Ex-PwC tax partner Javier de la Vega joins law firm Garrigues

Javier de la Vega has joined the Garrigues tax and financial services team in Peru. The move will see De la Vega appointed as a partner at the firm’s Lima office. Garrigues has over 140 professionals in its Latin offices spread across Bogotá, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo and Lima. The appointment will take the firm’s total partner count to nine in Lima. 

Garrigues is a Madrid-based tax law firm which was founded in 1941 and has since expanded across Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America. The firm offers tax and financial advisory in addition to its legal services and has seen Latin America as its new base for expansion in the recent past.

In 2017, the firm’s billings grew by 30% in Latin America, a main driver in its 2.2% annual revenue growth globally. Garrigues has been heavily focused on organic growth, having recently opened offices in Chile as well as driving growth through investments in innovation.

The firm has spent 3% of it total revenues – which reached $419 million last year – on designing and implementing Industry 4.0 tools in its practices. This includes the development of the first Spanish language AI program that transcribes legal texts, videos and audio which has been implemented within the sector. 

De la Vega will join Garrigues tax advisory team which has 40 professionals spread across Latin America. He will be leaving PwC Peru, where he has spent the past 18 years developing his career. De la Vega has held a wide range of positions at the accounting and consulting firm including as a tax consultancy manager and tax planning advisor; since 2013 as a partner.

Javier de la Vega expressed his enthusiasm for the new position, “I am excited to become a part of an internationally recognized firm and to join the prestigious team at the Lima office.” 

The Head of Garrigues’ Tax Department, Eduardo Abad, commented on the appointment that he was extremely pleased that Garrigues had managed to hook De la Vega as a partner and that the move would further propel the companies capabilities throughout both Peru and Latin America in general. 

Javier Ybáñez, head of the firm’s Latin America practice, said that the appointment would further the firms abilities to serve its clients and improve. “The firm continues to consolidate our Latin American offices with top-tier professionals in strategic areas of practice.”