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 recognised 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 the 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 on criminal litigation, as well as on pre-trial and preventive advice on compliance and internal investigations. In addition, he leads Baker McKenzie’s European Public Prosecutor’s Working Group and is part of the multidisciplinary Cybersecurity team. Juan Pedro has extensive experience in international judicial cooperation, as well as in the defence 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 defence of elite sportsmen in tax crime cases such as Cristiano Ronaldo. Juan Pedro is a Law graduate and holds 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 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 recognised 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 particular focus on the healthcare and biotech sectors. He holds a Law Degree from the Universidad Complutense de 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 hospitality, technology, consumer and luxury goods and pharmaceutical industries. She also provides recurring corporate and contractual advice to various Spanish companies and international groups with a presence in Spain. Laura holds a degree in Law and Business Administration from Universidad Pompeu Fabra (2010), an MBA from the IESE Business School (2017) and a degree in Corporate Law and Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. She has been a member of the Barcelona Bar Association since 2010.
Rodrigo Ogea and Bruno Domínguez, co-managing partners of Baker McKenzie in Madrid and Barcelona respectively, say they are “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 the high level of involvement they have had with the firm since joining. At Baker McKenzie, we will continue to expand our teams with new talent and enhance the internal careers of our teams.”
Baker McKenzie has decided to promote a total of 89 new partners effective 1 July, except for those based in North America, effective 1 January 2023. In addition, in the firm’s final financial year (July 2022 – July 2023), further 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 added 131 new partners globally, an increase of 14% over the previous year and the largest annual promotion ever.
Milton Cheng, chairman of Baker McKenzie, congratulated all of the promoted professionals saying, “These appointments recognise their hard work and dedication, as well as our commitment to building a high-performing and talented global team that continues to deliver the very 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 combined with deep local knowledge and legal expertise to help our clients make decisions in uncertain times. We at Baker McKenzie will continue to strengthen our key strategic areas of focus in the best interests of our clients.”
