As the economic crisis drags on, firms in Spain reshape their practices. Mary Ellen Egan reports

Call it a sign of the times. In May, the Spanish Government announced the results of its beauty contest for legal work on a €35bn (£27bn) emergency fund designed to reduce regional government debt.

Bidders for the work, which involved setting up the legal framework for the banks to disperse the funds to unpaid suppliers, included Spain's three big law firms – Cuatrecasas Goncalves Pereira, Garrigues and Uria Menendez – and at least one magic circle firm, Clifford Chance (CC).