Ceyhun Necati Pehlivan
Known to clients as "Cey" (pronounced “Jay” in English)Founder · Admitted to the Bar, Madrid, SpainA top-tier lawyer advising companies, founders and investors on commercial, regulatory and technology matters across Spain, the European Union and international markets.
He combines technical legal excellence with a deep understanding of business and regulatory environments, delivering clear, strategic and pragmatic advice on complex and cross-border matters.
Recognition
A Top-Tier International Practice
Ceyhun Necati Pehlivan is recognised as a leading lawyer by major international legal directories and is described as a “technology authority” (Legal 500).
He has built his career at leading international law firms and in-house at global institutions, working across Madrid, London, Amsterdam and Geneva, and advising multinational clients on complex, high-value and cross-border matters.
Following this experience, he founded Cornerstone Counsel to deliver legal advice at the level of top international firms, in a more agile, focused and accessible way.
Band 3: TMT – Europe and Spain
2024, 2025, 2026
Next Generation Partner
Key TMT lawyer
2024, 2025, 2026
Listed in the Lexology 100
(formerly GDR 100)
Since 2023
Privacy / Data Protection & Corporate / M&A Law
7 consecutive years since 2020
Top 10 Cybersecurity Lawyers in Spain
Top 50 Rising Stars (Spain & Portugal)
2022
Finalist – Best Young Lawyer in Spain
2020Feedback
Selected Client Feedback
“Ceyhun Pehlivan is very sharp and always helpful.”
“He is highly knowledgeable, possesses a deep understanding of the market and consistently offers practical solutions to complex matters.”
Chambers & Partners · 2026
“Ceyhun Pehlivan is very knowledgeable and always follows the latest industry trends.”
“We work with Ceyhun Pehlivan at Linklaters. He has a proactive personality. He provides detailed information on every topic we discuss. We are confident in his competence and knowledge.”
Legal 500 · 2026
“Leading individual”
“Ceyhun Pehlivan regularly assists clients with a range of data protection mandates, including privacy and cyber issues. He notably services key technology companies in the industry.”
CHAMBERS & PARTNERS · 2024
“Very deep subject matter knowledge and experience.”
LEGAL 500 · 2024
[Ceyhun] has worked on a number of high profile – albeit confidential – data protection issues, including advising on a large scale technology outsourcing project and helping guide the roll out of a tech giant’s financial services initiative.”
GLOBAL DATA REVIEW · 2024
“Apart from having an extraordinary CV, he speaks five languages perfectly, which demonstrates the truly international, multicultural and multilingual character of Ceyhun.”
“Since his arrival [at Linklaters], he has been a key player in the development of the Intellectual Property, Technology, Media and Telecoms and Data Protection departments of the Madrid office.”
“He has led the largest security breach in Mexico’s history and was selected by Iberian Lawyer as one of the Spanish Top 10 lawyers in the field of Cybersecurity.”
“The current managing associate and head of the Data Protection and Cybersecurity area of Linklaters in Spain, has an extensive experience advising multinational companies on Data Protection, Privacy and Cybersecurity.”
“He has been involved in very complex issues at an international level, such as the largest cyber-attack in the history of Mexico.”
IBERIAN LAWYER
Experience
Professional Experience
Cornerstone Counsel · Madrid, Spain
Founder & Managing Partner
Boutique practice advising companies, founders and investors on commercial, regulatory and technology matters across Spain, the EU and internationally.
Commercial · Regulatory · Technology
Linklaters · Madrid, Spain
Led the Technology, Media & Telecoms (TMT) and Intellectual Property (IP) practice in Madrid, advising multinational clients on data protection, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, commercial contracts and complex regulatory matters.
TMT · IP · Data Protection · AI
BlackRock · In-house (Secondment from Linklaters)
Seconded to one of the world’s largest asset managers, advising within a highly regulated financial environment from an in-house perspective.
In-house · Financial Services · Regulatory
Philips · Amsterdam, The Netherlands HQ
Senior Legal Counsel
Advised on data protection and information security, developing a strong understanding of legal department operations and business needs, and informing a pragmatic, business-oriented approach to client work.
In-house · Data Protection · Information Security
DLA Piper · Madrid, Spain
Information Technology & Intellectual Property Lawyer Associate
Advised on technology, IP and digital regulation across multiple sectors.
Technology · IP · Digital
Lenz & Staehelin · Geneva, Switzerland
Paralegal and Legal Clerk – Litigation & International Arbitration
Started his legal career at one of Switzerland’s leading law firms, gaining solid experience in litigation and international arbitration.
Litigation · International Arbitration
Leadership roles
Professional and Industry Roles
Ceyhun is actively involved in leading international industry organisations and professional bodies, contributing to the development of policy, regulatory frameworks and market practice in technology, privacy and digital regulation.
His roles include:
Secretary General, Board and Executive Committee Member at the Spanish–Turkish Chamber of Commerce
Former Member of the European Advisory Board at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Former Chair of the Spain Chapter at IAPP
Former Board Member at the International Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Privacy Consortium (IPMPC) (formerly International Pharmaceutical Privacy Consortium (IPPC)
Public Speaking
A Regular Voice at Leading International Forums
Ceyhun is a regular speaker at leading international forums, institutions and industry events — including the United Nations, the European Parliament, academic institutions and professional associations worldwide.
Speaking Engagements
For speaking invitations, conference participation or panel engagements, please get in touch.
Selected Engagements
United Nations Headquarters (New York) – Speaker on AI and Equality, session organised in the context of CSW69
European Parliament (Brussels) – AFCO Workshop on Institutional Aspects of Artificial Intelligence in the Context of European Integration
Additional engagements at leading industry associations, academic institutions and international forums
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) – Global Privacy Summit
Digital Enterprise Show — Keynote speaker on Artificial Intelligence and Exponential Technologies
Futuro Perfecto — Horizon Deep Tech Summit (Madrid), panelist on deep tech, semiconductors and regulatory frameworks
Madrid Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Spanish–Turkish Chamber of Commerce – Speaker on AI Regulation and Governance in the EU and Türkiye
Additional engagements at leading industry associations, academic institutions and international forums
Work with Cey directly.
Top-tier advice, delivered directly at partner level – with a more agile and focused approach.