Events

Antonio Garrigues Walker

Key witness to half a century of our history

On 6 October 2014, the Fundación Rafael del Pino organised the Keynote Lecture given by Antonio Garrigues Wlaker on the occasion of the publication of the book entitled "Antonio Garrigues Walker. Key witness to half a century of our history".

Antonio Garrigues Walker joined the Garrigues firm founded by his father, Antonio Garrigues Díaz-Cañabate, and his uncle, Joaquín Garrigues Díaz-Cañabate, in 1954. He has held the position of chairman of the firm since 1961, when he was 27 years old. He also chairs the Garrigues Foundation and the Garrigues Chair in Global Law at the University of Navarra.

Antonio Garrigues Walker is a renowned international lawyer. His work as a legal expert on foreign investment in Spain stands out. He has advised large multinationals as well as the Spanish government on economic legislation, especially in the field of foreign investment. He also provides legal advice and expertise to governments, such as the United States and Japan, in their relations with Spain. As such, he is an Honorary Trustee of the Spain-USA, Japan, China and Australia Council Foundations and a Trustee of the Spain-India Foundation. His concern for the phenomenon of globalisation led him to be a pioneer in cooperation with international law firms, being, for example, President of the World Association of Lawyers. He is a member of the Spanish group of the Trilateral Commission.

Alongside his work as a lawyer, he has always been very active in the social, business and cultural life of the country. This was reflected in his political career. In 1982 he founded the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL), of which he was elected president. In 1984, this political formation was integrated into the Democratic Reformist Party, an operation promoted together with Miquel Roca to try to occupy the political space of the centre.

Antonio Garrigues Walker has been appointed World Advocate by the Centre for Peace through Law and life trustee of the José Ortega y Gasset Foundation.

He was the special advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and is currently Honorary President of Spain with UNHCR. He was elected member of the National Accreditation Committee of ANECA (Agencia Nacional de Evaluación de la Calidad y Acreditación). He is also the founder of the Spanish Chapter of Transparency International (TI), an anti-corruption body.

Antonio Garrigues Walker is chairman and director of several companies and Doctor Honoris Causa of the Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales de Buenos Aires (Argentina), the Universidad Europea de Madrid, the Universidad Ramon Llull de Barcelona and the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas de Madrid.

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for the comments, opinions or statements made by the people who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their sole responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference, written for the Rafael del Pino Foundation by Professor Emilio González, are the result of the debates held at the meeting held for this purpose at the Foundation and are the responsibility of the authors.

The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for any comments, opinions or statements made by third parties. In this respect, the FRP is not obliged to monitor the views expressed by such third parties who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their own responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference, written for the Rafael del Pino Foundation by Professor Emilio J. González, are the result of the discussions that took place during the conference organised for this purpose at the Foundation and are the sole responsibility of its authors.

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