Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer announced that Esteban de Santos Smith will join the firm in January 2026 as a partner in the Spanish Commercial Practice.
Coming from Linklaters in Madrid, his practice focuses on advising Spanish and international private equity investors and strategic companies on domestic and cross-border commercial transactions, advising on highly complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, corporate restructurings, and corporate governance issues, primarily in 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’s Spanish office, commented that “Esteban has established a solid reputation in the market, known for his commercial acumen, commitment to clients, and technical expertise. His arrival further strengthens and expands our offering from Madrid to both domestic and international clients. We are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”
Alberto Frasquet, managing partner for EMEA at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, added that “Esteban’s addition strengthens and enhances our commercial practice in EMEA and our global network. We look forward to working together and leveraging his deep market knowledge to continue advancing our private equity strategy.”
For De Santos Smith, “Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a perfect fit for my practice, given the Madrid team’s strong position in the private equity market, the collaborative nature of the network, and the firm’s increased presence in the United States following the combination with Kramer Levin which took place this year. I am excited to join and work with my partners from all practices and offices of the firm. The addition of De Santos Smith reflects a new investment in the firm’s Spanish office, following the arrival of Sergio Cires, who joined as a banking and financial partner, and the promotion of Miguel Fraga to society in recent years.
This year, the firm has welcomed several new partners in EMEA, including Emanuela Da Rin and her team (Banking and Finance) in Milan, Mohammed Al Eshaikh (Commercial) in Riyadh, and Laurence Bary (Competition, Regulation, and Trade) in Paris.
