Marixenia Davilla is European Partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Brussels office. Marixenia provides legal analysis and advice on complex competition law issues. Her practice focuses on all aspects of European competition law, advising on antitrust, merger control and State aid law issues.
Marixenia has unparalleled expertise and unique know how in dealing with complex and high-profile antitrust cases, from the beginning of the investigation until the adoption of the EC decision and litigation before the EU Courts. Marixenia’s practice focuses, in particular, on abuse of dominance cases and litigation before the EU Courts, having secured an unprecedented and final victory for Qualcomm, achieving the reversal of a c. EUR 1 billion fine, and the recovery of litigation costs (Case T-235/18 Qualcomm v Commission), as well as on complex merger control cases. Her experience includes work for European, U.S. and Asian clients and covers sectors as diverse as hi-tech, energy, pharmaceuticals, electronic communications, financial services, and aviation.
Marixenia has been named a Future Leader in Competition by Who’s Who Legal and a Rising Star by Legal500 each year since 2017, and amongst the 30 in their 30s notable women competition professionals in private practice by W@competition and PARR in 2017.
Prior to joining the firm, Marixenia worked as an antitrust associate in two international law firms in Brussels, and as a trainee at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Competition, where she focused on antitrust investigations in the electronic communications sector.
- Qualcomm Incorporated
- eBay
- StubHub
- Lonza Group
- Microsoft
- Samsung
- Nokia
- Societé Generale
- Piraeus Bank
- Eurobank
- Federation of European Publishers
- Nasdaq OMX
- Public Power Corporation
- Olympic Airlines and Olympic Airways
- Slovak Telekom
- Represented Qualcomm in Case T-235/18 Qualcomm v Commission, and achieved an unprecedented and final victory.
- Represented Qualcomm in Case T-671/19 Qualcomm v Commission.
- Representing Qualcomm in an appeal before the EU Court of Justice seeking the annulment of the General Court’s judgment in Case T-671/19 Qualcomm v Commission.
- Representing Qualcomm in ongoing litigation before the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal.
- Represented Qualcomm in the proposed acquisition of Autotalks (2024).
- Represented Qualcomm in the proposed acquisition of NXP (2016-2017).
- Regularly provides EU antitrust law advice to Qualcomm in the framework of various antitrust investigations in the EU and worldwide, and merger control advice in relation to potential acquisitions.
- Provides antitrust advice to corporations in the digital sector in relation to the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act.
- Provided EU antitrust law advice to a major U.S. supplier of cybersecurity solutions.
- Provided EU and UK merger control advice to eBay regarding of the sale of its ticketing platform StubHub to viagogo.
- Represented StubHub in relation to the CMA’s investigation of the viagogo/StubHub merger.
- Successfully represented a major European pharmaceutical company in the framework of an investigation by the European Commission of a complaint pursuant to Article 102 TFEU.
- Advises Lonza on various EU competition law matters.
- Provided competition law advice in relation to the resolution of non-performing loans by Greek financial institutions (2016).
- Provided regulatory and State aid law advice in relation to the recapitalisation of a major Greek financial institution (2015).
- Advised three major corporations in relation to complaints against Google under Article 102 TFEU (2012 to 2014).
- Advised Nokia in relation to an investigation of a complaint regarding an alleged infringement under Article 102 TFEU (2013 to 2015).
- Advised Samsung in the Commission investigation regarding the enforcement of Samsung’s UMTS standard essential patents (2012 to 2013).
- Provided legal advice to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund in the framework of the privatisation of the Public Power Corporation (2012).
- Provided legal advice to Societé Generale concerning the sale of its subsidiary Geniki to Piraeus Bank (2012).
- Assisted the European Commission in two cases before the General Court of the EU concerning the annulment of two Commission decisions rejecting complaints against De Beers for alleged infringement of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU (2007 to 2012).
- Provided EU and worldwide merger control advice to Textron in relation to a possible acquisition (2012).
- Represented two interested third parties in the preparation of their responses to the European Commission’s market test for the assessment of MMI’s acquisition by Google (2011).
- Involved in Nasdaq’s attempted acquisition of NYSE Euronext (“NYSE”), and in the preparation of Nasdaq’s submissions in response to the European Commission’s market test for the assessment of the proposed acquisition of NYSE by Deutsche Börse (2011).
- Represented the Federation of European Publishers in the context of the European Commission’s investigation into the e-books sector (2011).
- Represented the Public Power Corporation in proceedings before the European Commission and the General Court of the EU in a case relating to an alleged infringement by the Greek State of Articles 106(2)/102 TFEU, and 106(3) TFEU (2008 - 2011).
- Prepared the notification before the Bundeskartellamt of the creation of a joint venture on health related services between Medco Health Solutions and Celesio (2010).
- Represented Slovak Telekom in two applications for annulment of two Commission decisions requesting information in the framework of an investigation under Article 102 TFEU (2009 - 2010).
- Assisted in the preparation of the EU notification of the merger between the pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co and the Schering-Plough Corporation (2009).
- Represented the Hellenic Republic in the sale of the Hellenic Telecommunications Operator (“OTE”) to Deutsche Telekom and prepared the EU and worldwide merger control and regulatory notifications (2008).
- Provided State aid law advice in relation to the privatisation by the Hellenic Republic of Olympic Airways Services’ and Olympic Airlines’ assets (2008 - 2009).
- Involved in proceedings before the General Court of the EU relating to the successful application by Aker Warnow Werft (“AWW”) GmbH & Kvaerner ASA seeking the annulment of a European Commission decision adopted under the EU State aid rules (2009).
- University of London, King’s College London
(LL.M., Commercial and Corporate Law, 2005) - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
(LL. B., Law, 2004) - University of Vienna
(LL. B., Law, 2003)
- Athens, Greece
- Brussels, Belgium
- Athens Court of First Instance
- Athens Court of Appeal
- English
- French
- German
- Greek
- Shearman & Sterling:
- Associate, 2011-2017
- Howrey LLP:
- Associate, 2007-2011
- Legal 500 EMEA 2024: Belgium-in Competition EU and Global (Tier 3) – Rising Star, Other Key Lawyers.
- Legal 500 EMEA 2023: Belgium-in Competition EU and Global (Tier 3) - Leading Individual
- Named a future leader in Competition by Who’s Who Legal, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.
- Named amongst the 30 in their 30s notable women competition professionals in private practices by Women@competition and PARR.
- Author, chapter on technology transfer agreements in the Research Handbook European Patent Law, upcoming.
- Author, “Unravelling the Complexity of Blockchain and EU Competition Law,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 05 January 2022.
- Co-author, “The court’s ruling in Intel: Towards a modern application of Article 102 TFEU based on sound economic principles,” Concurrences No 1-2018 – On Topic – Intel.
- Author, “Is Big Data a Different Kind of Animal? The Treatment of Big Data Under the EU Competition Rules,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (2017) 8 (6): 370-381.
- Author, “Commission v DEI: the law on public companies or companies with special or exclusive rights that are led to abuse their dominant position,” Journal of European Competition Law & Practice (2015) 6 (1): 30-32. doi: 10.1093/jeclap/lpu102; first published online: November 24, 2014.
- Author, “The General Court’s judgment in Case T-169/08 PPC v. Commission,” Chilling Competition, 20 November 2012.
- Co-author, “Article 82 EC Remedies: Can the European Commission Break Up Utilities?” Utilities Law Review 16.