Repsol marks two years of pro bono program
Repsol is celebrating the second anniversary of its Legal Pro Bono Program, an initiative that allows professionals from the company’s Legal Affairs Division to voluntarily contribute their legal knowledge to social organizations and vulnerable groups that face barriers to accessing expert legal advice. The program, part of a broader transformation and innovation process launched by Repsol’s Legal Affairs Department more than three years ago, now involves 31 professionals.
While pro bono initiatives are well established among law firms in Spain, they remain far less common in the corporate sector. Only a small number of IBEX 35 companies currently run legal pro bono programs, and Repsol is one of them, states the company.
Program structure and international expansion
All members of Repsol’s Legal Affairs team take part in the program, which is structured around two main areas: agreements with foundations and specialized organizations that identify and coordinate pro bono legal needs, and participation in legal clinics and university programs. Partners include Fundación Pro Bono España, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Fundación Esfera, along with several social organizations that benefit from the initiative.
Following its consolidation in Spain, the program is expanding to other countries where Repsol operates, including Portugal, Peru, the United States and Bolivia. New professionals are gradually joining this international network, with the model being adapted to the legal and social needs of each local context.
According to María Pedrosa Martínez, head of NewLaw & Digital and the Legal team’s Pro Bono Program at Repsol, the results achieved over the past two years show how pro bono work connects the team’s professional expertise with causes that matter. Behind every collaboration are people who have chosen to contribute their time, knowledge and understanding of the law to objectives that go beyond legal work, Pedrosa said, adding that the program’s reception strengthens the company’s determination to consolidate it and continue expanding its reach.
Projects and institutional role
One of the projects carried out this year involved the development of a Code of Ethics and Conduct for Federación Pinardi, an organization that supports children, adolescents, young people, women and families in vulnerable situations. Repsol assembled a multidisciplinary team of five lawyers specializing in criminal law, corporate governance and personal data protection, applying corporate compliance tools to the nonprofit sector to build a compliance framework tailored to Pinardi’s needs.
The program has also developed training initiatives with Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Fundación Esfera as part of a university degree program preparing people with intellectual disabilities to work as legal assistants, with Repsol professionals delivering content on administrative duties, paralegal work and commercial law. Other collaborations have included Asociación Síndrome Phelan-McDermid, Fundación Child Héroes and Asociación Española de Síndrome de Nariz.
In July 2026, Repsol joined the Board of Trustees of Fundación Pro Bono España, an organization that connects the legal profession with the legal needs of the nonprofit sector. As a board member, Repsol will contribute by sharing its experience integrating pro bono work into an in-house corporate legal department, strengthening the institutional role of large companies in advancing the practice, and making available its organizational capabilities in managing complex, multidisciplinary projects.
The company also held its second Annual Pro Bono Conference in September, bringing together professionals from its Legal Affairs team, social organizations and universities to share the program’s progress alongside Fundación Pro Bono España, Fundación Esfera, Fundación Lukas and the ICADE Legal Clinic. In his closing remarks, Pablo Blanco, Repsol’s Chief Legal Officer, highlighted the program’s consolidation, encouraged more professionals to take part, and underscored the responsibility of legal professionals to share their knowledge with nonprofit organizations.
