WLA CO-PRACTICE CORRIDOR · ACTIVE 2026 · BOTH SIDES

West  Coast
→
Southern Europe
The Pacific-Mediterranean bridge.

West Coast USA markets — California, Oregon, Washington — are driving record investment into Southern Europe. Silicon Valley technology capital, Hollywood media money, and Pacific-Northwest industrial groups are targeting Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. WLA co-practices West Coast USA law and Southern European law simultaneously.

↑42%
West Coast-Southern Europe deal activity
$9bn+
Corridor investment 2025
Both Sides
Held simultaneously
Founding 2026
Corridor Leader positions
HOW CO-PRACTICE WORKS ON THIS CORRIDOR

NOT TWO FIRMS.
ONE CO-PRACTICE
TEAM.

WLA co-practice means both the local legal expert on the WEST COAST USA side AND the SOUTHERN EUROPE side jointly hold the client matter under one WLA Institutional framework. The client deals with one team — not two separate firms passing a referral.

WEST COAST USA LEGAL SIDE
California, Oregon, and Washington corporate law — Delaware incorporation, VC financing structures, and cross-border holding frameworks
US CFIUS and EAR/ITAR compliance — export control and outbound investment screening for technology and dual-use assets into Southern Europe
US employment law — California Labor Code, at-will employment, and cross-border workforce structuring post-acquisition
US securities law — SEC filings, Reg D private placements, and public-company disclosure for Southern European acquisitions
US tax — federal corporate tax, California state tax, GILTI, and Pillar Two global minimum tax for multinational structures
Technology & IP law — Silicon Valley licensing, SaaS structuring, and IP portfolio strategy across US and EU jurisdictions
CORRIDOR LEADER
WC
West Coast Corridor Leader
Managing Partner
San Francisco · Los Angeles · Seattle
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SF
San Francisco Bay Area Firms
San Francisco, California
Technology · VC · IP · M&A
LA
Los Angeles Firms
Los Angeles, California
Media · Entertainment · Corporate
SOUTHERN EUROPE LEGAL SIDE
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Greek corporate law — EU member state frameworks for US inbound investment
EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation — mandatory pre-notification filings for US state-backed and PE investors above €100m
Southern European employment law — Works Councils, collective agreements, and workforce integration post-acquisition
EU competition clearance for US acquirers — COM, AGCM, CNMC, and national competition authorities in Southern Europe
Spanish and Portuguese M&A law — Ley de Sociedades, FDI screening, and merger control filings
Southern European tax — Spanish CIT, Portuguese CIT, Italian IRES, and Pillar Two domestic minimum top-up compliance
CORRIDOR LEADER
SE
Southern Europe Corridor Leader
Managing Partner
Madrid · Lisbon · Milan · Athens
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ES
Spain Partners
Madrid · Barcelona, Spain
Corporate · Real Estate · Tech · Employment
PT
Portugal Partners
Lisbon · Porto, Portugal
Corporate · Real Estate · Tax · Immigration
IT
Italy Partners
Milan · Rome, Italy
Corporate · Luxury · Manufacturing · Arbitration
ACTIVE SECTORS ON THIS CORRIDOR

WHERE THE DEAL
FLOW IS MOVING
ON THIS CORRIDOR.

WLA holds specialists in All nine WLA core practices across both sides of this corridor. One brief activates every specialist you need simultaneously.

💻
Technology & Software

Silicon Valley capital into Barcelona, Lisbon, and Milan tech — 40–50% below Bay Area valuations. WLA co-practices US VC law with Spanish and Portuguese acquisition law simultaneously.

↑ Very High
🎬
Media & Entertainment

Hollywood and streaming capital into Southern European production, IP, and content rights. WLA co-practices US entertainment law with EU media and IP law.

↑ Very High
🏢
Real Estate

US private equity, family offices, and REITs acquiring Southern European logistics, data centres, and hospitality. WLA co-practices US fund law with local property acquisition law.

↑ High
🚀
Venture Capital

West Coast VC funds investing in Southern European startups. WLA co-practices US fund formation, SAFE notes, and Delaware holding structures with Southern European investment law.

↑ High
🌱
Clean Energy

California clean-tech and renewable energy capital into Iberian solar, wind, and green hydrogen. WLA co-practices US energy law with EU regulatory frameworks.

↑ Growing
CORRIDOR INTELLIGENCE · LIVE

WHAT IS MOVING
ON THIS CORRIDOR
RIGHT NOW.

WLA tracks regulatory signals, enforcement trends, and deal climate indicators on this corridor in real time — updated by WLA specialists on both sides.

SIGNAL
DETAIL
STATUS
CALIFORNIA · AI
TECHNOLOGY
California AI Regulation — SB 1047 and Successor Frameworks Impact Cross-Border Tech Investment
California AI governance reforms create new compliance obligations for AI firms targeting Southern European markets. Bay Area startups with EU operations must align US and EU AI Act requirements simultaneously. WLA co-practices California and EU technology regulation.
ACTIVE
CFIUS · USA
SCREENING
CFIUS Expanded Authority — US Outbound and Inbound Investment in Southern European Technology Assets Under Greater Scrutiny
CFIUS review now covers a broader range of US-linked investments in Southern European technology and critical infrastructure. West Coast funds and corporates must assess CFIUS obligations before closing EU acquisitions involving US-origin IP or personnel.
HIGH
SPAIN · FDI
SCREENING
Spanish FDI Screening Expanding to Technology and Critical Infrastructure — US Investors Now Impacted
FDI screening framework now covers additional sectors beyond existing critical infrastructure categories. US PE funds and corporates acquiring Spanish technology and infrastructure assets must assess screening obligations before signing. WLA co-practices Spanish FDI with US investment structuring simultaneously.
ACTIVE
EU · FSR
COMPLIANCE
EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation — US State-Backed and PE Investment Now Subject to Mandatory Notification
FSR mandatory pre-notification above €100m for transactions where acquiring party received EU or third-country public funding. US funds with government-linked LPs or state-backed investors must assess FSR before any qualifying Southern European acquisition.
HIGH
PILLAR TWO
US-EU TAX
Pillar Two — US Multinationals with Southern European Subsidiaries Face Dual Compliance Burden
US-headquartered groups with Southern European subsidiaries face combined US GILTI and EU Pillar Two minimum tax analysis. WLA co-ordinates US federal, California state, and EU member state tax analysis simultaneously for corridor participants.
WATCH
ALL WLA CORRIDOR INTELLIGENCE →
✦ WLA EXCLUSIVE PRACTICE PARTNERS · WEST COAST → SOUTHERN EUROPE

SPECIALISTS ON
BOTH SIDES.
DIRECT ACCESS.

Each firm holds one exclusive practice on this corridor. Reachable directly — no desk required.

WLA PRACTITIONERS ON THIS CORRIDOR

NAMED SPECIALISTS.
BOTH SIDES
SIMULTANEOUSLY.

Every WLA co-practice matter on this corridor is led by named WLA practitioners who personally hold the mandate on both sides — one co-practice team, both jurisdictions, from brief to close.

SF
California
San Francisco Partner
Managing Partner · Bay Area Firm
Technology · VC · IP
LA
California
Los Angeles Partner
Partner · LA Firm
Entertainment · Media · Corporate
ES
Spain
Spain Corridor Partner
Managing Partner · Madrid Firm
Corporate · Real Estate · Tech
PT
Portugal
Portugal Corridor Partner
Managing Partner · Lisbon Firm
Corporate · Real Estate · Tax
IT
Italy
Italy Corridor Partner
Managing Partner · Milan Firm
Corporate · Luxury · Manufacturing
WA
Washington
Seattle Corridor Partner
Partner · Seattle Firm
Technology · Clean Energy · IP
VIEW ALL WLA PRACTITIONERS →
WHAT WLA CO-PRACTICES ON THIS CORRIDOR

SIX PRACTICES.
BOTH SIDES.
SIMULTANEOUSLY.

WLA holds all six core practice areas on both sides of this corridor. One brief activates the right specialist in every practice you need — simultaneously, under one co-practice framework.

01

WEST COAST CAPITAL → SOUTHERN EUROPE M&A

West Coast PE funds, family offices, and corporates acquiring Southern European assets — technology, media, real estate, renewable energy. WLA holds US M&A law and Spanish/Portuguese acquisition law simultaneously from day one.

02

VENTURE CAPITAL & STARTUP INVESTMENT

Silicon Valley VC funds backing Southern European startups — WLA co-practices US fund formation, SAFE notes, and Delaware holding structures with Southern European investment law as one integrated programme.

03

POST-ACQUISITION WORKFORCE INTEGRATION

Cross-border workforce management after US capital acquires Southern European businesses — WLA holds US employment law (California Labor Code, at-will) and Southern European employment law (Works Councils, labour code) simultaneously.

04

CFIUS & US OUTBOUND SCREENING

US CFIUS and outbound investment screening for West Coast investors acquiring Southern European technology and critical infrastructure — regulatory approvals co-practiced across both corridor sides simultaneously.

05

IP PORTFOLIO STRATEGY

Trademark, patent, and technology IP co-ordinated across US and Southern European jurisdictions simultaneously — from USPTO, EUIPO, EPO, and national filings through enforcement in every corridor market.

06

PILLAR TWO · CROSS-CORRIDOR TAX

Cross-border tax analysis for West Coast → Southern Europe investment structures — US federal corporate tax, GILTI, California state tax, Spanish CIT, Portuguese CIT, and Pillar Two domestic minimum top-up — co-practiced simultaneously.

FOUNDING POSITIONS · 2026

FOUNDING STATUS
ON THIS CORRIDOR.
PERMANENT. 2026.

WLA 2026 Founding Partner status on any active corridor is permanent and non-retroactive. It is not available after 2026. Founding Partners are named permanently on all corridor intelligence, all WLA institutional publications, and the UNBOUNDED™ programme in perpetuity.

✔
Corridor Leader position — USD 2,995 per corridor per year · Founding status permanent
✔
Exclusive Practice Partner — USD 995 per practice per year · One firm per practice
✔
Response within 2 to 3 working days · Non-binding EOI · Confidential
APPLY FOR A POSITION ON THIS CORRIDOR

Non-binding · Confidential · Response within 2 to 3 working days

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THIS CORRIDOR.
within 48 HOURS.
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