Dear All,

I'm a Law recent graduate in Italy, currently pursuing the CEP in London, as I'd like to undertake a more international career than that of the average italian lawyers.

It's my 'second career': I used to work in business consulting and I have previous degrees (BSc, MSc and MIB) in Business and Economics in foreign universities (including Germany, Spain and Brazil), thus I am quite fluent in some other languages, including Spanish.

As you may guess, I am nomore very young (almost in my 30s) and I'd like to find the fastest way to undertake the international legal career I wish and to exploit my business expertise. In the UK, for a Civil Law student, the process is unfortunately quite long.

I have recently read that Spain and Portugal have agreements with their former colonies, to freely allow the other country's lawyers to practice in the respective courts.

I have found the agreement between Portugal and Brazil, but apparently it applies only to portugues citizens.

For what concerns Spain, instead, I cannot find anything, even if in several other law blogs is mentioned such an opportunity, in particular for lawyers from Chile, Mexico and Porto Rico.

Three questions:

- Is it true? (please may you kindly indicate me the relevant legislation/agreements)

- How long does it take for a (european) Civil Law graduate (300 ECTS Bolonia Agreement System) to get the habilitation as abogado in Spain?

- Do spanish law firms actually offer good opportunities in international business and IP Law careers also for the new hired? I know bigger ones are opening new branches all over South America, but is it an actual opportunity for a neo-abogado or just for few very experienced professionals (such is the situation in Italy)?

Thank you,

Kind Regards,

Cesc