Tech boutique Cornerstone Counsel launches in Madrid
Ceyhun Necati Pehlivan, formerly counsel at Linklaters, has launched Cornerstone Counsel, a Madrid-based boutique law firm focused on technology, digital law and commercial matters. The firm advises clients in Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
Pehlivan brings 17 years of experience across Spain and Europe. At Linklaters, where he spent nearly eight years, he led the TMT and IP practice in Madrid and collaborated closely with the Lisbon office on cross-border Iberian matters. Prior to that, he held roles at DLA Piper in Madrid and gained in-house experience at Philips headquarters in Amsterdam. He began his career at Swiss firm Lenz & Staehelin, based in Geneva and Zurich.
In addition to his legal practice, Pehlivan serves as adjunct professor and academic director at IE Law School, where he teaches technology, data protection and cybersecurity courses, with a recent focus on artificial intelligence. He is co-editor and co-author of two publications released by Wolters Kluwer, bringing together over 90 experts including judges from the General Court of the European Union and European regulatory authorities.
Practice focus and market positioning
Cornerstone Counsel positions itself as an international boutique advising companies, startups, scaleups, investors and organisations operating in complex digital and technology-driven environments. The firm has a particular emphasis on data protection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence regulation.
“Cornerstone represents the solid foundation on which organisations build their projects. Our ambition is to become a trusted advisor that brings clarity, stability and strategic direction in an increasingly complex regulatory environment”, Pehlivan said.
