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Alvaro Pliego Selie

Counsel

Antitrust and competition | ESG and sustainability | Regulatory and compliance advisory | Telecommunications |

Alvaro Pliego Selie is an intelligent, sharp and pragmatic lawyer who thinks in terms of solutions and displays a high level of strategic thinking

Chambers Europe 2022

Profile details

About Alvaro Pliego Selie

Alvaro is a Counsel in our global ACT practice, specializing in:

  • Antitrust / competition law
  • EU state aid
  • EU market regulation (single market, telecoms, tech, energy) 

He has acted on many international and high-profile litigious and M&A matters, including a number of appeals against the EU tax ruling decisions in the area of state aid; as well as EU cartel and merger litigation (UPS/TNT, KPN v. Commission). Another core part of Alvaro's practice is advising clients in sectors including (online) tech, telecoms, media, FMCG and energy on complex EU regulatory matters (sector regulation, free movement, consumer protection).  

Alvaro is recognized in Chambers Europe (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019): "Alvaro Pliego Selie is an intelligent, sharp and pragmatic lawyer who thinks in terms of solutions and displays a high level of strategic thinking.""He is experienced acting on a range of litigious antitrust and regulatory matters. He often advises clients in the energy and telecoms sectors and offers additional experience in state aid matters. Clients highlight his 'high service level' and quick responses". Alvaro also features in Who's Who Legal: Competition (2022) and previously in Future Leaders Competition (2021) (2020) (2019) and (2018): "Alvaro Pliego Selie is a top name, recommended for his 'pragmatic and straightforward approach'. He is held in high regard by international sources thanks to his 'excellent understanding of market and stakeholder sensitivity'." 

Before joining Freshfields in 2011, he spent five years at the Dutch Competition Authority as a member of its Legal Service. During his 2015 secondment to our London office, Alvaro advised on a number of large UK transactions. 

Alvaro works in Dutch, Spanish and English

Recent work

  • Represents UPS in its damage claim procedure against the European Commission's in relation to the unlawfully prohibited UPS/TNT merger.
  • Represented Airbnb at the European Court of Justice in a procedure regarding the qualification of its services under the EU free movement rules.
  • Acts for several multinationals on their challenge of the European Commission's state aid decisions involving "tax rulings".
  • Represented UPS in its successful appeal of the European commission's UPS/TNT merger control decision, resulting in a landmark European Court of Justice judgment.

Qualifications

Education

  • University of Amsterdam (LL.M),
  • Grotius Competition Law (postgraduate specialisation training)

Professional memberships

  • admitted to the Amsterdam bar

Publications

  • Upcoming offshore wind energy tenders in the Netherlands – what you need to know Video

  • The Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 2016 The Commission’s State Aid Control over Renewable Energy Stimulation Measures Reinforced Case T-47/15 Germany v. Commission

  • Een beetje merkbaar mag wel; een reactie op de column van Paul Glazener, Markt en Mededinging, 2016 Hoe merkbaar moet het zijn?

  • (ed. VerLoren van Themaat/Reuder), contributor chapters on art. 102 TFEU and art. 106 TFEU, Edgar Elgar, 2015 European Competition Law: a case commentary

  • noot bij CBB-uitspraken inzake Boomkwekerijen Markt en Mededinging, 2014 '‘Aan een boom zo vol geladen …’'

  • (red. VerLoren van Themaat/Reuder), contributor chapters on abuse of dominance and market distorting state activities, Kluwer 2012 Nederlands Mededingingsrecht 2012/2013

  • Nederlands tijdschrift voor Europees recht, 2012 Aansprakelijkheid moeder en recidive - Rechter eist zorgvuldigheid bij toepassen mededingingsrechtelijk ondernemingsbegrip

  • Marge-uitholling onder de Sherman Act Markt en Mededinging, 2009