Clifford Chance
Miguel Odriozola is the Head of the Clifford Chance Antitrust team in Spain. He is a member of the Bar Associations of both Madrid and New York. Since 2000 he has been based in Madrid but splits his time between Madrid and Brussels.
Miguel is a frequent speaker at courses and seminars on EU and Spanish competition law. He has also authored several competition law publications and he is the editor and co-author of the first treatise on the Spanish competition Act and its Regulation. He advises Spanish and international companies on all aspects of Competition Law, both in relation to the Spanish and the EU context. He has extensive experience in matters regarding restrictive practices and merger control operations in the telecommunications, technology, aviation, consumer goods and energy sectors.
Since 2019, Miguel has been a non-governmental advisor (NGA) to DGComp (European Commission) at the International Competition Network (ICN) Unilateral Conduct Working Group.
- The Superleague before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice in case C-331/21 against UEFA and FIFA
- Telefónica on its 31 billion EUR JV with Virgin Media (Liberty Global) to create the leading telecom player in the UK.
- Telefónica, S.A. before the Supreme Court on its successful appeal against the EUR 47 million fine imposed for alleged abuse of dominance in the SMS market.
- easyJet on the acquisition of Air Berlin assets cleared by the European Commission in December 2017; and (ii) its intervention in LOT’s appeal before the General Court for the defence of the referred acquisition.
- Oracle before the CNMC, the Appellate Court and the Supreme Court in its defence against HP's complaint for abuse of a dominant position on markets related to new technologies and databases.
- Cartonajes International, S.L. (International Paper) before the CNMC in infringement proceedings for restrictive practices in the paper and cardboard markets in Spain, and on its successful appeal before the Appellate Court against the EUR 1.9 million fine imposed by the CNMC.
- Telefónica on (i) the acquisition of control over DTS (Canal+) from Prisa in 2015; and (ii) before the Appellate Court to defend the referred acquisition.
- Antena 3 before the European Commission and the CNC on its merger with La Sexta. This is the first and only merger approved by the Council of Ministers in the third phase of the proceedings under the 2007 Competition Law Act.
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Madrid
Clifford Chance, Brussels - +34915909460 +3225335946
- Email me
- Follow me on LinkedIn
- Speaks Spanish, English, German and French
- Practice area Antitrust, EU & trade
- Sector Consumer goods & retail, Transport & logistics, Telecommunications, media & technology
Career and qualifications
- Law School of the University of Chicago (LLM, SJD) 1997
- Joined Clifford Chance 1999
- Head of the Clifford Chance Competition and EU Law Department in Spain since 2000
- Partner since 2004
Awards and citations
- “ Miguel Odriozola is calm when providing legal advice.”
“ The vibe I get is that he's one of the pre-eminent lawyers in Spain.”
Chambers Europe Guide 2023 Spain: Competition/European Law (Band 1) - “ Miguel Odriozola is an outstanding practitioner with a vast amount of experience in handling merger control procedures, investigations, dawn raids and state aid matters. Clients enthuse: "Miguel has a deep knowledge of competition law and works together with his team for a successful resolution of the problems through a detailed study of the issues, providing solutions which add value."”
Chambers Europe Guide 2022 Spain: Competition/European Law (Band 1) - Miguel Odriozola is an outstanding practitioner with a vast amount of experience in handling merger control procedures, investigations, dawn raids and state aid matters. Clients praise his "super pragmatic approach based on the best knowledge of the field," going on to emphasise that he "establishes trust and makes you feel very well advised."
Chambers Europe 2021: Tier 1 Spain, Competition/European Law - Miguel Odriozola draws notable praise from clients: "He is a great lawyer and one of the best in competition in Spain." He has particular expertise in alliance agreements and merger control cases arising from the aviation industry, as well as behavioural matters such as abuse of dominance cases or cartel investigations. He has additionally strong capabilities assisting clients with challenging CNMC decisions and filing complaints before the EC.
Chambers Europe 2019: Tier 1 Spain, Competition/European Law - Spanish competition lawyer in the Hall of Fame
Legal 500 2018: EU and Competition (Band 1) - Interviewees appreciate that Miguel Odriozola is "very attentive, cares about client needs and always goes the extra mile.“ Other sources refer to him as "a brilliant lawyer who possesses vast antitrust knowledge and experience and is pragmatic."
Chambers Europe 2018: Tier 1 Spain, Competition/European Law - Peers identify Miguel Odriozola as "one of the best competition lawyers in Spain," while clients note: "You get the sense that he is well liked by his opponents, which helps a lot." "He combines a solid legal knowledge with an excellent pragmatic and commercial approach," states another interviewee. Odriozola has a wealth of experience advising on merger control mandates across the telecommunications, aviation and IT industries
Chambers Europe 2018: Spain, Competition/European Law - Miguel Odriozola enjoys a stellar reputation for his work representing high-profile clients from a variety of sectors in competition matters such as merger control operations. Sources praise his team management style and the way that he listens to the client, with comments about him including: "He's very smart in the sense that he can see nuances that others can miss." Another source adds: "He's very practical and he has a perfect vision of the market – he's out of the ordinary."
Chambers 2017: Spain, Competition/European Law (Band 1) - The "magnificent" Miguel Odriozola heads the highly rated practice.
Legal 500 2017: EU and Competition (Band 1)