Both personally and professionally, she feels fortunate and grateful. Ana Tortosa says, “what matters is not the cards you are dealt, but how you play them.” In general, the Business Development, Marketing & Communications Manager at Freshfields tries to listen and be thoughtful, and to do things with passion: “once you’ve decided to take a step, you must do so with the importance it deserves. You have to laugh a lot and also try to have a good time.”
In our special feature, “Voices of Development, Communication and Legal Marketing,” Ana explains that “valuing the opinions of others has helped me grow and, surely, make better decisions, but I have also been driven by instinct, curiosity, and a desire to learn. A phrase that guides me is from jurist Antonio Garrigues Walker: ‘to be in constant learning, maintaining a childlike spirit, open to everything new.’”
Ana Tortosa earned a Law degree, worked in law firms, and later specialized in marketing, a somewhat unusual combination, she says. Discovering legal marketing was “for me like finding ‘the perfect key for the lock.’ It allowed me to dedicate myself to what I am passionate about within a sector I know well.”
“Over the years I have felt more capable of resolving conflicts or making decisions”
Ana Tortosa notes, regarding what she has learned from working in communications at different firms, that “experience carries weight; experience matters more than titles, and the most enriching part is not the tasks themselves but the people you meet along the way.”
Over the years, she reveals, she has felt more confident when it comes to resolving conflicts or making decisions — many situations repeat themselves — and “for new ones, I have also developed an internal protocol: don’t reinvent the wheel, ask for opinions and also for help when necessary; learn to say no when something falls outside your knowledge or capabilities.”
“I am aware that I am working in the global elite of business law”
Freshfields es una firma excepcional. Y soy consciente de estar trabajando en la élite global de la abogacía de los negocios.
I maintain the same enthusiasm I had on my first day, and I strive to ensure the benefit is mutual, contributing to this firm the experience I have accumulated over years in major law firms.
“It’s a challenge to work on communication that everyone is comfortable with”
For Ana Tortosa, the most important thing is preserving and respecting client confidentiality. “In our sector, it is also a challenge to communicate in a way that makes everyone comfortable, adjusting the level of exposure, the content, and the channels.
On the other hand, the red lines regarding topics we should not comment on, or the terms in which they must be addressed, must be clear — and it is the responsibility of the communications manager to raise awareness about them.
Finally, the challenge of managing priorities, as well as the opportunities that arise day-to-day, is a constant challenge.”
The Madrid office: a key piece in the global communication network
The Madrid office is just one office within the firm’s network, sharing strategy, protocols, and messages aligned with corporate communication, while simply exploring optimal opportunities for its local practices and professionals.
All offices contribute, just as the firm globally adds value to each office — this is the strength of belonging to a large network.
Regarding the fundamental lines of the communication strategy that Ana leads to ensure coherence and reputation at an international level, she said: “Regardless of the firm, communication must be aligned with business strategy, and the latter must be known by all its spokespeople.
In the case of international firms, the strength of being a network also requires coordination efforts in communication strategy at the local, regional, and global levels.”
Strategic objectives and priority challenges: “The level of exposure is not as important as doing it with sound judgment”
Freshfields’ Business Development, Marketing & Communications Manager listed the firm’s challenges and objectives for 2026:
- Maintain a controlled exposure in national, economic and sectoral reference media.
- The level of exposure is not as important as its judicious nature. Like a city warden, the communications manager must set priorities, identify spokespeople, enrich corporate messages, reiterate red lines, leverage the strengths and resources of the firm’s global communications teams, and create a balance that allows different practice areas, sector groups, firm initiatives, and professionals to have their space.
- Building and strengthening relationships with the media is the other side of the coin, and it’s an ongoing task. It doesn’t matter if you have a good communication plan or an excellent platform if you don’t have anywhere to publish it.
- Both the legal and communications sectors are people-oriented, based on trust; nurturing trust greatly benefits any communication strategy.
- Social media can be a communication tool in itself and a complement to content dissemination, something that law firms are also very aware of. The way our clients read and stay informed has changed.
Clear objectives, a solid strategy and a good action plan enhance communication
For 2026, Ana Tortosa believes that the main opportunity to innovate and enhance communication within the firm lies in differentiating through a strategic approach. She explains that this “involves defining clear objectives, a solid strategy, and an action plan that aligns the expectations of the different generations working within the firm.”
To achieve this, she notes, “it is essential to keep management informed and committed to the strategy, as well as to ensure a constant flow of content. Both elements are key to driving communication and ensuring its continuity.
The ultimate goal is to preserve the firm’s reputation and brand image while effectively reaching the target audience: clients, potential clients, and talent.
Moreover, the more work is done to strengthen the relationship between the firm and the media, the deeper journalists’ understanding of the firm becomes. This not only multiplies opportunities, but also makes them more accurate, relevant, and beneficial for all parties involved.”
“Legal marketing stopped crawling a long time ago”
I asked Ana about the evolution of legal marketing in Spain and Latin America and about the trends that will mark the coming years, to which she responded: “Legal marketing stopped crawling a long time ago — the legal sector in Spain is mature, and it is unthinkable for a law firm of a certain size to lack a marketing strategy.
However, for client acquisition, our sector combines both traditional techniques based on professional prestige — such as personal recommendations or ‘word of mouth’ — with techniques typical of structured marketing.
Legal marketing has evolved as competitiveness among firms has increased; when in‑house legal departments have been strengthened to absorb more work more efficiently through LegalOps or Legal Operations processes; and also when clients chose to diversify the work they outsourced.
Everything intensified with the emergence of ALSPs (Alternative Legal Service Providers), to which clients turn to outsource recurring, less sophisticated, low-value-added but necessary work.
The trends are driven by what clients are asking for: conveying in our proposals the impact of AI; becoming true partners by providing solutions not only on technical legal issues but also on business strategy; and demonstrating differentiation.”
“Innovation permeates the entire organization, including the business, marketing and communication areas”
Regarding how AI has generated a disruptive change in the sector, Ana said that at Freshfields, “investment in innovation and technology is key to delivering value to our clients and our people, and to staying at the forefront of the market. Innovation permeates the entire organization, including the business, marketing, and communication areas. We use AI as a trusted advisor, under strict ethical protocols, bias-minimizing testing, and human supervision, ensuring accuracy, judgment, and confidentiality.
Additionally, we are creating the conditions for all teams, legal and commercial, to explore new ways of working and develop their skills through training in innovation, artificial intelligence, and safe spaces to experiment.”
Ana’s keys to boosting positioning and business development
Ana details three essential pillars: First, defining a truly distinctive value proposition: having clear segmentation, identifying specific niches and sectors; articulating a message that addresses questions about who we are and how we can help; and choosing the most appropriate channels to communicate.
Additionally, professionalizing business development in law firms: business generation has traditionally fallen to partners, but commercial skills need to be understood and practiced much earlier.
Finally, having a rapid capacity to adapt — being flexible, versatile, and unafraid of change. Our sector has possibly never undergone such a significant transformation. This requires embracing technology and AI.
And something we sometimes forget: active listening to the client helps define a strategy that better aligns with the needs of our audience.
Communications Director, a key piece in any organization
The role of the Communications Director (Dircom) is critical in any organization, but its relevance becomes strategic and decisive when the company is facing a crisis, when its reputation is threatened, or when it needs to reposition itself.
Among their responsibilities are coordinating the flow of internal and external information to prevent rumors and contradictions; crafting key messages that protect the brand and reduce uncertainty; and, finally, acting as the link between company management and various audiences — staff, clients, and the media — turning strategic decisions into messages that are understandable for each group.
For Ana Tortosa, communication is not an accessory; on the contrary, it is the backbone of any organization.
“Communication is a very powerful tool and must be managed rigorously; there is little room for improvisation, even if it is not perceived.”
In short
What piece of advice or wise phrase have you received that you still apply in your work today? “Perfection is the enemy of good.” It took me a while, but I finally understood and applied it. In a world where everything is due yesterday and we work on the urgent, we often have to do without the details and focus on what’s important. Who has been the person who has most influenced your career and why? There are two absolutely key people. One is Marisa Méndez, who showed me the path to legal marketing. She’s currently a clinical psychologist and humanist. The second is Beatriz Pastor, Director of Business Development, Marketing, and Communication, with whom I worked for a decade at Baker McKenzie. She’s my mentor; I’ve learned everything, or almost everything, from her, and she’s instilled in me a passion for what I do. What word defines you? Enjoys life. A sport? I’m always ready for a game of padel. A song? New York, by Alicia Keys. Are you good at cooking? What’s your signature dish? I like to eat with both my taste buds and my eyes; I try to make aesthetically pleasing dishes. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with breakfasts and brunches. A childhood memory? The sweater my mother knitted for me with my name on it. A key to success? Teamwork. It’s hard to get there alone. [En pocas palabras0]What inspires you?[/En pocas palabras0] My daughter Ana. [En pocas palabras1]A book?[/En pocas palabras1] [En pocas palabras2][/En pocas palabras2][En pocas palabras3]'[/En pocas palabras3][En pocas palabras4]’The Very Catastrophic Visit to the Zoo’, by Joël Dicker, a short novel full of observations about our society. You’ll be surprised by its characters and it will make you laugh out loud more than once.[/En pocas palabras4]
