José Manuel Hernando is a partner in the Corporate Law practice of Garrigues and is head of this practice in the Levante area. Throughout his professional career, José Manuel has advised a large number of companies in a wide range of sectors, such as the agri-food, real estate and residential, chemical, renewable energies, public works and services, industrial and audiovisual sectors. Particularly noteworthy is his experience and knowledge of the problems and particularities of companies in the agri-food sector, a sector where he has lead the legal advise in numerous and relevant M&A transactions and where he has been advising on a recurring basis to different players of that industry for many years.

Many of the companies he regularly advises are regional and national leaders in their respective activities, in some cases with privately-held shareholding and in others companies being part of multinational groups. His accumulated professional experience allows him to have a global vision of legal advice oriented to the client's business and business needs.

He has participated in numerous M&A transactions, shareholders' agreements, financing, corporate structural modifications, incorporation and regulation of joint ventures, as well as in the management, negotiation and resolution of corporate shareholders' conflicts.

Between 2007 and 2008 he was an International Visiting Lawyer at the US firm Sullivan & Cromwell (in its New York office), integrated in its general corporate practice, where he participated in project finance transactions in Latin America, specifically in the mining sector, as well as in multiple debt and securities issues (senior notes, preferred stock, hybrid securities) as part of the legal team representing both issuers (particularly financial institutions) and underwriters.

• LLM in Corporate Law, Instituto de Empresa (Madrid). 2001. Ranked as the number 1 student in his class (XXVII). Cum Laude Honours.
• Degree in Law, University of Murcia. 2000.

Between 2010 and 2011, he was a speaker at the Advanced Course on Business Law given to new graduates of the firm's lawyers by Centro de Estudios Garrigues and Harvard Law School.

In addition, José Manuel has also been a speaker at various conferences and courses such as the "First Garrigues-Law School Meeting on the new regime for unlisted companies to improve corporate governance" organised by the University of Murcia, the "Conference on the Law to Improve the Functioning of the Food Chain" organised by AILIMPO and PROEXPORT, and the "Deciding in Revolving Times" organised by AILIMPO and PROEXPORT, and "Decidir en Tiempos Revueldos Revueltos" organised by AILIMPO and PROEXPORT, "Decidir en Tiempos Revueltos" organised by Inforges, Garrigues, Portavoz and Banesto Banca Privada, "Aprendiendo a Exportar" organised by ICEX, the seminar "Actualización Fiscal y Legal para la Empresa" organised by Garrigues, or the "Jornadas sobre la Empresa Familiar" organised by FUNDESEM Business School, Asociación de Empresa Familiar de Murcia and Consejería de Trabajo de la Región de Murcia.

• Member of the Murcia Bar Association.
• Member of the Commercial Law Section of ICAMUR.

He was awarded the 'First Prize for Young Lawyers' by the University of Navarra and the Garrigues Foundation.

Recognised in all editions of the Best Lawyers directory since 2016.

Jose Manuel has authored different publications, including the article “Garantía prestada a favor de terceros sin el consentimiento del otro cónyuge” which was awarded by the renowned legal publisher La Ley-Actualidad with the prize “Iuris Estudiantes de artículos doctrinales”, as well as different newspaper articles of legal divulgation in journals such as La Verdad or Economía y Finanzas magazine.