Former CNMV president joins L&W as of counsel

Latham & Watkins has announced the incorporation of Sebastián Albella as of counsel in the firm’s Madrid office

Sebastián Albella (pictured) is one of Spain’s leading Corporate and Financial lawyers in Spain, and until December 2020, he chaired the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV).

“We are delighted to welcome Sebastián to our firm, where he will bring his extensive experience advising on both M&A and Regulatory matters. His prestige in the Corporate and Financial fields in Spain and Europe is a good testament to his talent, his excellent commercial judgement and his successful track record”, said Ignacio Gómez-Sancha, managing partner of Latham & Watkins Madrid office.

Albella, who holds a Law degree from the Universidad de Navarra, began his professional career as a State Attorney at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where he played a leading role in the drafting of the Spanish Securities Market Law. He was also the first secretary of the Board and Legal director of the CNMV and was twice a member of its Advisory Committee.

Subsequently, Albella devoted more than two decades to private practice, at Ramón y Cajal Abogados, a firm he co-founded, and at Linklaters, where he focused on advising companies and Private Equity firms on a wide variety of transactions, including Mergers & Acquisitions, both national and international, private and public, as well as on Corporate and Regulatory matters.

During his time in private practice, he was also Legal advisor to the Spanish Banking Association (AEB) and a member of the Legal Committee of the European Banking Federation.

In 2016, he rejoined the CNMV as president, a position he held until December 2020. During this period, Albella was also a member of the Board of Supervisors and the Management Committee of the European Securities Markets Authority (ESMA) and chairman of its Standing Committee on Investor and Financial Intermediary Protection.