

EXPERIENCE

José Antonio’s experience includes advising: 

M&A 

  • Seaya, Cathay, Drake, and Luxor on selling their respective stakes in Glovo to Delivery Hero for €720 million
  • Lineage Logistics Holdings, a global temperature-controlled logistics firm, on acquiring Transportes Fuentes
  • Grupo Gransolar’s shareholders on selling a 100% stake in the company to Trilantic Capital Partners for €420 million
  • Wallbox on its US$1.5 billion merger with SPAC Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II
  • Enagás, together with The Blackstone Group and GIC, on acquiring Tallgrass Energy Holdings
  • Telefónica on selling all of its telecom assets in Central America (Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica) for €2.4 billion
  • BBB Industries on acquiring 100% of the equity of M&R Precision Parts, a Spanish automotive components manufacturer, from Abac Capital

Private Equity 

  • TA Associates on acquiring the esPublico group, a Spanish group of companies that develop legal and economic content platforms
  • Cerberus on acquiring the remaining stake of Inmoglaciar Homes from its founders to become the company’s sole shareholder
  • Kensing, a One Rock Capital portfolio company, on acquiring Vitae Caps, a leading manufacturer of botanical based ingredients for the food industry
  • Archimed on acquiring:
    • Spanish life sciences company Suanfarma
    • AKRN Scientific Consulting, S.L., through its portfolio company North American Science Associates
  • Inflexion Private Equity Partners on acquiring a 40% stake in Auxadi Contables & Consultores, an accounting services provider based in Spain
  • Nazca Capital on selling its 100% stake in Moldcom Composites (McBath) to The Engineered Stone Group
  • KKR on selling, as part of a competitive process, Papresa, Southern Europe’s leading newsprint producer, to Quantum Capital
  • TA Associates on selling its stake in Kipenzi, a leading pet care company in Spain and Portugal, to Peruvian group Emefin
  • Oaktree Capital on selling HealthCare Activos Inmobiliarios to Altamar Capital, a healthcare real estate investment company
  • Sun European Partners on selling Famosa, a Spanish toy designer, manufacturer, and distributor, to Italian competitor Giochi Preziosi 

Venture Capital

  • Cathay Innovation and Seaya on PayFlow’s Series A financing 
  • Peri AG on the third financing round of Scaled Robotics, S.L., a software and hardware developer for the construction sector
  • Cathay Innovation, Drake Enterprises, and Seaya Ventures on Glovo’s Series F financing round for €450 million
  • Toqio, a Spanish fintech startup, on its seed funding round, led by Seaya and SpeedInvest
  • Cathay Innovation on financing rounds for:
    • Wall Box, a developer of electric vehicle charger technology
    • Medsavana, a developer of an artificial intelligence application for the healthcare sector