Iberian leader Cuatrecasas Goncalves Pereira has appointed a new London managing partner, relocating Madrid-based corporate partner Antonio Baena to fill the role.

Cuatrecasas' City office – which is staffed by Baena and an associate who has also relocated – offers international clients advice on entering the Iberian market.

The firm says after several years of sluggish investment, it is beginning to see signs of economic recovery and has built M&A and corporate finance strength in its City office to capture inbound Spanish investment as a consequence.

Baena succeeds infrastructure partner Inigo Rubio, who has led the London office since 2010 and will relocate to Madrid.

Separately, the firm has announced an international expansion drive, focused around Latin America and Asia. It is looking to strengthen ties with firms in Latin America with a view to launching in the region. The firm is also expanding its existing base in China by relocating a second corporate partner to its Shanghai office, which is currently headed up by projects partner Omar Puertas.

Last year Cuatrecasas sealed a non-exclusive best-friends network with Chiomenti in Italy, France's Gide Loyrette Nouel and German firm and former Herbert Smith ally Gleiss Lutz.

Cuatrecasas corporate partner Javier Villasante, who coordinates the firm's international practice, said: "France, Germany and Italy are, together with the Iberian Peninsula, the largest legal markets in Europe. And an Iberian law firm cannot aspire to anything greater than having a German practice such as Gleiss's, an Italian practice such as Chiomenti's or a French practice such as Gide's.

"We're not talking about a merger, but we have been working for some time on integrating the professional teams functionally so that we are seen as one firm in the eyes of our clients."

Earlier this year Cuatrecasas posted a 1.2% rise in revenues for the 2012 financial year, reporting turnover of €245.6m (£211.5m), up on €242.5m (£209.3m) at the end of the 2011 financial year.

The firm's nine overseas offices in Brussels, Casablanca, London, Luanda, Maputo, New York, Paris, Sao Paolo and Shanghai increased their revenue figures by over 15%.