Bird & Bird appoints Alberto Rodríguez as partner and Antonio Ballesteros as counsel
Bird & Bird has unveiled 61 global promotions in its 2025 annual round, including 17 new partners, five senior counsel, 34 counsel, and five legal directors. In Spain, Alberto Rodríguez has been promoted to partner, while Antonio Ballesteros has been named counsel. All appointments will take effect in May 2025.
Alberto Rodríguez
Alberto Rodríguez, who joined Bird & Bird in 2011, has been promoted to partner in the Corporate and M&A department at the firm’s Madrid office. Rodríguez has extensive experience advising national and international clients on complex mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, and search fund transactions, particularly in the technology and life sciences sectors.
Rodríguez is also a recognized advisor in the video games and e-sports industries and actively collaborates with the Spanish Video Game Association (AEVI). He is part of Bird & Bird’s specialist team working alongside the Spanish Association of Fintech and Insurtech (AEFI), where he has played a key role in some of the country’s most significant fintech transactions.
A graduate in Law from the University of Valladolid, Rodríguez earned a Master in Business Law (LLM) from the Instituto de Empresa (IE), graduating top of his class. He has also pursued further studies at the London School of Economics (LSE) and University College London (UCL). In 2019, he completed a secondment at Bird & Bird’s London office.
Antonio Ballesteros
Antonio Ballesteros, who joined the firm in 2015, has been promoted to counsel within Bird & Bird’s Corporate department in Madrid. He brings comprehensive expertise in domestic and cross-border M&A, private equity, and corporate restructuring, as well as experience in contract law and international corporate secretarial services.
Commenting on the promotions, Graeme Maguire, chairman of Bird & Bird, says: “On behalf of the Board, it is a great pleasure to congratulate all those promoted this year. Our culture is the common thread that runs through our firm worldwide. It has been shaped over many years as we grew, guiding the way we work and deliver our services to our clients. These individuals exemplify our culture and what we expect of ourselves, further enriching our firm. I look forward to seeing these talented individuals continue to excel.”
Christian Bartsch, CEO of Bird & Bird, adds, “Many congratulations to all those promoted in our firm. At the one-year anniversary of our five-year strategy, this diverse mix of bright and passionate people embodies our ambitious growth plans. I am excited to work with them as an integrated international team as we continue to provide exceptional service to our clients.”
