Gomez-Acebo & Pombo is mourning the loss of two partners, including one of the firm's founders.

Co-founder and honorary president Ignacio Gomez-Acebo Duque de Estrada (pictured) passed away last Sunday at the age of 79. He founded the firm in 1971 alongside Fernando Pombo, and had been a member of the Madrid Bar since 1962.

During his career he was also chairman of a number of major companies, including Firestone Espana, Chrysler Financial Corporation, AXA and Nokia Espana.

He started his legal career at intellectual property firm Clarke Modet & Co in 1950 after graduating in law with first class honours from the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Salamanca.

In 1977 he founded the Fundacion Humanismo y Democracia, a non-profit organisation, to promote and research social issues. He was also a founding trustee of the Standing Committee of the National Library of Spain and chair of the European Advisory Committee of the New York Stock Exchange.

His death marks the firm's second loss this month after real estate head Victoria Llavero also passed away last week (20 March). Llavero, 55, died from injuries sustained following a domestic accident. In 1993 she became the first female partner to be made up at a leading Spanish firm.