Xavier Ruiz

Partner
New York / Miami

Phone: +1 917-622-2005 / +1 786-598-8007
Email: xavier.ruiz@rclawus.com

Xavier Ruiz is the founding partner of RC Law LLP. Admitted to practice in both New York and Spain, Mr. Ruiz brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in cross-border corporate and finance transactions involving the United States, Spain, and Latin America.

Ranked by Chambers & Partners USA, since 2025, among the leading lawyers in South Florida in the area of Corporate, M&A, and Private Equity, with clients praising him as “extremely responsive and brilliant at strategising,” noting that “Xavier will call you back from anywhere in the world in less than four hours,”and that“he is very good at knowing his clients’ needs and proposing different alternatives for problems.”

Mr. Ruiz has received several other recognitions as an M&A expert by leading legal publications, including Euromoney’s “Guide of the World’s Leading M&A Lawyers” (US Chapter) in 2004 and 2005, and by Chambers & Partners – Latin America in 2015 and 2016, with clients praising him as “really exceptional” and noting that he “went far beyond what I could expect from a lawyer.”

Throughout his career, Mr. Ruiz has served as M&A and finance counsel to major European and Asian corporations including Sony, Telefónica, Prosegur, BBVA, Indra, Mapfre, Dragados, Abengoa, Caixabank, ACS, Globalia, Planeta, Insud Pharma, and Wallbox (a NYSE-listed company). He also regularly advises European and Latin American family offices on U.S. corporate and transactional matters. He has been instrumental in elevating RC Law’s reputation as a leading transactional law firm in Florida.

Mr. Ruiz is a regular speaker on M&A topics at conferences across Spain and Latin America and co-authored the U.S. chapter of the Guide on Shareholders’ Agreements (2018) published by the International Bar Association.

He holds a law degree from the University of Barcelona (1982), a Master in International and Comparative Law from the Free University of Brussels (1986, cum laude), and an LL.M. from the University of California, Berkeley (1987, with honors), where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar. He is a member of both the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association, where he served as a Committee Officer for four years.

Outside of his legal practice, Mr. Ruiz serves on the Board of Directors of the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce in New York, where he was the Executive Chairman from 2010 to 2014. He is also a long-time pro bono advisor to the Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA, serving on its Advisory Board and as Secretary, supporting its mission to eradicate poverty in rural India. In 2024, King Felipe VI of Spain awarded him the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, for his efforts in fostering business relationships between the U.S. and Spain.

Representative Transactions

Mr. Ruiz has played a key role in numerous high-profile transactions, including:

Acted for a Spanish financial lender in a $600 million acquisition financing for a Colombian company’s tender offer for a Peruvian listed company.
Represented a Swiss travel conglomerate in various acquisitions of U.S. business operators.
Advised Mexican sellers on a $250 million sale of a family-owned media and entertainment business to a U.S. network.
Acted for a Swiss/U.K. chemical conglomerate through the spin-off of its specialty chemical business.
Acted for a Spanish-listed security group in a $200 million acquisition of the largest Latin American security group.
Led the reorganization of Western Hemisphere subsidiaries for a Japanese electronics conglomerate, valued at over $1 billion.
Advised a Spanish telecommunications company on a $350 million tender offer for a Central American carrier.
Assisted a U.S. private equity firm with acquiring a Spanish soft drink business.
Advised on the sale of a manufacturing plant in Spain for a U.S.-listed pharmaceutical company.
Advised on the sale of a specialty chemical business in Spain for a U.S.-listed chemical group.
Advised on the bulk sale of a U.S.-listed offshore construction and management company for a Spanish firm.
Established joint venture manufacturing facilities in China for a Spanish industrial group.
Advised on the acquisition of a U.S. security solutions company by a Spanish construction company.
Advised a U.S.-listed company with acquisitions of automotive parts manufacturers in Argentina.
Assisted a U.S.-listed telecommunications/media company with acquiring 17 cable TV operators in Argentina.
Advised a U.S.-listed generics company through two acquisitions in Argentina.
Acted for a Spanish kitchen equipment manufacturer on a $150 million takeover of its U.S. joint venture group.
Facilitated a joint venture for a U.S. healthcare management company in Barcelona.
Acted for a Spanish-listed company with acquiring U.S. vehicle service providers.
Acted for a Spanish conglomerate in connection with the sale of equity interests for a Guatemalan telecommunications company.
Advised on acquisitions of a U.S. automobile components group for a Spanish company.
Acted as lender’s U.S. counsel in connection with the financing of several hotels and resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Assisted a world leading ports operator in connection with the winning bid for the privatization of the port in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Advised a Spanish pharmaceutical group in connection with the acquisition of a SEC registered company, through a statory merger,
Acted as seller’s counsel on the sale of a manufacturing subsidiary located in North Carolina to a Singapore private equity fund.
Advised an Argentine private technology group in connection with its joint venture with Argentina’ largest telecommunications conglomerate.
Advised a Spanish leading e-medical solutions company on the acquisition of a California technology company, with a statutory (squeeze-out) merger.
Acted as buyer’s counsel for a Spanish railway infrastructure on the acquisition of two companies based in Texas.
Advised a Spanish family office in connection with the sale of the Standard Lido Hotel in South Beach, Florida.
Acted as borrower’s counsel to a Peruvian agrobusiness conglomerate in connection with the refinancing of a $111,800,000 loan from Metlife of New York.
Advised a Spanish family office in connection with the sale of the Laguna Beach Hotel in Laguna Breach, California.
Acted as counsel to a US/Colombian group on its acquisition of the industrial business of a U.S. company with facilities in North Carolina and Indiana.
Acted as borrower’s counsel, a Lima-listed Peruvian fishing group on the refinancing of a credit facility from the IADB (World Bank).
Acted as buyer’s counsel to Europe’s leading optical buying group on three consecutive acquisitions of U.S. companies in the same line of business, involving acquisirion financing in some instances.
Advised a Spanish (New YorkSE listed) unicorn company, in the electric vehicle charging solutions business, on the acquisition of a California based company.
Advised a Spanish pharmaceutical company in connection with a U.S. joint venture with a celebrity actress.
Advised the owners of U.S. company providing airline reservations solutions, with subsidiaries in India, Ireland and New Zealand to a Canadian conglomerate.

RC Law Advises Global Media US LLC on the Acquisition of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings’ Business in Chile, Mexico, and Peru

February 9, 2025

Holland & Knight (New York), Partner (April 2014 to November 2016). New York
K&L Gates (New York), Partner (February 2011 to March 2014).
Garrigues (New York), Partner (March 2005 to February 2011).
McDermott Will & Emery (New York), Partner (February 2003 to February 2005).
Baker & McKenzie (San Francisco, Chicago, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, New York), Associate / Partner (January 1988 to January 2003).

Institutional Positions and Charities

Member of The Barcelona Bar Association.
Member of The International Bar Association (Committee Officer, 2010-2014).
Chairman of Atlantico Capital Partners LLC, an investment banking firm.
Vice-Chairman and member of the Board of the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce in New York. Former Executive Chairman (2010-2014).
Secretary of Vicente Ferrer USA Foundation, an NGO devoted to fighting poverty in India.
Member of the Advisory Board of Altair Management Consultants-USA.

Publications

Guide on Shareholders’ Agreements 2018.
The IBA Guide on Shareholders’ Agreements, Co-Author, Chapter on Spain, International Bar Association, October 2011.
Articles on multiple legal publications dealing with corporate, commercial and antitrust issues

Education

LLM (With Honors), University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1986). Fulbright Scholar.
Master in International and Comparative Law (Cum Laude), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels), Brussels, Belgium (1985).
Licenciado en Derecho (JD equivalent), University of Barcelona, Spain (1982).

Honors and Recognitions

Chambers & Partners USA 2025 – Corporate/M&A and Private Equity. South Florida.
Super Lawyers 2021-2023, 2025 – Top Rated International Attorney for New York, New York
Euromoney’s “Guide to the World’s Leading M&A Lawyers” – United States and Spain (2004, and 2005).
Chambers & Partners in Corporate and M&A – Latin America in 2015 and 2016, with a client praising Xavier as “really exceptional” and another suggesting he “went far beyond what I could expect from a lawyer”.

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