Chillin'Competition

Official Bio

Alfonso Lamadrid is a Partner at the EU and Competition Law Department of Garrigues, the head of the firm’s Brussels office, and a Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges).

He holds LL.M. degrees from Harvard Law School (2010) and the College of Europe (2007), and obtained a Law degree with a specialization in EU Law (Summa cum laude) from San Pablo CEU University (2006).

He has extensive experience in all areas of competition law as well as vast litigation experience, having acted on behalf of clients in over 80 cases before the EU Courts.

In 2019 he was named “Lawyer of the Year (Under 40)” by Global Competition Review, an award for which he was also a finalist in 2022. In 2020 and 2021 he was the recipient of the Client Choice Award for Competition Law in Belgium. He features in GCR’s “40 under 40” list of top antitrust experts worldwide (2020). In 2018 he was one of the six candidates shortlisted by the International Bar Association for the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award, covering all jurisdictions and practice areas.

All major legal directories (including Chambers, Legal 500, GCR/Who’s Who, IFLR, Best Lawyers and Acritas Star Lawyers) recognize Alfonso as a leading competition lawyer internationally. Prior to his promotion to partner, between 2014 and 2019, Chambers ranked him as the only “Star Associate” in EU competition law (“widely regarded as the rising star in EU competition law” with “outstanding experience in court appeals” (Chambers, 2017); “a dream lawyer in that he combines technical skills of the highest level and absolutely outstanding public relationship skills” (Chambers, 2018), “one of the brightest lawyers of his generation (…) clients enthuse that Lamadrid “thinks strategically, is smart, empathetic and understands the business” (Chambers, 2019);  “treats each case as if it was his own company that he represents and understands the business complexities underlying each step we take”; “very knowledgeable of the law and jurisprudence, sharp in formulating arguments, creative, an inclusive team player and a joy to work with.” (Chambers, 2023).” He has also been singled out by The Legal 500 as a “Next Generation Partner” (2018-2024).

Alfonso is the director of the EU and Spanish Competition Law Course at the IEB (Madrid), Visiting professor at the Brussels School of Competition (Brussels), and has lectured at several national and international universities and institutions , including Harvard Law School, the European University Institute, the Academy of European Law, the London School of Economics, the Global Competition Law Centre, the European Association of Competition Law Judges, the Rome Antitrust Forum and the Spanish and Swedish competition authorities. Alfonso has also trained competition enforcers from China, Japan, India, Korea, Spain, ASEAN countries and the EFTA Surveillance Authority. He is currently a non-governmental advisor for the Spanish Competition Authority before the International Competition Network (2022-2024), and previously held the same role for the European Commission (2017-2022).

Representative Highlights

• Representing Alphabet and Google before the General Court of the European Union and the Court of Justice of the EU in annulment and appeal proceedings concerning the European Commission’s decision in the Google Android case.
• Representing Alphabet and Google before the Court of Justice of the European Union preliminary reference proceedings concerning the Italian competition authority’s Android Auto decisision.
• Representing CCIA (Computer and Communications Industry Association) before the Court of Justice of the EU in the appeal proceedings in the Google Shopping case.
• Representing Banco Santander, AXA, Prosegur, World Duty Free, Abertis and Ferrovial before the EU Courts in appeal proceedings concerning European Commission decisions on State aid (financial goodwill saga).
• Representing over 40 investors in proceedings before the EU Courts concerning the annulment of the European Commission’s decision ordering the recovery of state aid granted under the Spanish “tax lease” regime.
• Representing Abengoa before the European Commission in an investigation and settlement procedure in relation to the Ethanol Benchmarks case.
• Representing Cementos Portland Valderrivas before the European Commission and before the General Court of the EU in the framework of an investigation in the EU cement sector and in court proceedings relating to requests for information.
• Representing Cellnex Telecom and other applicants, private and public administrations, in proceedings before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU in State aid matters.
• Representing EDP before the Court of Justice of the EU in proceedings concerning a European Commission decision to open a formal investigation into alleged State aid granted in the form of environmental incentives.
• Representing PACT (Producers Association for Cinema and Television), the association of British film producers, in the European Commission’s investigation into geoblocking clauses in agreements between the major Hollywood studios and Sky UK (Pay TV – Hollywod Studios).
• Representing the European Commission before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU in various proceedings concerning the Commission’s decision sanctioning a cartel in relation to the marketing of prestressed steel.
• Representing Cisco Systems in its action for annulment of the European Commission’s decision authorizing Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype.
• Representing Google in various proceedings brought by national competition authorities in the EU.