Since 1983 De Cotta Law – incorporated as De Cotta McKenna y Santafé – has combined a strong legal track record with International expertise. Our integrated team of Spanish qualified Abogados and English qualified Solicitors and Barristers is one of the most versatile and experienced law firms on the Spanish mainland and in the Canary Islands.

Private clients look to us when they are buying and selling property and investing in Spain. We also deal with the sensitive matters of family work, divorce and child abduction.

The litigation and Personal injury lawyers in the firm have years of experience in both recovering assets and settling claims by mediation or arbitration when possible.

In all these areas of law it is often an appreciation of the different cultures as well as languages that can help to resolve situations for clients and for businesses. With fluent English, Dutch, Danish, Italian, French and German speakers in the firm we do speak your language.

All our partners can be contacted at [email protected]

  • Gisele van Meer

    Conveyancing partner

    Conveyancing partner of the firm for more than 15 years Gisele van Meer is acknowledged as one of the leading specialists in this field with a highly respected reputation in Spain.

    Gisele has experience and knowledge of property matters such as contracts of purchase for off-plan properties, inland and rural properties, licensing for building projects and taxation of property.

    As the partner in charge Gisele runs a very busy conveyancing department with a team of bi-lingual administrators and secretaries which is vital when dealing with a property purchase in Spain. Added to this is her ability to fluently speak 5 languages Spanish, Dutch, English, French and German. This is very helpful to clients buying in another country who need clear advice in their own language.

  • Sandra Wrightson

    Academic barrister

    Holds the Degree of Bachelor of Laws from London University and the Degree of Bachelor of Arts from the Open University. Called the Bar at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 1997.

    Sandra has over 15 year’s experience of working on all aspects of private international law and conflicts of laws. With a wide range of knowledge in insolvency, timeshare and litigation Sandra can provide a working brief or opinion which can help to find a solution to problems for both private and business clients.

    Working closely with her Spanish lawyer colleagues Sandra has also established a very strong Family department which takes on divorce cases, Hague Convention cases and in particular those sensitive cases when one parent wants to change their country of residence.

    In 2001 Sandra was appointed Honorary Legal Adviser to the British Consul of Málaga.

  • Vera Liprandi

    Lawyer & Office Director

    Our multi-lingual team is headed by Vera Liprandi, a dual qualified Spanish (Abogada) & Italian (Avvocato) lawyer. Born in Turin, Italy, Vera studied at the city’s prestigious University Faculty of Law and then went on to take her Spanish Law Degree. This was followed by a Masters in European Union & European Communities.

    This impressive academic & legal background is enhanced by genuine, in-depth experience in commercial, property, land, conveyancing & timeshare law as well as business and contract law in the Canaries, Spain & Italy.

    Understandably, with this background, Vera is a linguist, having commanded 4 additional languages (English, Spanish, French, and German) to Italian, her mother tongue. You can contact Vera directly by e.mail at [email protected]

    When unwinding, she practices Classic and Contemporary Dance and enjoys cinema, theatre, music and art.

    Her legal team includes English and Spanish lawyers and a dedicated support team.

  • Jon Sutton

    English Solicitor & Partner

    Jon Sutton qualified as an English solicitor in 2003 with a back-ground in accident investigation and the negotiation of personal injury claims in the UK. On joining De Cotta Law in 2005 he established the Personal Injury Department of the firm. Jon is now registered with the Málaga College of Lawyers as an abogado.

    After gaining significant experience in property and inheritance law for both UK and Spain, Jon now heads our very busy Probate and Inheritance Department and is using his extensive experience of property matters to advise English speaking clients on buying and selling of property throughout Spain.

    Jon deals with very complex inheritance matters often involving more than one jurisdiction. He can advise both UK and Spanish nationals on dealing with English estates where a Grant of probate is required. Jon can explain the different tax regimes to private clients and to English, UK and Spanish lawyers. Jon is also responsible for wills and can help with drafting wills for both England and Spain to ensure that assets are protected and new regulations and tax laws are taken into account.

    With his background and skills Jon has now gained an international reputation for advising on Probate and Property cases in Spain. Jon Sutton is an English Solicitor and is registered number 301779 with the SRA and is now a Qualified Abogado registered with the Málaga college of lawyers number 6360.

  • Javier Florido

    Abogado

    Javier Florido is the senior Spanish partner at the firm. Javier has very strong litigation skills and he is able to advise on a broad range of matters including Personal Injury and Insolvency.

    Javier appears regularly in the UK courts as an Expert Witness and provides expert reports on Personal Injury matters.

    Javier brings a wealth of experience which helps clients to decide if they wish to seek settlement or to commence litigation. This can be for recovery of a personal debt, applying for charges against property or providing expert reports on Personal Injury matters.

    He has also acted in major Debt recovery cases as well as boundary disputes and property cases. On Employment matters Javier is one of the few Adjudicators appointed by the Junta de Andalucia to decide on disputes between businesses and employees. This means he can provide sound advice to employers on the drafting of employment contracts, employment disputes and on all matters related to businesses operating in Spain.

    Javier is registered with the Málaga College of Lawyers number 3587.

  • Jaime Santafé Mira

    Founding partner

    Jaime Santafé Mira was a founding partner of the firm and has been a member of the Madrid College of Lawyers since 1950. He has acted as a consultant to the Spanish Ministry of Urban and Public works and is a specialist in urban and town planning. Working as a consultant Jaime maintains his contacts with the regulatory bodies in Madrid and his experience and advice often proves essential in this area of work.