Dr. José Antonio Lejárcegui Fort

Numerary Member

Social Sciences: PhD in Law

Date of admission: January 16, 2025

Admission speech: «The Social Dividend of Savings Banks versus the Banking Dividend»

Response speech: H.E. José María Coronas Guinart

Outstanding career: Emeritus Judge of the Supreme Court and a leading authority in Commercial and Maritime Law.
He has developed an extensive career in the judiciary and university teaching, being recognised for his contribution to the modernisation of corporate, insolvency and banking law in Spain.

Dr. SEBASTIÁN SASTRE PAPIOL

Born in Barcelona.

UNIVERSITY DEGREES

  • Law Degree from the University of Barcelona (UB). He passed the final degree exam with the First Extraordinary Prize.
  • PhD in Law Cum Laude (1987) from the UB, under the supervision of Professors Antonio Polo and Rafael Jiménez de Parga.
  • MBA from ESADE, obtained simultaneously while completing his Law studies.

TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

  • Linked to the Faculty of Law at the UB since 1968, in 1991 he obtained the position of Associate Professor of Commercial Law.
  • He has taught at CEU Abat Oliba University (Banking Law) and in the International Law Master’s program at ESADE (Bankruptcy Law).
  • Supervisor of several doctoral theses.
  • Practiced law with his own firm since 1970 and served as Executive Director of the Legal Department ofLa Caixa until 2012.
  • On January 15, 2013, he was sworn in as a Justice of the First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Spain, a position to which he had been appointed in 2012.
  • Member of various associations. Lecturer since 1973 in Banking, Bankruptcy, and Commercial Law. Author of numerous books and articles on contracts, Bankruptcy Law, and Civil Procedure Law. He has issued expert legal opinions and acted as arbitrator in financial, corporate, and insolvency matters.

AWARDS AND HONORS

  1. Cross of Honour of theOrder of San Raimundo de Peñafort (2011), for his academic and professional merits.
  2. Medal of Merit in Legal Services (2016), awarded by the Spanish General Council of Lawyers (CGAE).
  3. Honorary Distinction from the University of Barcelona (2016).
  4. Medal of the Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB), granted by its Governing Board.
  5. On February 6, 2024, he was appointed Full Academician of the Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Catalonia.

EXTENDED CV