Santiago Torent López is the Barcelona’s Lener Office Director, and Rafael Vallet Vila is a Partner of Lener Barcelona

Good morning, I’m delighted to interview the two of you, from Lener, as one of our Sponsors for our upcoming event, the BHHSummit. To start the interview, could you briefly explain what Lener does?

Lener is a Spanish professional services company with offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Oviedo, Valladolid, Vigo and Sevilla. It provides legal and financial advisory services, with a focus on services to companies, and in complex and/or crisis situations. We rely on a team of lawyers and economists, with a deep multi-sectoral knowledge.

What is your role within Lener?

Partner of Corporate law in Barcelona, with focus on NGOs, Foundations, and Healthcare.

What is the link between Lener and Barcelona Health Hub?

In Lener we bet for the Health sector and its future in the Digital sector. Lener is one of the sponsors of the BHH, and it has been selected as advisor for the Hub.

What do you believe to be some of the main strengths of Barcelona Health Hub as an association?

The location of the Hub, Barcelona, is a strategic point for: start-ups, companies that want to internationalize, and health sector; the combination of this three allows BHH to create a great ecosystem for the sector.

What has been Lener’s experience working in the digital health sector?

Lener and in particular Lener Barcelona, has provided legal services to one of the largest private hospital chains in Spain during many years and continues to do so. This chain has evolved with the market, joining the digital trend, and Lener has accompanied it in its path.

Also, during the last 2 years, Lener has advised in different operations related to Digital Health companies: constitution of one of the companies that forms the BHH, advisory on financing rounds, general legal advice and board secretary. An acquisition transaction of an international Digital Health company based in Barcelona, advising the buyer in the strategy, negotiations, and performing a Due Diligence (both legal and financial) on the target.
Another operation is the setting up of a ePharma start-up from the legal point of view, and has helped to raise capital in different financing rounds as a financial advisors.
We also have been working on the preparation and support in a bankruptcy process of a Digital Health start-up, and the search of investors interested in acquiring the business unit during the bankruptcy process.

How have you found such experience?

During these experiences we were able to combine our expertise in special situations with a steep learning curve on a new sector, the eHealth. These experiences have allowed us to gain a great insight on the industry, its needs, and a better understanding of the needs of its stakeholders.

What could Lener offer to other BHH members?

Thanks to our recent experiences, we are able to offer value added advisory services to companies in the eHealth sector in any stage of growth or in a crisis situation.

Why should other BHH members trust Lener?

Our teams combine legal, financial and sectorial expertise, therefore we are able to offer quick and creative solutions with a 360º point of view. At the same time, by hiring one advisory service company that takes care of both legal and financial solutions, it is less expensive than hiring two different advisory firms; and it allows a greater coordination and communication between the teams.

What do you expect for the future of the digital health sector? How do you expect law to impact the future of the sector?

In Lener we believe that the digital health sector has arrived to stay: it adds great value to society by saving costs and time at the same time as improving a basic needs service. However, since it is a new sector, it has still room for new regulations, that surely will arrive and will force the companies to adapt to this changing environment. Companies will need to be quick to adapt to this changes, and will need to consider all implications of every change.

What are you excited regarding the BHHSummit on the 3rd October? Since Lener will be there as sponsor, what activities will you carry on?

We are really excited about the summit. It will be a pioneer event in Barcelona, and an important step for the digital health sector. It will attract companies, entrepreneurs, investors, focused on a new trending sector with a big opportunity growth.

Lener, as a sponsor, will offer different speakers that will talk about hot topics for the digital health sector, in particular about Tax and about Corporate law.

Thank you.

Rafael Vallet, Partner of Lener Barcelona