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, a boutique law firm with offices in New York, Miami, Madrid and Houston. Established in January 2017, RC Law is renowned for its transactional expertise. The prestigious directory Chambers & Partners recognized the firm as a leading law firm in South Florida in the “Corporate, M&A, and Private Equity” in 2023 and 2024, making it the only boutique firm among the 15 ranked firms.
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. He has served as M&A or finance counsel to major European and Asian corporations, including Sony Corporation, Telefonica, Prosegur, BBVA, Indra, Mapfre, Dragados, Abengoa, Caixabank, Bankia, ACS, Vantico (Ciba Geigy), Globalia, Planeta, Insudpharma, and Wallbox (a New YorkSE-listed company). He also regularly advises European and Latin American family offices on U.S. transactional and corporate matters.
Mr. Ruiz has received several 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.” He has been instrumental in elevating RC Law’s reputation as a leading transactional law firm in Florida.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Ruiz is a frequent speaker on M&A topics in various fora across Spain and Latin America and is the co-author of the U.S. chapter of the “Guide on Shareholders’ Agreements” (2018), published by the International Bar Association.
Mr. Ruiz is a graduate of the University of Barcelona (1982) and holds a Master in International and Comparative Law from the Free University of Brussels (1986, Cum Laude) and an LLM degree from the University of California at Berkeley (1987, With Honors), where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association, where he served as a Committee Officer for four years.
Beyond his legal work, Mr. Ruiz is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce in New York, having served as Executive Chairman from 2010 to 2014. For over a decade, he has been involved on a pro bono basis with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation USA, serving on its Advisory Board and as Secretary, supporting its mission to combat poverty in India.
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.
Representative Transactions in RC News
Experience
- 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
- Super Lawyers 2023 – 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”.
Languages
- English
- Spanish
- Catalan
Bar Admissions
- Spain, 1988
- New York, 1999
RC Law Acted as International Counsel to Hispanogroup on the Acquisition of ENI Ecuador.
RC Law Advised Grupo Hotusa on Winter Haven Hotel Acquisition in Miami Beach
RC Law Advised Insud Pharma on its Acquisition of Agile Therapeutics
RC Law Advised Mediktor on the Acquisition of Sensely
RC Law Counseled Falabella in the Acquisition of Equity Interests in Simetrik
RC Law Sponsored Pinta PArC Art Fair in Lima, Peru
RC Law Advised Smart Rooms in Adding USA Hotels to its Portfolio
RC Law Advised Arenales on the Acquisition of a Nursery in New York
Iberian Lawyer Interviewed RC Law Founding Partner Xavier Ruiz
RC Law Advised CECOP on the Acquisition of Pearlman Buying Group
RC Law Acted on KCE’s US Sell to an Asian Private Equity Firm
Entrevista de Líder Legal con Xavier Ruiz de RC Law
Cinco Días. Abogados Españoles Triunfan en EE UU
RC Law Advised COFIDES on the Financing of a California Merger
RC Law Advised OpenPass on a Joint Venture with Telecom Argentina
RC Law Advised Grupo Azvi on the Acquisition of Two Texas Companies
RC Law Advised Agroindustrial Beta in a $111M Refinancing
RC Law Advised STAYmyway in the Sale to Operto Guest
RC Law Advised Ferrado Properties on the Sale of a Hotel
RC Law Acted as US counsel to Corporacion Financiera Alba
RC Law Advised Hotel Owner on a Deal with Barcelo on US Hotel
RC Law Advised on the Sale of the Laguna Riviera Resort
RC Law Advised Spradling International in the Acquisition of CMI Enterprises’ Assets
RC Law Advised Mr. Jeff in the U.S. Following a $43M Fundraising
RC Law Assisted Globalimar in a JV with athlete Vicent “Bo” Jackson
RC Law Advised GRIT in the Acquisition of a Majority Interest in Summit Refrigerants
RC Law Advised Cantabria Labs in a U.S. JV with Sofia Vergara
RC Law Advised CECOP Acquiring The Alliance Buying Group
RC Law Advised Tuboplast in the Sale of its North Carolina Subsidiary to KCE
RC Law Advised CECOP in the Acquisition of U.S. Based Combine Buying Group
Interview with Partner Xavier Ruiz about RC Law During Covid Times
RC Law Advised TPF Software’s Shareholders on its Sale to Juniper
RC Law Acted in the Acquisition of Marconi Internacional University