Revolving doors: all partner moves and appointments in 2025
In 2025, Iberian Lawyer recorded 160 partner hires in Spain, 116 internal promotions to partner, and 18 executive appointments
by ilaria iaquinta
The year 2025 has been a pivotal one for the Spanish legal market. A dynamic churn of talent, numerous internal promotions, and several leadership changes at the top of major law firms reflect a sector in full swing. In total, partner moves between firms — and in some cases, transitions from companies or public sector roles — reached 160, marking a 38% increase compared to the previous year. The momentum was driven in particular by the corporate/M&A/commercial, tax, and employment law areas. At the same time, internal growth stood out: promotions to partner rose by 59% compared to 2024, reaching a total of 116.
The figures come from Iberian Lawyer’s annual analysis, based on news published on its website throughout the year, official firm announcements, and verified information shared on LinkedIn, collected and corroborated by the editorial team. Over the same period, 18 appointments to executive roles within law firms were also recorded.
The count includes appointments that took effect between 1 January and the end of November 2025. For the sake of comparison with the 2024 article (available here), announcements made up until the end of December last year have also been taken into account.
PARTNERS’ MOVES
The snapshot of partner moves highlights the central role law firms continue to play as a breeding ground for talent: 90% of partners who changed firms came from other law firms, while the remaining 10% joined from companies or the public sector. One illustrative case is that of Luis Suárez de Lezo, who joined Fieldfisher in November as a real estate partner from Santander Alternative Investments (here the news).
In terms of gender, women accounted for 28% of these moves. Noteworthy female appointments include Rais Amils Arnal, who left Pérez-Llorca in December 2024 to join Gómez-Acebo & Pombo as a partner in intellectual and industrial property (here the news); and María Guinot, who moved from Deloitte Legal to Clifford Chance in June, joining their litigation and arbitration team (here the news).
…
