BRITISH lawyer Ralph Smith has been honoured with a Member of the British Empire (MBE) award for his services to the British Embassy and expat community in Spain.
Smith, international counsel at Gomez Acebo & Pombo law firm in Madrid, was included on the 2015 honours list as a result of his voluntary work on behalf of the British community in Spain.
Quick to applaud the work of his co-workers, Smith praised the ‘invaluable support’ of his colleagues and of his wife.
“It was a wonderful surprise to receive the news,” said Smith.
“But it’s also humbling to realize that nowadays, unless you live as a hermit in a cave, your work inevitably ends up being a team effort.
“You try to do your job the very best as you can, but when something like this happens, it’s just a delightful surprise.”
British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, added his congratulations to Smith’s honour.
He said: “I would like to congratulate Ralph for his richly deserved award after so many years of service to the British Embassy and to the British community in Spain.”
