Gibson Dunn poaches Freshfields M&A star for Madrid launch

Gibson Dunn has hired Freshfields M&A heavyweight Armando Albarrán to launch in Spain, opening a Madrid office as the latest step in the US firm’s European expansion.

Albarrán is regarded as one of Spain’s top corporate and private equity lawyers and joins after nearly 30 years at Freshfields, where he spent his entire career.

Recent mandates for Albarrán at Freshfields include acting for Cinven, KKR and Providence on the €4.25 billion sale of a 50% stake in Spanish telecoms group MasOrange last year.

The Madrid office will be Gibson Dunn’s seventh in Europe, joining London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich.

European expansion drive

The Spain launch continues Gibson Dunn’s steady push across Europe. Last September, the firm opened in Zurich, led by Christopher Harris KC, who joined as co-chair of its global arbitration practice.

That growth has been underpinned by significant investment in London, where Gibson Dunn has more than doubled its headcount over the past five years, expanding from 84 lawyers in 2020 to 218 today. In its most recent promotions round, London accounted for a quarter of the firm’s new partners, with 11 lawyers made up - its largest City intake to date.

Barbara Becker, Gibson Dunn’s chair and managing partner, said Madrid was a key hub for private equity and cross-border M&A, particularly for transactions linking Europe and the Americas. She said the launch "strengthens our ability to serve clients on their most sophisticated deals across the region."