Sebastián Albella

Sebastián Albella

Corporate Partner, Madrid

"I work on countless public and private M&A transactions, mainly in the financial and energy sectors, but also in other industries (retail, entertainment, etc.). I also have special expertise in corporate governance matters and am especially familiar with financial regulation. A trait, I think, that sets me apart is that I combine lengthy experience in major M&A and ECM transactions with having held important public responsibilities, among which between 2016 and 2020 I chaired the Spanish Securities Market Commission (CNMV). I highly value precedents and standardized and consolidated solutions, but I always like to consider possible improvements or alternatives and to think out-of-the-box. Due to my personality and attitude, I am clearly a lawyer who favours reaching and closing agreements."

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Published works

Overview

Sebastián, a partner in the corporate department, re-joined Linklaters in December 2022. He was previously a partner at the firm between entre 2005 and 2016.

Between 2016 and 2020, Sebastián was the chairman of the Spanish Securities Market Commission (CNMV).

Sebastián is a Spanish government lawyer and was the deputy director for general legislation and financial policy and board secretary and head of legal services at the CNMV.

For over 10 years he was a legal adviser to the Spanish banking association (AEB) and a member of the Legal Committee of the European Banking Federation.

He has more than 30 years’ experience working as a lawyer in the private sector, having advised on innumerable mergers and acquisitions, involving private and listed companies, IPOs and capital markets deals. He is particularly expert in matters of corporate law and corporate governance, as well as financial and securities market regulations.

Work highlights
Sebastian’s prior experience includes:
  • Advising TDR Capital and I Squared Capital on the successful €1.65bn competing takeover offer for Applus Services.
  • Advising Acerinox on the acquisition of Haynes International.
  • Advising Siemens on the merger of its wind power businesses into Gamesa (largest M&A transaction in Spain in 2016).
  • Advising Santander Consumer Finance on the creation of a joint venture with Banque PSA in 11 jurisdictions.
 

Professional experience

Sebastián started his career in 1985 as a Legal Adviser at the Spanish Ministry of Finance. From 1986 to 1988 he was the Head of Legal at the Directorate General of the Treasury and Deputy Director of Legislation and Financial Policy (1988). From 1988 Sebastián was the Secretary to the Board and General Counsel at the CNMV. From 1992 until 2005 he was a member of the Legal Committee at the European Banking Federation. During this period, he was also a Legal Advisor at the Spanish Banking Association. From 1999 until 2001 he carried out the role of Secretary of the Board of Directors at the Spanish company Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico, S.A. In 2002 he became a member of the Advisory Committee of the CNMV, for four.4 years. In 1994 he founded the law firm Ramón & Cajal, where Sebastián was a partner until 2005 when he joined Linklaters. From 2016 to 2020 Sebastián was the Chairman at the CNMV (Spanish Securities Commission) and a member of the Board of Supervisors and Management Board of ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority). In 2021 Sebastián was appointed as an Of Counsel at the firm Latham & Watkins.

Education and qualifications

Sebastián obtained his law degree from the University of Navarra in 1980.

Published works

Sebastián has authored many articles in the press and academic publications. To cite a few:

  • “La buena dirección” - Expansión, 2022
  • “Ni banca, ni en la sombra” - Expansión 2020
  • “Los accionistas, en el centro” - El Economista, 2019
  • “Por una economía más bursátil” - El País, 2019
  • “La constitución en Alcalá de Henares” - ABC, 2010