Miguel Manzanares: I adore the unique Andalusian way of life

Miguel Manzanares is a Malagueño through and through. Born in the city of Málaga and now resident in Marbella, Miguel is fiercely proud of his roots.

After studying his law degree in Madrid, Miguel headed back to Málaga to set up the family-run law firm, Manzanares International Lawyers, with his brother Antonio. Manzanares has been in business for seventeen years and has an exemplary reputation on the Coast.

What is a typical day in the office for you?

The day starts exceptionally early for me, generally I get to the office at 7.30am and try to answer as many emails as possible until around 9.30 when the office starts to awake with the sounds of phones ringing, clients arriving and the smell of coffee in the air!

My days are split between our Marbella and Alhaurín offices (Marbella as principal office), as well as meetings in client offices and notary appointments. I always try to take lunch, which I often combine with a client meeting.

Does business travel feature highly in your agenda?

Oh yes! We have a network of offices around the world. If you can’t find me in Marbella or Alhaurín, then I might be in any number of cities across the globe.  Madrid, London and Brazil are the most frequent destinations and my absolute favourite world destinations are Miami, Rio de Janeiro and London.

Free time? What do you get up to?

I spend most of my free time with my family. I have three children and just like to switch off and enjoy their company. I am also a huge Formula 1 fan and enjoy playing paddle tennis.

We normally take our holidays in Alhaurín el Grande with the rest of my family. Which might seem a bit crazy, as it’s only 40 minutes along the Coast, but we love to get together with the rest of the family and childhood friends, then you have the beautiful Guadalhorce Valley right on your doorstep and the vibrant city of Málaga just a short drive away.

What’s your favourite beach on the Costa del Sol?

Definitely the Trocadero Playa area, which is just East of Marbella. There is the most wonderful chiringuito restaurant there, which serves fabulous food. It’s a great place to enjoy a leisurely lunch with family or friends.

Jump in the car and head away from the coast, where do you end up?

I love to immerse myself in the history of Andalucía and so I would head to cities like Sevilla, Granada and Ronda where you can learn so much about the region’s past and where you can enjoy typical Andalusian culture, gastronomy, and our unique lifestyle, which is harder to find along the Costa del Sol.

Survival tip for moving to Spain?

Make sure you listen to the advice of recommended professionals like lawyers, accountants and doctors. If you are in doubt about any detail when moving to Spain, the best thing is to ask. We are here to help and we want your life in Spain to be a happy one!

What does 2013 hold in store for you?

We’ll be working hard to consolidate our legal business on the Costa del Sol. Real estate in southern Spain is showing encouraging signs of recovery and we are working on growth opportunities for the future. Our firm is based on quality on various levels and that is what proves to be important when economies are going through tough times and that is what we will keep striving to achieve throughout 2013.

Miguel Manzanares is joint owner and founder of Manzanares Lawyers, a VIVA RECOMMENDS Corporate Partner. Manzanares specialise in conveyancing, building and urban planning, tax and accountancy, wills and inheritance issues, claims and litigation and labour and social security law.

Manzanares Lawyers have offices in Marbella and Alhaurín el Grande.  Visit their microsite for more information, or contact them direct on (Marbella) +34 952 865 163 (Alhaurín el Grande) +34 952 595 042.