Pilar Menor

Pilar has over 27 years’ experience of helping multinational clients with all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment and social security law.

She is widely recognised in Spain and beyond for her outstanding track record as an employment lawyer and her influence as a leading female professional.

Pilar provides guidance on business restructuring operations, employment litigation, collective negotiations, industrial action, investigations, negotiation of senior management agreements and terminations, and the employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions.

She advises clients in a broad range of industries including aviation, life sciences, technology, financial services, hospitality and retail.

She recently advised a major airline company on the negotiation process for the amendment of collective bargaining agreements for both cabin crew and pilots that resulted in industrial action. This involved substantial negotiations with trade unions. She also recently led on a collective dismissal process to close down a well-known hospitality chain in Spain.

From 2006 to 2022, Pilar was Head of the Employment, Pensions and Benefits department in Spain and she became the Global Co-chair of Employment in 2020. She was promoted to Country Managing Partner for AKD Partners Spain in 2012, at less than 40 years of age.  

As one of few female professionals at leadership level in the legal industry, Pilar is passionate about diversity and inclusion. She dedicates much of her time to breaking down the stereotypes and stigma that can surround women’s roles and responsibilities, and to supporting employees' health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Pilar is a lecturer on the Employment Law Master’s Degree course at the Garrigues Studies Centre (European University of Madrid). She also lectures on the Master’s Degree in Access to the Legal Profession program and previously taught for many years on the Business Law Master’s Degree program at the ICADE university.

Pilar is the Chairwoman and a founding member of FORELAB, a prominent Spanish association of employment lawyers.

Prior to joining AKD Partners, she was Head of Employment and Social Security Law at an international law firm from 2000 to 2006, where she created the employment practice, and an employment lawyer for Spanish and international law firms from 1995 to 2000.

Pilar is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars on employment-related matters and on diversity and inclusion in the legal industry.