Kepler-Karst hires Pedro Colina as white collar head
Kepler-Karst has hired Pedro Colina Oquendo as partner in charge of its Economic Criminal Law area, marking a move for the firm to build out its white collar crime practice. Colina joins from Bufete Choclán, where he had built his career in economic crime and corporate compliance matters.
The profile
Colina brings more than three decades of experience in economic criminal law in Spain. His practice has included participation in several high-profile criminal cases, and he has notable experience in jury trials, a procedural area that is uncommon among specialists in economic crime. His litigation background spans all judicial instances, from ordinary courts to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. He combines his legal practice with academic work as a professor of Criminal Law at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and in several postgraduate programmes for bar admission.
Colina joins a team that has handled several complex and high-visibility proceedings. Kepler-Karst has previously secured the acquittal of businessman Pedro Trapote and his family group in a tax fraud case in which Spain’s tax agency sought more than €40 million. The firm is also currently representing former regional minister Salomé Pradas in proceedings related to the Valencia flooding (DANA).
The hire comes amid growing demand for specialised criminal defence advice, driven by increased litigation in economic crime cases, more sophisticated corporate investigations, and tighter compliance regulation both domestically and internationally.
Davinia Sánchez de la Cruz, Managing Partner at Kepler-Karst, said: “The incorporation of Pedro Colina is an important step for our Economic Criminal Law practice, as we aim for this area to become one of Kepler-Karst’s growth pillars in the coming years. Having a professional with more than thirty years at the forefront of Spain’s most relevant and complex criminal proceedings represents a significant asset for the firm and our clients.”
Pedro Colina, Partner and head of the Economic Criminal Law practice, said: “Economic Criminal Law is going through a period of significant technical and media scrutiny. Investigations are increasingly complex, proceedings are longer, and the consequences for companies and executives are more serious. I am joining Kepler-Karst because we share a common view: quality criminal defence requires highly specialised teams and full dedication to the client.”
