José Luis Lorente Howell

I am partner and head of Bird & Bird's Finance & Financial Regulation department in the Madrid office.

As head of the Finance & Financial Regulation team in our Madrid office and a member of the international Finance & Financial Regulation Group, I have wide experience in cross-border financial transactions, trade financing, syndicated financing, acquisition financing as well as debt restructuring, insolvency and credit portfolio purchases.

Including leading Spanish and international banks, alternative lenders and borrowers among our clients, I am highly experienced in venture debt financing and real estate finance. Other areas of strength include asset finance (particularly aircraft financing) or syndicated lending.

As well as transactional work, I specialise in banking and financial regulation, and provide advice to national and foreign banks and other regulated entities. I advise on financial regulatory matters, including payment services regulation, open banking and virtual financial services, blockchain and tokenization compliance standards and procedures before Spanish authorities including the Spanish Central Bank and the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission (CNMV).

I hold double Spanish and US citizenship and I am recognised by Chambers FinTech, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in Spain in the practices of FinTech, Banking as well as for Insolvency and Reorganisation law.