Simmons & Simmons has announced that its Madrid office is to welcome a new dispute resolution partner; health sector legal specialist, Raquel Ballesteros.

Raquel joins the firm after 14 years as a partner of Bird & Bird, and her arrival will strengthen Simmons’ Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS) practice in Europe. Raquel is ranked in Band 1 of the international Chambers and Partners listing and she is widely recognised as one of the leading legal minds in the healthcare sector.

Never have businesses around the world been more focussed on how their service and operation intersect with the legal and technological ramifications of healthcare on a global scale. Raquel’s appointment demonstrates Simmons’ commitment to providing expert HLS advice to clients around the world, at a time of significant global uncertainty.

Raquel brings with her a strategic and innovative approach thanks to her extensive experience in arbitration and European e-health projects. She has advised international consortia and indeed the European Commission itself on matters relating to employment, corporate and commercial, and financial markets.

On Raquel’s appointment, Managing Partner of Simmons & Simmons in Spain, Andrés Mochales commented: ""It is a great satisfaction for the partners in Madrid to be able to announce the incorporation of Raquel. Strengthening the European offering of Life Sciences is a long-standing aspiration of the firm, and Raquel’s appointment means that we are delivering this objective with one of the greatest experts in Spain"".