Alvaro Pliego Selie is a Partner in our global Antitrust, Competition and Trade practice. He has a strong focus on antitrust and tech litigation before the European Courts, representing clients on high profile mandates, including some of the largest global tech, energy, and fast-moving consumer goods firms as well as financial services providers. Alvaro also advises private capital investors and other clients on regulatory aspects of their global transactions and (EU) regulatory matters.
A former regulator, Alvaro joined Freshfields in 2011 from the Dutch Competition Authority, where he handled antitrust cases and represented the authority in court. During his 2015 secondment to Freshfields' London office, he advised on a number of large UK transactions.
Alvaro teaches competition law in The Netherlands and the UK and contributes to several EU antitrust handbooks. He also sits on the board of a non-profit organising the leading annual antitrust conference in The Netherlands.
Alvaro is held in high regard by international sources, being acknowledged as a leading EU and antitrust lawyer by several ranking publications, with client feedback including that his “knowledge of his subject is exceptional, as are his advice and drafting skills – coupled with strong business acumen.”
He speaks Dutch, Spanish, and English.
- Representing Airbnb in a landmark case on its platform status under EU law
- Representing a number of US and European clients, including LSEG on state aid procedures before the European Courts
- Representing UPS Inc. on its successful challenge of its blocked acquisition of TNT Express and subsequent claim for damages
- Representing Slovak Post before the European Courts in an abuse of dominance appeal
- Representing Shell and NEC before the European Courts on their challenges of antitrust fine decisions
- Representing ExxonMobil before the EU General Court on its pending litigation against an EU windfall tax
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