Interview with Lourdes Millet

Lourdes Millet is a fine example of the new generation of dynamic, talented, professional Valencian with an international outlook and the necessary skills to deliver the goods. And as she says herself, having worked with lawyers and clients of all nationalities, when Valencians throw off their insecurity and inferiority complex, they soon discover that they need envy nobody.

As a lawyer, Lourdes has been at the centre of some of the most important projects that has developed the Valencian Community as an international focus of attention, namely the Terra Mitica theme park near Benidorm, and the America’s Cup sailing event.

Lourdes studied law at Valencia University, then did an M.A. in business law in Madrid. On returning to Valencia she started working for one of Spain’s top law firms, Uria Menendez before being snapped up at the tender age of 28 by the American multi-national entertainment giant Paramount, who were impressed by her abilities when she serviced their account with Uria Menendez.

Terra Mitica was of course a fine idea, but one that was perhaps inexpertly executed, and in the end became a source of considerable work for the lawyers and economists who had to restructure the company, comply with the creditors’ agreement and undertake a complicated suspension of payments procedure in order to avoid bankruptcy.

Having helped to overcome the crisis and put the company back on a firmer financial footing, Lourdes returned from the Costa Blanca to Valencia, moving to another of the country’s important law firms Broseta, where she worked closely with Manuel Broseta, son of the great jurist of the same name who was assassinated by Basque terrorist group ETA in front of the Valencia Law Faculty in 1992. Nevertheless, she maintained her connection with Terra Mitica, working with them for Broseta for one day a week.

Four months later, as Valencia was chosen as the site for the 32^nd America’s Cup, the organisers needed support for their legal department and immediately began looking for local lawyers.

Lourdes was chosen by the America’s Cup Management (ACM), to deal mainly with insurance, commercial and corporate matters, not only because of her outstanding legal abilities and experience with important international clients, but also because she is an excellent linguist, having been educated in Valencia’s Lycee Francais, speaking Italian, as well as excellent English after several years in Valencia’s British Council. In fact the entire interview was conducted in English.

As ACM had Swiss managers, such linguistic versatility was essential for her to communicate with participants from so many countries and to report directly to Swiss lawyers. The work also involved a great deal of travel; to Switzerland, the Arab Emirates and Sicily among other places as the various qualifying regattas took place

As everybody now knows, the aftermath of the 32^nd America’s Cup became a nightmare of litigation (nothing to do with Lourdes) as the winners, Alinghi and the challenger Oracle-BMW fought over the interpretation of the Deed of Gift, the founding document of the America’s Cup which established the guidelines for future events.

As a result, and after two years of law suits, the event will finally take place in Valencia in February 2010, but as Lourdes told VIBNews while the smoke was clearing, the important thing now is the 34^th edition of the Cup, and ensuring that it takes place in Valencia.

The suspension of the America’s Cup did give Lourdes an opportunity to take stock, to take care of her two babies, and to launch her own law firm Millet & Calatayud Abogados. The connection works well as she prefers the role of a solicitor and Enrique the role of barrister.

Lourdes still does work for ACM, but now also has a wider portfolio of clients, including Team Alinghi, to whom she is able to give more time than is possible in a larger law firm with multiple clients and lawyers.

Meanwhile, although the America’s Cup site is currently on hold, the Alinghi and Oracle BMW bases are still functioning in Valencia in the hope that the America’s Cup will return to what everybody agreed was the perfect location for the event, and a place that many families, working for the various teams from all over the world, had begun to consider as their home. It is hoped that Valencia could become a permanent venue for the competition, and that the many people it employs directly and indirectly, will not have to uproot every two years.

Despite its name, the Cup is really a European event, with as many as six teams having their HQs in Italy, and only one in the USA.

Whatever the decision, the America’s Cup certainly helped to put Valencia on the map, and with the good impression that Valencia made, thanks to the many efficient, skilful Valencian professionals such as Lourdes Millet, we can be sure that more important ships will come in to this welcoming harbour on the Levante seaboard.

The decision to hold the 33rd edition of the America's Cup in Valencia has meant an intent spate of activity for Lourdes; in fact, the day after we spoke she had to rush to Madrid to brief the Chief of Staff of Spain's Vice-President, Elena Salgado (two important interviews in two days!)