Lovells is suing the Spanish lawyer who registered the name ‘Lovell’ locally in a bid to quash his claim for compensation as the top 10 London firm gears up for its long-awaited Madrid launch.

Lovells filed a claim in the Court of First Instance in Madrid on 27 February to gain priority rights to the name from local lawyer Manuel Rayo, who operates the local Lovell Abogados. Rayo is seeking compensation from Lovells, saying that the names are too similar.