“Francisco Málaga is approachable and down to earth yet has acute commercial awareness and technical acumen. I can’t think of anyone better equipped to lead a team and deliver fantastic outcomes.”
Biography
Francisco Málaga serves as head of the Firm's EMEA Disputes Section for Commercial Litigation and White Collar and is a partner in the Firm´s Global Commercial Litigation and Arbitration Practices in Madrid. Since April 1, 2024 Francisco serves as head of the Firm's EMEA Disputes Section for Commercial Litigation and White Collar.
He has extensive experience in advising corporate and financial institutions on many aspects of litigation. Francisco is a Doctor of Law and has been a tenured lecturer in dispute resolution at the Universidad Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona for more than 20 years. He currently teaches at the Law Faculties of ICADE and IE, in Madrid. Francisco has also published several books, articles and commentaries on various dispute resolution issues and he speaks regularly at seminars and conferences on dispute resolution and insolvency matters.
He has been considered a leading individual in dispute resolution and arbitration in the Chambers editions from 2012 to 2025, where he is currently ranked in Band 2. Clients praise his availability, quickness to respond and high-quality knowledge. He is described as a very professional lawyer and an excellent litigator.
Francisco also acted as expert witness on behalf of Banco Sabadell in a high-value civil proceeding before the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales (Commercial Court).
Experience
Examples of his experience in Commercial Litigation and Arbitration includes advising:
- Mango MNG, S.A. in securing the dismissal in first instance of a lawsuit based on alleged breaches of intellectual property rights of pieces of art created by well-known Spanish artists.
- Globalvia GVIT in a long-running judicial and arbitral battle concerning the control of Itinere, one of Spain's largest highway operators.
- BNP Paribas in connection with a highly complex international dispute arising from a construction contract awarded by a Middle Eastern Ministry of Public Works, following a public tender process for the design and construction of an elevated highway.
- A tech multinational company in a dispute arising from the Sale and Purchase Agreement through which it acquired a Spanish subsidiary, including an arbitration proceeding, as well as the development and implementation of the overall dispute strategy and the coordination of all parties involved.
- An investment bank in relation to an internal investigation regarding potential internal policy and fraud law violations by a high-ranking executive of the Spanish corporation.
Italy
Spain
Spain
Francisco was awarded First National Prize for the completion of the BA in Law and the Extraordinary Doctorate (PhD) Prize by the University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona).
Francisco has more than 20 publications (including books and legal articles) and was judge of the Court of Appeal of Barcelona (Audiencia Provincial) from 2000 to 2003.
