José Antonio Choclán Montalvo

José Antonio Choclán Montalvo is the Managing Partner of Bufete Choclán, a Madrid-based criminal defence firm, and the winner of Criminal Law Firm of the Year in Spain at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026. Founded in 2004, the firm is described as one of the most accredited practices in criminal defence in Spain, with extensive and recognised experience in the field.

A criminal defence firm with national reach

Bufete Choclán is headquartered in Madrid, at Calle Lagasca, and provides legal services throughout Spain, supported by international collaborations. The firm concentrates on criminal law and, in particular, on the defence of individuals and companies, an area often described as economic or corporate criminal law. Its stated practice areas include criminal law, corporate defence, international criminal and procedural law, and the preparation of criminal law reports and legal opinions.

The firm's guiding philosophy places the client at the centre of its work: as it puts it, the client is its primary concern, and it engages in each matter with maximum dedication and responsibility. In criminal defence, where a client's liberty, reputation and livelihood may be at stake, that commitment to close, responsible representation is fundamental.

• Criminal law and criminal defence
• Corporate and business criminal defence
• International criminal and procedural law
• Criminal law reports, expert opinions and legal analysis

Economic and corporate criminal law in Spain

Economic criminal law has grown steadily in importance across Spain and the wider European Union. Companies now face potential criminal exposure in areas such as fraud, corruption, money laundering, tax offences and market abuse, and Spanish law recognises the criminal liability of legal persons, which has made corporate compliance and internal investigations central concerns for boards and executives. Defending against these allegations demands both a deep command of substantive criminal law and a mastery of procedure before the Spanish courts.

Bufete Choclán's focus on corporate defence and on international criminal and procedural matters reflects the increasingly cross-border character of serious economic crime. Investigations frequently span multiple jurisdictions, involve complex financial evidence, and require careful coordination between defence teams in different countries. The firm's production of criminal law reports and expert legal opinions also underscores the analytical, doctrinal side of its practice, an aspect reinforced by its founder's record as the author of numerous publications, articles and monographs on criminal law.

Leadership and recognition

As Managing Partner and the figure behind the firm's establishment in 2004, José Antonio Choclán Montalvo has shaped Bufete Choclán into a recognised name in Spanish criminal defence. His scholarly output complements the firm's courtroom work, marking him as a practitioner engaged with the development of criminal law as well as its application in individual cases.

The Corporate INTL Global Awards are decided through the publication's research into leading firms and advisers within each jurisdiction and practice area. Being named Criminal Law Firm of the Year in Spain recognises Bufete Choclán's standing as a specialist criminal defence practice with national reach and international collaborations. For individuals and companies confronting criminal investigations or proceedings in Spain, particularly in the demanding sphere of economic and corporate criminal law, the award points toward a Madrid firm defined by its dedication to the client and its recognised experience in defence work.

Defending clients in high-stakes proceedings

Criminal proceedings, particularly those involving companies and their executives, can extend over years and touch every part of an organisation's operations and reputation. Effective defence begins long before trial, with careful analysis of the allegations, the evidence and the applicable law, and often with engagement during the investigative phase when the direction of a case is still being shaped. In economic criminal matters, the interplay between corporate compliance systems, the conduct of individuals and the liability of the company itself adds further complexity, requiring counsel who can operate confidently across both the criminal and corporate dimensions. Bufete Choclán's concentration on criminal defence, its production of expert legal opinions, and its founder's scholarly engagement with the field equip it to represent clients in precisely these demanding, high-stakes situations.