Profile
Graduate in Law from the Universidad Complutense (Madrid) with Honours (awarded the University Prize for the highest achieving student). He won scholarships to attend courses at the Universities of Freiburg im Breisgau, Munich and London. His working languages are Spanish, English, French and German. He also holds Honorary Doctorates in Law from the UNED (University by Distance Learning), 1988, and the Universidad de León (Doctor “Honoris Causa”), 2004. José Pedro has published extensively.
Career
Although José Pedro played a prominent role in Spanish politics at one point in his career, he has always been considered first and foremost as a lawyer. He was Member of Parliament and president of the Parliamentary group of the Centrist party in Congress and he was one of the seven drafters of the Spanish Constitution.
Through selective state exams, he became a member of the Diplomatic Service and of the “Cuerpo de Letrados de las Cortes Generales”. He was Head of the Cabinet and Parliamentary Relations, Minister of Territorial Administration and Foreign Minister. Whilst serving in this latter position he began the negotiations on Spain’s accession to the EU and completed six chapters of the total sixteen. In addition, he was instrumental in the signing of a new treaty with the U.S. and was the driving force behind Spain’s accession to NATO.
In December 1982, he retired from political life and founded the law firm PEREZ-LLORCA, where these days he primarily practices law in the field of arbitration. He is a well-known arbitrator and has advised on national and international procedures affecting companies from Spain and around the world.
Professional memberships
The Arbitration Court of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce (CACICM), The Civil and Commercial Arbitration Court of Madrid (CIMA), The Spanish Arbitration Society, The Sports Arbitration Court of the Spanish Olympic Committee, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Law Institute in Amsterdam (ILIA).