This is how the newest edition of the IE Law School & Baker McKenzie Legal Challenge operates—a Final Master’s Project model completely unique in Spain

Once again this year, students of the Dobles Másters en Acceso a la Abogacía at IE Law School have participated in the Legal Challenge that the university organizes alongside the multinational law firm Baker McKenzie. The only one of its kind among Spanish law schools, this challenge is both a Final Master’s Project for students of the Dobles Másters en Abogacía and also an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice.

In this year’s edition, participants had to apply their knowledge to a complex acquisition transaction.

To do so, they utilized their entire legal knowledge base, delving into fields such as taxation and the structuring of legal transactions, as well as displaying their commercial abilities and presentation skills.

“This multidisciplinary case includes content from various legal areas—civil, commercial, tax and administrative—so that students can comprehend what a legal transaction is like as a whole.”
Javier Galán Becerra, partner at Fieldfisher JAUSAS Spain and professor, mentor and juror at IE Law School

With the guidance and supervision of a team of professors and lawyers from Baker McKenzie (Guillermo Rodrigo and Antonio Albarrán) and Fieldfisher JAUSAS (Javier Galán), groups of students had to step into the role of the transactional team of a law firm. They were responsible for completing two tasks: first, convincing a client to hire them, and second, providing the necessary legal and tax services requested of them to carry out the transaction.

In the final presentation, students showcased their framework proposal and later faced questions from the jury panel. The winning group was chosen based on several criteria: technical knowledge and legal analysis, application of the law to facts, and clarity and structure of the presentation. The winning team was comprised by Álvaro Márquez Muriel, Miguel García-Nieto, Rebeca Oriol Jiménez, Marta Parra Pérez, Carlos Rueda Ortín and María Redondo Martínez.

The Legal Challenge is entirely unique to the Dobles Másters en Abogacía. The multidisciplinary approach it offers is invaluable preparation for becoming a professional lawyer, ensuring students are well-prepared for future challenges to come. Whatever the result of the Legal Challenge, the experience gained from participating in a legal case of such magnitude is what stays with the students. For them, it is an opportunity to put into practice all they have learned over the past few years:

“Completing the TFM alongside Baker McKenzie, one of the top legal firms, is an amazing opportunity. It gives you the chance to handle your own case, which is incredibly valuable and definitely not something offered by all firms. You also receive consistent support from the firm’s partners and lawyers, who are happy to help you on a daily basis,” highlights Carlos Rueda Ortín, who studies the Doble Máster en Abogacía y Asesoría Jurídica de Empresas (LL.M.) at IE Law School.