The "exceptional" orator that Pujol defends and whose speeches he never recovers

BarcelonaThis week, the trial of the Pujol family began. In the National Court, one lawyer's intervention stood out among the defense arguments. This was Cristóbal Martell, who is defending former president Jordi Pujol and several of his children, including Jordi Pujol Ferrusola, the family member for whom the prosecution is seeking the longest prison sentence. Martell's presentation of preliminary matters served to introduce many topics that the other lawyers responded to and elaborated upon, earning him praise from fellow lawyers present in the courtroom who were defending other defendants. For example, Fermín Morales, the lawyer for an Andorran businessman under investigation for doing business with Pujol Jr., described Martell's intervention as "brilliant": "It leaves little room for nuance." Martell, who has represented, among others, Messi, Dani Alves, and Jonathan Andic, the son of the founder of Mango, explains to ARA that he takes his work with great "responsibility and commitment." "Ultimately, someone has placed a problem they're suffering in your hands," he says. That's why he believes the profession requires "a lot of dedication and hard work." Legal professionals in the sector who have known him for years highlight his "exceptional oratory skills," as well as his "extremely important" legal training. "There are many people who know a lot about law but don't know how to present it, and this man is phenomenal," they say. In fact, this skill was evident during his appearance on Monday, with constant gestures and exclamations that created a much more expressive and passionate discourse than what is usually seen in courtrooms. However, Pujol's lawyer admits that he tries not to listen to himself afterward: "I'm very embarrassed by it, I don't like it."

On Monday, during his presentation, Martell relied on stacks of papers, separated by topic in colored folders, one for each preliminary issue. "Each folder is like a jewelry box," he explained. "In each one, I have the case law and legislation that supports each topic. Also, some keywords for each issue. It gives me confidence to have them close at hand, but I don't really follow them closely." In fact, although he was opening and closing folders, he practically never looked at their contents. The key to delivering a good presentation, both in content and style, he says, is to know the case inside and out. From there, with the confidence that this gives him, he explains it as it comes to him that day.