Armando Albarrán

Gibson Dunn announced today that Armando Albarrán, widely regarded as one of Spain’s preeminent corporate lawyers, will be joining the firm as a partner in its Private Equity and M&A Practice Groups. His arrival will be followed by the opening of Gibson Dunn’s Madrid office and represents a significant expansion of the firm’s European transactional platform.~~“Armando brings a leadership ethos defined by client service, excellence, and collaboration—precisely the qualities that will drive the success of our new office,” said Barbara Becker, Chair and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “Madrid is a vital European hub for private equity and cross-border M&A, particularly for sponsors and multinationals executing high-value transactions between Europe and the Americas. This expansion strengthens our ability to serve clients on their most sophisticated deals across the region.”~~“Armando has advised on many of the most significant Spanish and cross-border transactions,” said Federico Fruhbeck, Co-Head of Gibson Dunn’s Private Equity Group in Europe. “His arrival positions us to advise clients on their most sophisticated Spanish matters, while also working with our London and continental European teams to deliver integrated, cross-border advice.”~~Gibson Dunn’s European growth has been fueled by sustained expansion in the UK—where the London office has more than doubled in size over the past five years, from 84 lawyers in 2020 to 218 today—and by continued investment on the European mainland. The Madrid opening follows last year’s launch in Zurich and builds on the firm’s long-standing presence in Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, and Paris.~~About Armando Albarrán~~Armando is widely recognized as one of Spain’s foremost corporate lawyers, ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners in Capital Markets (Equity), Corporate/M&A (High-end Capability), and Private Equity. He brings extensive experience advising financial sponsors and corporates on complex cross-border and domestic corporate finance transactions, including public and private M&A, IPOs, and bond offerings across sectors, including energy, infrastructure, real estate, and telecommunications.~~Download PDF~~

Jan 15

1 min

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher plans to launch an office in Madrid this year, led by Armando Albarrán, a longtime Freshfields partner and one of Spain’s leading corporate dealmakers. Albarrán has been head of the global transactions group in Spain for Freshfields, where he worked for nearly 30 years. He specializes in complex cross-border deals for major companies and has advised on IPOs, takeovers, and private equity buyouts. He joins Gibson Dunn as a partner in its private equity and M&A practice group. In choosing to launch a new office in Spain, Gibson Dunn is continuing its investment in continental Europe and the U.K. It has more than doubled the size of its London office over the past five years, from 84 lawyers in 2020 to 218 today. In 2025, it launched an office in Zurich and also has offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris. “Madrid is a vital European hub for private equity and cross-border M&A, particularly for sponsors and multinationals executing high-value transactions between Europe and the Americas,” Barbara Becker, Gibson Dunn’s chair and managing partner, said in a statement. “This expansion strengthens our ability to serve clients on their most sophisticated deals across the region. Albarrán has advised financial sponsors and corporates on many major Spanish and cross-border and domestic corporate finance transactions, including public and private M&A, IPOs and bond offerings across the energy, infrastructure, real estate and telecommunications sectors. “His arrival positions us to advise clients on their most sophisticated Spanish matters, while also working with our London and continental European teams to deliver integrated, cross-border advice,” said Federico Fruhbeck, co-head of Gibson Dunn’s private equity group in Europe. Commenting on the departure, a Freshfields spokesperson said, “We wish Armando all the best.” U.S.-headquartered Gibson Dunn has approximately 1,940 lawyers worldwide and placed sixth in the 2025 Global 200 rankings with revenue of $3.6 billion. Its profits per equity partner totaled $7.2 billion. In addition to offices across Europe, the firm operates in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Jan 15

1 min

Law.com International~~A Law.com International article [PDF] highlights the firm’s plans to launch an office in Madrid and hiring of Armando Albarrán.~~~~Download PDF~~

Feb 4

1 min

LawFuel~~A LawFuel article [subscription required] spotlights Gibson Dunn’s hiring of leading private equity and M&A lawyer Armando Albarrán and the firm’s plans to open an office in Madrid.~~~~Download PDF~~

Feb 4

1 min