Linklaters hires Sebastián Albella

Linklaters is finalising the process of hirins Sebastián Albella (pictured) as a partner in the M&A team.

Albella will return to what was his home until 2016, when he was appointed chairman of the spanish securities and exchange commission (CNMV).

He is expected to return to the firm in mid-December, at which time he will no longer be subject to any restrictions stemming from his time with the CNMV.

For his part, Sebastián Albella says: “Linklaters is the firm of my life. I couldn’t say no. I am returning home with the hope of contributing to its continued success in the spanish market”.

During the summer Sebastián Albella left Latham & Watkins to open his own law firm (here the news) but Linklaters confirmed today that he will be appointed partner of the law firm.

The profile

Sebastián Albella, one of the leading corporate lawyers in Spain, advises Spanish and international clients on significant M&A transactions and corporate matters.

Mr. Albella has more than three decades of experience working in private practice and public sector roles. Throughout his career, he has represented a full range of investors and corporates in many of the highest-profile corporate deals in the Spanish market. 

Mr. Albella currently represents large companies and global investors in private M&A transactions. He also advises on general corporate matters across a variety of key industries, including energy, infrastructure, and financial services. Furthermore, he has a deep knowledge of financial regulation and capital markets transactions.*

Mr. Albella started his professional career as a Spanish State Attorney (“Abogado del Estado”). In this capacity, he served at the Spanish Treasury, where he was a member of the team that drafted the 1988 Spanish Securities Markets Act, and he was the first Secretary to the Board and General Counsel of the Spanish Securities Market Commission (CNMV).

He subsequently practiced law for 25 years, first with a well-established Spanish law firm, of which he was a founding partner, and later in a Magic Circle firm, where he held various senior leadership positions. He also served for more than a decade years as legal advisor to the Spanish Banking Association (AEB). Concurrently, Mr. Albella served as a member of the Legal Committee of the European Banking Federation. He also belonged to the European Securities Markets Expert Group (ESME) of the European Commission, and has been Secretary to the Board of several Spanish companies. 

In November 2016, he was appointed as Chairman of the CNMV, a position he held until December 2020. During this period, he also participated in a number international bodies and regulatory agencies, including the Management Board and the Board of Supervisors of ESMA (European Securities Markets Authority).