Eversheds has formed an association with Spanish firm Lupicinio - formerly part of City firm Denton Wilde Sapte's international network - as part of its continuing expansion strategy.

Lupicinio ceased its association with Dentons with effect from the end of 2003, following the City firm's decision to dissolve Denton International.

It will now be called Lupicinio Eversheds.

Lupicinio has six partners and 37 lawyers in offices in Madrid, Valladolid and Barcelona, and specialises in corporate and commercial work.

Alan Jenkins, Eversheds' head of international, said: 'Spain has the quickest rate of growth of any European economy.

It is also clear that the volume of Spanish business our clients are involved in is steadily increasing.'

Lupicinio Rodriguez, managing partner of Lupicinio Eversheds, said: 'We perceive Eversheds both as a firm with a difference and as a long-term project with which we feel entirely comfortable and, in this context, we enthusiastically commit ourselves to the support of Eversheds' plans for future growth.'

Eversheds now has offices in Brussels, Copenhagen and Paris, associate offices in Milan, Rome, Sofia and Kuala Lumpur, an alliance with Khattar Wong in Shanghai and Singapore, and a co-operation agreement with Qatari firm Al Jufairi.

Meanwhile, US firm Weil Gotshal & Manges is to open an office in Munich, its second in Germany after Frankfurt and 17th worldwide.

Jeremy Fleming