16 Jun 2026
Santiago Mediano hires Andrés Zapater as of counsel
"Santiago Mediano hires Andrés Zapater as of counsel to strengthen its cross-border investment practice, focusing on real estate and business operations for clients from Ecuador and Latin America."
Zapater brings over 25 years of legal and business experience in Ecuador. He holds a doctorate in jurisprudence and a law degree from the Universidad Central del Ecuador and has built a career combining legal practice with business management and advisory work for companies with international interests. Throughout his career he has served clients across multiple sectors and has acted as general attorney in Ecuador for international groups from Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain.
He will support the firm in advising international clients—particularly those from Ecuador and other Latin American markets—on cross-border investment, with a particular focus on real estate and broader business operations. In this role he will help clients identify opportunities, assess risks and structure their legal entry into the Spanish market, ensuring decisions are grounded in legal and market analysis.
The firm aims to channel projects and investments from markets including Ecuador, the United States, Panama, Costa Rica and other Latin American and international jurisdictions.
“Spain is attracting growing interest from Latin American and international companies and investors, but every transaction requires more than just the willingness to invest. It calls for legal judgement, an understanding of the investor’s home market, and the ability to structure the decision before executing it. The arrival of Andrés strengthens that link with those considering investing or expanding in Spain and allows us to support the process more effectively from the very first stage,” said Javier Berrocal, managing partner at Santiago Mediano.