Elena Gocmen Rueda
MARBELLA legal eagle Jose Ramon Gutierrez has been named Spain’s Number One lawyer – and with good reason: He has taken on the country’s banks who shirk their responsibilities when clients lost their savings when buying off-plan homes.
Yes, shocking but true, but tens of thousands of people who believed they had ‘bank guarantees’ were shocked when the financial institutions refused to honour them.
In a shocking state of affairs many banks simply tried to walk away from the responsibility of protecting their clients, who in many cases lost hundreds of thousands of euros.
Fortunately for some of them, Jose, who comes from Malaga, took up their cases.
From his office in central Marbella, he has been representing clients from all over Spain for decades.
The Olive Press asked him about his line of work and his prestigious recent award on the website www.emerita.legal
Hi Jose, you are a highly reputed lawyer but what is your field of expertise?
I am in the business of recovering money paid by buyers of off-plan homes when their homes have either not been built or have had any problem during the construction process.
You must have been happy with being voted ‘Number One’ in Spain for the second time in a row in the National Insurance Law Ranking?
I am very proud to have been honoured with the Number One spot again. It has taken a lot of hard work to get there! It is the reward of years of work and it fills me with great satisfaction.
It is also the reflection of the hundreds of clients I have helped to recover their life savings. There is nothing in the world that makes me happier than helping my clients.
Why do you think you have won for a second time?
To reach the Number One position you must have the best statistics in court proceedings.
Thanks to the work, study and effort for many years I can proudly say that I am that person again.
What difficulties have you had to go through to get there?
More than you can imagine! I have had to face the best lawyers in Spain representing many banks and I have had to convince hundreds of judges that what I was proposing was the fairest thing.
You are a senior with 16 years experience as a practicing lawyer, what four pieces of valuable advice could you give to younger lawyers, now setting up in business?
Study hard, be brave and when you stumble, get up again. Believe in yourself despite all the adversities you encounter.
You have taken sides in almost 200 cases so far in your career. Any anecdotes worth mentioning?
More than anecdotes, I would emphasise that when I started with these types of cases I was branded as crazy, but thanks to that madness I have opened a path, along with other colleagues, that has led to thousands of families being able to recover their savings.
To contact Jose Ramon visit www.lawfirminspain.com
