Madrid Arbitration Court appoints new secretary-general

Marta Lalaguna Holzwarth, until now CMS Spain counsel, has been appointed the new secretary-general of the Madrid Arbitration Court

Marta Lalaguna (pictured) is an arbitrator, mediator and recognised litigator in the Arbitration and Jurisdictional field. Previously, she was a counsel at CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo and an associate at Cuatrecasas.

The new secretary-general holds a degree in Law (with an extraordinary degree award) and Political Science from the Universidad de Valencia, an LLM from IE Law School and a Master’s degree in Communication from the Universidad Miguel Hernández. On the process that has led to the election of Marta, the president of the Court, Urquiola de Palacio, highlighted: “It has been an open and transparent process, in which we have had the specialised advice of Magallanes Consultores. We have been guided by the idea of the search for excellence. We are very satisfied with the excellent level of the candidates who have presented themselves, which shows the interest that the Court awakens in the market. The candidate finally selected, Marta Lalaguna, not only has a superb education and a strong professional track record – validated by her more than thirteen years working in renowned law firms – but also has personal and communication skills that make her a safe bet to fill the position of secretary-general.”

César Albiñana, managing partner of CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo, commented: “Although we are sad to say goodbye to Marta, we are sure that her incorporation to the Court of Arbitration, with which we have an excellent relationship, will strengthen it. We wish her all the best in this new stage, which we know she will face with success given her excellent professional career and human qualities.”

In the words of the outgoing secretary-general, Dámaso Riaño: “Marta has the background and talent to lead the secretariat of the Court and contribute with her work to the next stage of the institution. The strength of the Court is demonstrated when, despite the change of people, the same vision is maintained: to continue strengthening the confidence of our users, with a vocation for service and the best arbitration practices as a guide. Marta fits perfectly into the sequence initiated by Elena Gutiérrez – the first secretary-general of the Court – and I wish her every success.”