The Las Palmas Port Authority has activated a legal defense strategy before the higher courts. The entity chaired by Beatriz Calzada has awarded a series of smaller contracts to provide legal counsel and procedural representation before the National Court and the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. The contracts coincide with growing scrutiny from the institution’s workers and proceedings over alleged breaches of proper labor practices that could invalidate strategic appointments at the Gran Canaria port facility. No one has said what those contracts are for. They may even be intended to halt the judicial careers of berth holders at the Muelle Deportivo.
Legal advice
The contracting body has directly awarded the legal defense service to multinational firm KPMG Abogados. For €14,000 before tax (€14,980 after tax), the firm, which belongs to one of the world’s Big Four audit networks, will provide advice and legal representation to the institution in appeals filed before the National Court and the High Court of Justice. The contract, formalized through the ordinary minor-contract procedure, has a 12-month term.
Court representatives
The judicial representation strategy is completed by hiring procedural representation services. Calzada has awarded procurator Mónica Oca de Zayas representation before the National Court for €6,300 before tax. At the same time, legal representation before the High Court of Justice has been awarded to procurator Raquel Nieves López Martínez for €2,040, after she prevailed in a tender that received three bids. Together, the two awards structure the port authority’s procedural defense.
Scrutiny
The deployment of legal resources responds to the proliferation of labor disputes and, although this has not been stated, disputes involving concessions. The decision to seek high-level external advice through smaller contracts avoids the processing of tenders subject to harmonized regulations, speeding up the availability of legal protection. The institution is seeking to strengthen its position in court in anticipation of a rise in litigation stemming from labor complaints. Various sources have said there are at least 30 complaints, but that figure could not be verified.
Litigation
The accumulation of cases before the National Court shows that the port dispute has moved from administrative bodies to courts with nationwide jurisdiction. The appointment of KPMG Abogados is intended to organize a unified technical response to rulings that threaten the entity’s financial stability and the validity of occupancy permits along the Gran Canaria coast.
The article Las Palmas Port Authority hires KPMG and court representatives to shore up its legal defenses was first published by canarymaritime.com.
