Juan Picon

Lawyers across the City have paid tribute to former DLA Piper senior partner and Latham & Watkins Madrid managing partner Juan Picón, who passed away yesterday.

Picón, who was the senior partner of DLA Piper from 2015 until he made a high-profile departure to Latham in 2017, was described by a Latham colleague as "energetic, dynamic, engaging and empathetic", and a "wonderful man". The partner added: "One of my clients said he was one of the finest lawyers he'd ever come across."

Picón's death was related to a recent lymphoma cancer diagnosis, according to a recent LinkedIn post by the lawyer, which garnered support from well-wishers for what Picón called a "new challenge".

His decision to leave DLA Piper in 2017 stemmed from a desire to be closer to his family in Madrid after a management position that required him to spend more than half his time on the road, according to a spokesperson for the firm at the time of his departure. DLA colleagues described him as a well-respected corporate rainmaker both inside and outside the firm, and a charismatic figurehead for the firm with a lot of managerial experience.

In a statement, Latham's chair and managing partner Rich Trobman said: "We mourn the passing of our extraordinary and dear friend and partner. Juan was a gifted lawyer, visionary leader and incredibly thoughtful person, who touched the lives of so many at the firm and throughout the profession. He will be remembered for his generous spirit, boundless energy, selfless leadership, tremendous courage and inner strength.

"A giant in so many ways, and an inspiration to all who knew him, he will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as we mourn the loss of a truly special individual. Our many fond memories of Juan will live on."

DLA Piper's senior partner and global co-chairman Andrew Darwin added in a separate statement: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Juan Picón. Juan has been a great lawyer and an extraordinary person, who spent a large part of his life at the firm. He has been a great figure in the Spanish legal sector and in the business of law. We convey our deepest condolences to his friends and family."

Picón began his legal career as an associate in the legal department of Santander in Madrid in 1989, before joining Clifford Chance's London corporate practice in 1993. He joined legacy firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey in 1997 and stayed for nine years until he joined DLA Piper in 2006.

In May 2016, after a series of other management roles, he won the race to become DLA Piper's senior partner, taking over from the incumbent postholder Sir Nigel Knowles.

Among Picón's key mandates were advising Vodafone on its €7.2bn (£6bn) acquisition of Spanish cable operator Ono in 2014; a deal for client Telefónica in a carve-out of all its Central American telecom assets for €2 billion; and his work on Spain's biggest healthcare deal, which saw CVC Capital Partners sell medical group QuirónSalud to Fresenius for €6.5 billion.