Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer strengthens Corporate practice with the addition of Esteban de Santos

Coming from Linklaters in Madrid, De Santos Smith focuses his practice on advising domestic and international private equity investors and strategic companies on complex national and cross-border corporate transactions. His experience spans high-profile M&A, joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements, corporate reorganizations and governance matters, with a strong track record across the financial services, technology, data centers, real estate, sports and leisure, and consumer goods sectors.

Eduardo Soler Tappa, Managing Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in Spain, stated: “Esteban has built a solid reputation in the market for his commercial insight, client commitment and technical excellence. His arrival further strengthens our capabilities in Madrid and enhances the support we offer to both domestic and international clients. We are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”

Alberto Frasquet, EMEA Head of Corporate, added: “Esteban’s incorporation boosts our Corporate practice across EMEA and reinforces our global network. We look forward to working together and leveraging his deep market understanding to advance our private equity strategy.”

For De Santos Smith, joining the firm marks a natural next step: “Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a perfect fit for my practice, given the strong position of the Madrid team in private equity, the collaborative culture of the network, and the firm’s expanded presence in the United States following this year’s combination with Kramer Levin. I am excited to join and collaborate with colleagues across all practices and offices.”

His addition follows continued investment in the firm’s Spanish office, including the arrival of banking and finance partner Sergio Cires and the promotion of Miguel Fraga to partner. This year, the firm also welcomed new partners across EMEA, such as Emanuela Da Rin and her team in Milan, Mohammed Al Eshaikh in Riyadh, and Laurence Bary in Paris.