Baker McKenzie appoints four new partners
Baker McKenzie has appointed Carmen Alonso, Juan Pedro Cortés, Carlos Martín and Laura Pons as new partners for Litigation & Arbitration, Criminal Litigation and Capital Markets and Corporate / M&A and Private Equity, respectively, after a long career with the firm in Spain, effective July 1.
Carmen Alonso joined Baker McKenzie’s Litigation and Arbitration practice in 2009 and has 17 years of experience advising national and international companies in litigation, arbitration (domestic and foreign), out-of-court claims and settlement agreements. She has extensive experience in the main areas of civil and commercial law, including, among others, contract law, civil liability, insurance contracts, corporate disputes, distribution and agency agreements, insolvency matters and cross-border disputes. In 2022, she was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Arbitration at Iberian Lawyer’s 40 Under 40 awards. Carmen holds a degree in Law and Business Studies (E-1) from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE) and has been a member of the Madrid Bar Association since 2006. She is also a member of the Spanish Arbitration Club and Arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration of the Madrid Bar Association and the Spanish Court of Arbitration.
Juan Pedro Cortés joined Baker McKenzie’s Criminal Litigation, Compliance and Investigations practice in April 2016. His work focuses on advising individuals and legal entities before criminal litigation, as well as pre-litigation and preventive advice on regulatory compliance and internal investigations. In addition, he leads Baker McKenzie’s European Prosecutor’s Office Working Group and is part of the multidisciplinary Cybersecurity team. Juan Pedro has extensive experience in international judicial cooperation, as well as in the defense and representation of individuals in extradition proceedings and European arrest and investigation warrants. During his professional career, he has participated in numerous media cases, such as the Gürtel Case, the Púnica Plot and the EREs of Andalusia, as well as in the defense of elite sportsmen in tax crime cases such as Cristiano Ronaldo. Juan Pedro has a degree in Law and a Diploma in Business Studies from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, where he teaches, and has been a member of the Madrid Bar Association since 2010.
Carlos Martín has more than 12 years of experience advising national and international clients in commercial law matters. He joined Baker McKenzie’s Corporate practice in 2014 and has extensive experience in capital markets transactions, including IPOs, capital increases, tender offers and debt offerings, having been recognized this year as a Rising Star in the Capital Markets: Equity category of the Legal 500 directory. Carlos also has extensive experience in private M&A and venture capital transactions with a special focus on the healthcare and biotechnology sectors. He holds a law degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a member of the Madrid Bar Association since 2011.
Laura Pons joined Baker McKenzie’s Corporate M&A practice in 2010 and has more than 13 years of experience advising national and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, buyouts, strategic alliances and restructurings, with a particular focus on the hotel, technology, consumer and luxury goods and pharmaceutical industries. She also provides recurrent corporate and contractual advice to different Spanish companies and international groups with presence in Spain. Laura holds a degree in Law and Business Administration from Pompeu Fabra University (2010), an MBA from IESE Business School (2017) and has studies in Corporate Law and Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. He has been a member of the Barcelona Bar Association since 2010. Carlos Martín has more than 12 years of experience advising national and international clients on corporate law matters. He joined Baker McKenzie’s Corporate practice in 2014 and has extensive experience in capital markets transactions, including IPOs, capital increases, takeover bids and debt offerings, having been recognized this year as a Rising Star in the Capital Markets: Equity category of the Legal 500 directory. Carlos also has extensive experience in private M&A and venture capital transactions with a special focus on the healthcare and biotech sectors. He holds a law degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a member of the Madrid Bar Association since 2011.
Rodrigo Ogea and Bruno Domínguez, co-managing partners of Baker McKenzie in Madrid and Barcelona respectively declare to be “delighted with the appointment of Carmen, Juan Pedro, Carlos and Laura as new partners of Baker McKenzie in Spain. Their promotion responds not only to the growth of our firm in Spain, but also to our firm commitment to the development of young and internal talent, as well as to the high level of involvement they have had with the firm since their incorporation. At Baker McKenzie we will continue to expand our teams with new talent and to enhance the internal professional careers of our teams.”
New partners globally
Baker McKenzie has decided to promote a total of 89 new partners effective July 1, except for those based in North America, effective January 1, 2023. In addition, in the firm’s last fiscal year (July 2022 – July 2023), another 42 partners from other firms have decided to join Baker McKenzie, strengthening the firm’s already strong track record in areas such as M&A, Capital Markets, Tax, Intellectual Property and Litigation & Arbitration.
In total, Baker McKenzie adds 131 new partners globally, an increase of 14% over the previous year and the largest annual promotion.
Milton Cheng, Chairman of Baker McKenzie, congratulated all of the promoted professionals stating, “These appointments recognize their hard work and dedication, as well as our commitment to building a high-performing and talented global team that continues to deliver the best legal services.”
“We know the challenges our clients face as we as a firm face them too. The broad geographic, practice and cultural mix of our new partners ensures that we will continue to bring diverse perspectives that combine with deep local knowledge coupled with a wealth of legal experience to help our clients make decisions in uncertain times. At Baker McKenzie we will continue to strengthen our key strategic areas always seeking to benefit our clients.”
