ECIJA accelerates its leap into the digital elite
The gala of the European Awards 2025 by The Lawyer, held in London, one of the most important events in the legal landscape, last week named Ecija — the law firm founded by Hugo Écija 28 years ago — as the law firm of the year both in Europe and in the Iberian market. This double triumph is a milestone for a firm that has sought from the outset to rewrite the way legal services are provided. Born as a tech boutique, Ecija is now a multidisciplinary firm with a presence in 18 countries —16 of them in Latin America— that embraces artificial intelligence (AI) without hesitation and has established itself, according to the jury, as a continental benchmark thanks to its strategy and its innovative growth model.
As you cross the threshold of the firm's headquarters, in the heart of Madrid's Golden Mile, the awards given by the British publication The Lawyer catch the eye. The stage for the interview with its president.“We want to be number one in the digital economy in Latin America and Europe”, declares an euphoric Hugo Écija on returning from London. It was a perfect night: the Legal 500 Iberian Awards 2025 also recognized Ecija as the firm of the year in TMT —the technology, media and telecommunications sector. “We have been leaders in technology for years, but The Lawyer confirms that we are on the right track in recognizing the innovation model we have implemented from the beginning”, responds Hugo Écija when asked which of these awards he is most proud of. “They recognize us as the firm of the year in Europe”, he exclaims with satisfaction.
Ecija is a firm that has grown twentyfold in the last twenty years. “There are few European firms with this capacity for evolution”, says the founder. In 2024, the firm surpassed the barrier of 100 million euros in global revenue, a psychological figure in the sector. The president, experienced in the discipline of Ironman competitions, is preparing to reach 150 million next year and achieve 200 million by 2030, which would place Ecija in the big leagues.
To achieve this, they have not hesitated to seek a financial partner.“If you want to be number one, you need financing, and that comes from funds. You have to invest in talent andtechnology”, explains Hugo Écija transparently. Faithful to its innovative DNA, Écija became the first Spanish law firm to open its share capital to venture capital a year and a half ago, partnering with the Spanish company Alia Capital Partners. The entry of funds into law firms is already a growing trend: some firms have received the call, while others have already been seduced, such as Auren and Sagardoy.
Hugo Écija states that“Alia is one of the few funds that has taken a minority stake in a law firm”. Alia's stake is minority, although the president avoids giving specific figures —confidentiality is paramount— and emphasizes that control remains entirely in the hands of the firm's professionals, who retain “100% of management and 100% of voting rights”. There are no frictions, he assures us: “What Alia provides us is liquidity and financial strength to achieve our goals”. In short, a cushion that accelerates its leap into the digital elite. The most natural thing, he announces, is that the next investor partner of Ecija will be “an international fund”. “Some have already shown interest”, he says.
It seems that international funds are taking note of the firm's strategy to break away from the approach of “everyone has always done it this way”.“We were born with a different vision: to demonstrate that law can be practiced differently”, says Hugo Écija. First, they set out to make the firm an attractive destination:“We believe in a sustainable model: talent is not measured by hours, but by impact. Here we value people beyond the hours they dedicate”, he says. Secondly, he constantly breaks the dogma of billing by the hour. “We work with almost all of the Ibex 35. Our clients are partners, and we do not bill them for the hours we invest, but for the results we generate and the value we bring.”
Cross-selling
Since its creation, the firm has committed to fostering cross-selling among lawyers —the famous cross-selling of the sector— a practice that is not always easy. "From the beginning, we wanted to build a truly collaborative culture. Here, clients belong to the firm and we work as one team”, explains Hugo Écija. The founder says that the firm was born as a true legal start-up, built with a clear vision and a different model. This helped him to realize his vision of a professional firm in the style of the big companies in the country.
The Lawyer presents Ecija as a technology company that offers legal services. For its president, this is not just a descriptive turn: “What matters is what clients need; we have to go beyond traditional law firms,” he insists. The firm also defines itself as a 100% AI firm, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to the application of artificial intelligence.“Innovation at Ecija is not a corner or a department; all lawyers must be experts in artificial intelligence, each in their area of knowledge”, he emphasizes. Hugo Écija is clear about it: AI is transforming the sector and they must lead this change.
Ecija's culture, emphasizes its president, is the anchor that keeps them from veering off course amid rapid growth. What he is most proud of "is the sense of belonging, the passion, and the pride of the firm's professionals".
The success of the Spanish market
The Spanish legal market is a benchmark in Europe. Écija's double victory at The Lawyer European Awards 2025 demonstrates this. In Spain, says Hugo Écija, founder and president of Ecija, "we are ahead, not only in terms of law firms but also in terms of the legal departments of large companies.” “It’s a mature, leading, and reference market”, he emphasizes. He underscores that the top three positions in the Iberian Peninsula “are occupied by Spanish law firms” —Uría Menéndez and Garrigues are second and third—. The icing on the cake: “We are European leaders in technology and artificial intelligence applied to law.”
Read the full article published in El País here.
