Marc Morros, from Esade Law School, receives first Manuel Olivencia Award for University Excellence

The Cuatrecasas Foundation presented the first Manuel Olivencia Award for University Excellence at an official ceremony held yesterday at the University of Seville's Faculty of Law. The event, which brought together representatives from leading Spanish academic, business, and social institutions, was attended by Martín Serrano Vicente, secretary-general of the University of Seville, and Fernando Higinio Llano, dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Seville. Rocío Blanco, Andalusia’s regional minister of Employment, Training and Self-Employment, and Rafael Fontana, senior partner of Cuatrecasas and vice chair of the Cuatrecasas Foundation, gave the speeches.

The award recognizes and supports university talent, grounded in rigor and continuous effort, and demonstrates the Cuatrecasas Foundation's commitment to encouraging academic excellence and the educational and professional development of young students.

Following a selection committee's review of the 32 applications, the jury determined that, among the seven finalists, Marc Morros Bo—a student of the dual master's degree in Legal Practice and Representation, and International Business Law, at Esade Law School—meets all the requirements to receive this recognition. The consistent excellence of his academic career and his leadership in interdisciplinary activities are indicative of his legal strength and innovative spirit.

On this occasion, and given the high level of the candidates, Marta Vélez Rodríguez—a final-year student of the dual degree in Law and International Relations at the University of Deusto—received the secondary award, which recognizes her impeccable academic record, perseverance, commitment to social education, and clear vision for the future. The jury valued the candidates' excellent academic qualifications, as well as the solvency and strength of their study projects.

In his acceptance speech, Marc Morros stated: “I receive this award with deep gratitude to the Foundation for believing in my project. I am convinced that the conditio sine qua non for winning it has been the constant support of my family and the wonderful professors I have had at Esade, Columbia, and St. Gallen. I am very aware of the responsibility that comes with being a Manuel Olivencia scholar, a transformative figure for Spanish law, whose commitment to the continuous improvement of society from a legal perspective I will always strive to uphold.”

Marta Vélez said: "I am very grateful to the Cuatrecasas Foundation for trusting in my potential. I am aware of the high level of this first call for applications and I humbly and responsibly accept the challenge of living up to this recognition. Receiving the secondary award motivates me to continue working hard in my academic career and reminds me that the dedication of those of us who aspire to a demanding education doesn't go unnoticed when there are institutions that believe in us."

The Cuatrecasas Foundation, in addition to supporting the training of law students with exceptional academic achievements, aims to pay tribute to the professional and personal career of the distinguished lawyer and professor Manuel Olivencia, for his important contributions to the legal, academic, and business fields. Through this initiative, the Foundation not only seeks to perpetuate Olivencia's legacy and his significant contribution to the development and consolidation of legal culture in Spain, but also to transmit the values of dedication, academic rigor, and social commitment that he embodied, thus promoting the comprehensive growth of new generations of lawyers.

Rocío Blanco, regional minister of Employment, Training and Self-Employment, emphasized that Manuel Olivencia embodied throughout his career the excellence that the Andalusian Government always strives to foster, and that the Cuatrecasas Foundation, through a prestigious jury, has now seen embodied in Marc Morros and Marta Vélez. As the minister emphasized, both receive this recognition for their academic trajectories, but above all for what they are called to achieve, as their talent holds promise for the future of the profession and also for our country. She added: "You are receiving an award named after an unparalleled figure like Manuel Olivencia, whose legacy lives on in our institutions and especially in our universities."

With a gross endowment of €60,000, the award is aimed at students pursuing their final degree in law, any combined degree, or a master's degree in law at a Spanish university. The winner will be able to invest the prize in a master's degree, doctorate, or research project in the field of business law during the 2025–2026 academic year at Spanish or foreign universities. Marc Morros plans to pursue a Master of Laws with an international specialization at Georgetown starting next September; while Marta Vélez plans to pursue a Master's degree in International Law at Leiden University.

In his speech, Rafael Fontana stated: "To Marc and Marta, and all the finalists, I say: you are the ambassadors of a generation that must face unprecedented legal challenges. Artificial intelligence, globalization, new digital rights... 21st-century law needs lawyers like you: brilliant, committed, and aware that your training is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.”

Comprised of independent individuals of recognized prestige in Spain in the legal, business, and academic fields, the jury included the following members: Macarena Olivencia, counsel at the firm, as honorary chair; Francisco Ballester, honorary partner at the firm, as chair; and Víctor Manuel Sánchez, general counsel and director of Legal Services and Good Governance at the Volkswagen Group in Spain; Miguel Trías, professor of Commercial Law at Esade Business & Law School; Miguel Ángel Castro Arroyo, rector of the University of Seville; Pilar Manchón Portillo, head of Artificial Intelligence at Google; María José Morillas Jarillo, professor of Commercial Law at the University Charles III of Madrid; and Nuria Orellana Cano, senior presiding judge of the Courts of Cádiz.

Due to the positive reception of this first edition, the Cuatrecasas Foundation is already working on organizing the second edition, which aims to reach more excellent students and help them foster a promising future.