Pinsent Masons is launching a new base in Madrid, with the hire of a team of partners from Spanish firm Ramon & Cajal.

The team joining is led by Diego Lozano, a founding partner of the firm and head of its corporate and commercial department. He has held a variety of senior legal roles during his career, including serving in a number of Spanish government ministries, as well as a spell as deputy general counsel of telecoms giant Telefonica.

He is followed to Pinsents by Ramon & Cajal corporate partners Antonio Montero and Inma Castello, and finance partner Idoya Arteagabeitia.

The team launching the new office, which will open this May, is completed by two more partners – projects and construction lawyer Ricardo Garcia, who is joining from Madrid-based construction multinational OHL, and Spanish-speaking construction lawyer Sofia Parra, who is relocating from the firm's London base.

Parra, who was made up in Pinsents' latest round of partner promotions, will become a partner on 1 May.

Pinsents senior partner Richard Foley said: "We have found a team in Madrid which not only exudes quality, but also shares our sector-focused vision. In particular, they share our passion for innovating for and with our clients to redefine the landscape for private practice. We are looking forward to bringing a very different type of law firm to Spain."

The launch marks the latest international expansion for Pinsents, after it moved into Africa this January via a launch in Johannesburg.

Last year the firm opened an energy-focused office in Duesseldorf, while it also appointed an agent to explore property options in Dublin last summer, amid widespread expectations of an imminent launch in Ireland.