Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) is set to secure a long-awaited Spanish member for its European Legal Alliance after entering a trial association in December with Barcelona-based firm Jimenez De Parga

The 50-lawyer Spanish firm, which specialises in IT, competition and administrative law, entered into the three-month trial with FFW's European Legal Alliance in December, after forging close links with German member Buse Heberer Fromm over a number of years.

One FFW insider told Legal Week: "We have been looking in Spain for a long time and, because we have to keep the levels of standard and quality up, it has been difficult to find the appropriate firm."

The alliance with Jimenez De Parga comes after FFW entered into a similar trial association with Italy's La Scala Pesente & Associati, as revealed in Legal Week (22 January), with the aim of bringing the Milan firm in as the Italian member of the alliance.

Both Jimenez De Parga and La Scala are expected to enter into full membership by next month.

The alliance, which also includes France's Dubarry le Douarin Veil, Scottish firm Harper Macleod and Irish outfit Beauchamps as members, has been searching for Italian and Spanish members since the network launched in January 2002.