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.