Rafael Fontana (Cuatrecasas), Manuel Martín (Fernando Pombo Foundation), Jesús Remón (Uría Menéndez), Fluidra, VidaCaixa, Càritas and Lucía García (Diplomat), Esade Alumni Aptissimi award winners

The Aptissimi Business Law awards are held each year by the Esade alumni association to acknowledge excellence, innovation and social engagement in the sphere of business law. The 17th Aptissimi Awards held this year at La Llotja de Mar, Barcelona, were attended by some 400 professionals in this sector – confirming that these awards are a benchmark in the sphere of business law in Spain.

Organized by the Esade Alumni Law Club, the Aptissimi Awards feature five categories: Professional Career, Best Corporate Council, Best Innovative Legal Project, Contribution to the Sector and Society, and the Insignis Alumni Award. With these awards, Esade Alumni reiterates their commitment to ethical leadership, professional excellence and building a legal community that makes social impact. The panel of judges features representatives of leading law firms, and companies and entities that partner with Esade.

Award winners in each category

In the Professional Career category, the judges decided to make an ex aequo award to three outstanding figures: Rafael Fontana, Manuel Martín and Jesús Remón Peñalver.

Rafael Fontana, president of Cuatrecasas, received the award for “his strategic outlook and transformative leadership in business law. His globalization drive at Cuatrecasas, now well established in more than a dozen countries and in key European alliances, has been decisive in positioning the firm as a global benchmark.” The judges also highlighted his commitment to legal innovation and his development of pioneering initiatives such as Cuatrecasas Ventures and Cuatrecasas Acelera. His philanthropic work and involvement in projects enabling access to justice and youth development underpin a career characterized by professional excellence and social impact”.

The jury also praised Manuel Martín, president of the Fernando Pombo Foundation, for “his career as a benchmark in business law,” highlighting his key role in the transformation and international expansion of Gómez-Acebo & Pombo. His leadership is characterized by an ethical, inclusive and client-centered approach that has impacted both the professional practice and the institutional sphere. His commitment to sustainability and on-going training, together with the impetus provided by the Fernando Pombo Foundation, all bolster a profile that combines technical excellence with social awareness and a vocation to serve”.

Likewise, Jesús Remón Peñalver, president and partner at Uría Menéndez, received the award for “his legal excellence and institutional engagement, and his career combining robust academic training, experience as a state lawyer and leadership at Uría Menéndez. His expertise in arbitration and litigation, together with his participation in national and international organizations, has consolidated him as a key figure in developing the practice of procedural law. Furthermore, his outstanding involvement in publishing, academic ventures and foundations has been a constant in his career, his commitment to society and on-going improvements to the legal profession”.

The winner of the Best Corporate Counsel award was Fluidra for the modernization of their legal department, particularly since their Legal Operations Division opened in 2022. The judges highlighted “the scope and diversity of the businesses and regions which the counsel deals with, and also its role as a strategic partner – an indication of the firm’s commitment to delivering legal advice with companies’ needs at heart.” The judges appreciated “the incorporation of the company’s corporate values and social commitment into legal counsel, and also the promotion of diversity, collaboration and sustainability among its members.” This award highlights the team’s ability to give counsel in a constantly growing company with multiple lines of business in more than 47 countries, promoting the transformation of legal management by optimizing processes, adopting technology and making intelligent use of data.

The winner of the Best Innovative Legal Project award was VidaCaixa for their commitment to the digital transformation of legal services with a customer-centered, preventive approach. The judges valued “the authenticity of the customer service project using case-by-case analysis with the help of AI to pinpoint customers’ concerns and offer them information and peace of mind by email or personalized messages, and thus avoid future complaints”, and underlined the positive social impact of this strategy.

The Contribution to the Sector and Society award winner was Càritas, for its free legal advice and legal support for people in vulnerable circumstances, a venture developed by the Càritas Barcelona Diocese. The judges highlighted “the efforts made by the lawyers who provide the service and work to disseminate legal knowledge amongst the people they help, and also amongst technical teams and volunteers”, emphasizing that “their struggle to prevent exclusion and inequalities is a massive contribution to social justice that bolsters the third sector by using the law as a transformative tool to multiply social impact.” They also highlighted that “Càritas is undoubtedly a key player in driving social change and creating opportunities thanks to its lawyers.”

The Insignis Alumni Award went to Lucía García Rico, Diplomat and Director-General for the United Nations, Human Rights and International Organizations (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Government of Spain), and a former student of Esade Law School. The judges praised “her brilliant career after entering Spain’s Diplomatic Corps by competitive exam. They highlighted her performance in the Spanish embassies of Mauritania and Turkey, and in Spain’s NATO delegation, as well as her present position as director general of United Nations, International Organizations and Human Rights in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her career is a great example for new generations”.

A well-established event in the legal profession

Since the inception of the Aptissimi Awards, recipients have included lawyers, academics, institutions and legal counsels that have contributed to the development of business law in Spain and its international outreach. Award winners include José María Alonso Puig, Miquel Roca Junyent, Rodrigo Uría, Fernando Pombo, José Pedro Pérez-Llorca, Gaspar Ariño and Cándido Paz-Ares; academics of the ilk of Christian Armbrüster, Barry Carter and David O. Wilkins; the corporate counsel of companies such as Aena, Abertis, Inditex, Ferrovial, CaixaBank, Telefónica España, ACCIONA, Grupo MASMOVIL, Iberdrola and Ilunion; and entities including CNMV, State Lawyers, International Chamber of Commerce, the EU Court of Justice, the International Bar Association, CNMC, Pro Bono España Foundation and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

The 17th Aptissimi Awards have received support from Baker & McKenzie, BDO Abogados, Clifford Chance, Cuatrecasas, Deloitte Legal, EY, Garrigues, Gómez-Acebo & Pombo Abogados, KPMG Abogados, Osborne Clarke, Pedrosa Lagos, Pérez-Llorca, Roca Junyent S.L.P., Rosaud Costas Durán Abogados, Uría Menéndez S.L.P., ViaLegis, AGM Abogados, A&O Shearman, Anzizu Barba & Castellanos, Broseta, CADAMA LEGAL, Cases & Lacambra, Ceca Magán Abogados, CMS Albiñana Suárez de Lezo, Crowe, Fieldfisher, PwC Tax & Legal, and Ramón y Cajal.