SPAIN
March 15, 2020
First of all, we want to communicate to all our clients, suppliers, colleagues and business associates that, in these times of crisis due to the evolving situation surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, our first concern is the safety and well-being of our environment and employees. In this sense, we are following all the hygienic and safety measures recommended by the Government of Spain regarding the environment in our offices, without having any negative impact among our staff.
At this time, all UNGRIA´s eleven offices in Spain, as well as the three in Latin America (Mexico, Brazil and Argentina) and the USA remain open and fully operating for business as usual to serve your legal needs, preserving the rights and interests of our clients. If the outbreak results in the need for the temporary closure or reduced staffing of any of our offices, we are implementing contingency plans to enable uninterrupted service at the levels you have come to expect from us. As of right now, part of our team is fully working remotely and, if necessary, this scenario can be implemented for all members immediately. This allows us to continue providing our services as per usual while conducting any necessary meetings through telematic means.
We want to take this opportunity to report that the Government of Spain has just issued a Royal Decree (463/2020) of March 14th, establishing the State of Alarm in the country, adopting several measures to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Within these measures, and in relation to our business activity, it is established that as long as this situation persists, all procedural deadlines in front of any Court or Jurisdiction (except those that are classified as extremely urgent) are suspended. Similarly, all administrative procedures´ deadlines are also suspended, affecting every procedure to be followed by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO).
Lastly, we would like to send our best wishes to our clients, suppliers, business associates and colleagues during this difficult time.
We will continue to inform you about any developments that may occur.