Ignacio Esteban

Practice Areas

Ignacio Esteban provides advice on strategic and particularly complex aspects of employment law, labor relations, human resources, social security and occupational health and safety to both domestic and multinational companies in a wide range of sectors: technology, food, retail, consulting, industrial, financial, energy, automotive, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Expert in restructuring, collective layoffs & collective negotiations.

In his advice, he always seeks the maximum possible alignment with the objectives and needs of each client, guaranteeing a personalised and direct approach, standing out for his technical quality, strategic and business vision, agility in response and innovative approach.

Throughout his professional career, he has participated in numerous projects, with extensive experience in the following areas, among others: (i) Litigation practice; (ii) Collective labour relations: collective bargaining; (iii) Restructuring, collective layoffs and ERTEs, (iv) Labour compliance; (v) Corporate policies and Codes of Ethics; (vi) Equality, diversity and work-life balance; (vii) Remote work, digital disconnection and new technologies; (viii) Remuneration and compensation; (ix) Working time and time recording; (x) Trade union elections; (xi) Outsourcing and insourcing processes; (xii) Mergers and acquisitions; (xiii) Due diligence processes and labour audits; (xiv) Labour and social aspects of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and non-financial reporting obligations; (xv) Senior management; (xvi) Social security and complementary social security (pension plans and insurance); (xvii) Expatriation; (xviii) International and EU social law; (xix) Specific training for managers and employees; (xx) Labour aspects of data protection, information security and company control; & (xxi) Occupational risk prevention and occupational health and safety.

Career

Ignacio Esteban has been a partner in the Labor and Employment Law practice in Garrigues since 2020, joining the firm in 2007.

In 2010 and 2011, he collaborated with NautaDutilh in Rotterdam (Holland) and Shearn Delamore & Co in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), where he had the opportunity to learn about other legal systems and the practice of law abroad, enriching his advice in Spain.

Additionally, Ignacio is a lecturer on the Master's Degree in Compliance Officer and the Advanced Course in Whistleblower Channel Manager at the School of Legal Practice at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

On the other hand, as a lecturer at Centro de Estudios Garrigues, he has been teaching on various subjects related to labour and social security law, in the Master's Degree in Labour Law, the Master's Degree in Human Resources and the Corporate Compliance Programme, as well as in the "Aula Permanente" Programme, at the Summa University (Ferrovial) and in Orange training courses.

He is also a regular speaker at other universities and specialised national and international forums, such as CEPYME (Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises), the Institute of Internal Auditors of Spain, the Institute of Family Business (IEF), the Real Madrid School of Studies of the European University of Madrid, the International Compliance Week, the Compliance Forum, One Day Compliance Barcelona, etc.

Professional Memberships

Madrid Bar Association (ICAM).

Member of the Board of Directors of CUMPLEN (Association of Compliance Professionals).

Member of the National Association of Labour Lawyers (ASNALA).

Member of the Spanish Forum of Labour Lawyers (FORELAB).

Publications

 250 questions and answers on the Whistleblower Protection Act. Law 2/2023 of 20 February. Aranzadi. 2024.

 The countdown to implement a complaints channel catches companies off guard. El Confidencial. 2023.

 How will companies adapt to the new ERTEs of the labour reform? Capital. 2022.

 Variable severance payments will create legal uncertainty for companies. Economist & Jurist. 2022.

 Digital desconexion fails in Spain. Confilegal. 2022.

 Technology and artificial intelligence bring new criminal risks to companies. El Economista. 2022.

 Labour reform: New temporary contracts. CEPYME. 2022.

 Chaos in companies before the end of ERTE. El Mundo. 2022.

 The latest labour reform imbroglio that could clog up the courts. Business Insider. 2022.

 Keys to the labour reform: Resolving doubts. CEPYME. 2022.

 The new ERTE, baptised by the Government as the RED mechanism. Confilegal. 2022.

 Labour compliance programmes help companies to manage their risks. Confilegal. 2022.

 Companies finalise their strategic plans for 2022 in anticipation of a more rigid labour framework. El Mundo. 2022.

 Labour law and internal investigations. "Internal investigations in criminal compliance. Key factors for their effectiveness". Thomson Reuters Aranzadi. 2021.

 Towards the standardisation of labour compliance. Garrigues Labour Blog. 2021.

 The UNE Standard on labour compliance. Lefebvre. 2021.

 Risk prevention and compliance in the labour sphere. "Corporate Defence and Compliance". Thomson Reuters Aranzadi. 2019.

 Kisses that lead to dismissals. El País. 2019.

 Entrepreneurship needs a new labour framework. Blog Laboral Garrigues. 2019.

 Equality, the unfinished business. El País. 2018.

 Crime prevention (or compliance) and labour relations. Garrigues Labour Blog. 2017.

 The future labour legislative framework: 55 proposals. Garrigues Labour Blog. 2017.

 Advantages and disadvantages of the so-called "Austrian model" of severance pay. Garrigues Labour Blog. 2016.

 What does the so-called "Austrian model" of severance pay consist of? Garrigues Labour Blog. 2016.

 Don't let the unemployment paperwork scare you. Expansión y empleo. 2013.

 Five answers on unemployment. Expansión y empleo. 2013.

Languages Spoken

Excellent command of Spanish and English.