Irene Ávila
Senior AssociateIrene is a senior associate in the Litigation and Regulatory department at DLA Piper Spain, where she specialises in civil and commercial litigation and international arbitration. She has extensive experience in defining, developing and implementing procedural and defence strategies, both in the pre-litigation phase and in court and arbitration proceedings, in matters of high technical and economic complexity.
In addition, Irene provides ongoing advice to companies on civil and commercial matters, with a particular focus on contract interpretation, risk allocation and compliance with regulatory requirements under Spanish law. The combination of her litigation and advisory practice enables her to offer a pragmatic and structured legal approach, aimed at anticipating risks and providing solutions aligned with business needs.
In the course of her professional practice, Irene has advised leading companies in sectors such as energy, aeronautics, telecommunications, finance, automotive, construction and healthcare, on high-value contractual disputes, unfair competition, damages arising from breaches of competition law and civil liability. Her practice includes international arbitration, enforcement proceedings for foreign awards, litigation relating to public tenders, regulatory claims and corporate disputes.
EXPERIENCE
- Participation in a high-value arbitration before the CIAM-CIAR concerning the breach of representations and warranties in a sale and purchase agreement, requiring a complex analysis of contractual liability and the information provided during the transaction.
- Exequatur proceedings to obtain recognition in Spain of a Brazilian arbitral award imposing a substantial financial penalty in favour of an international company in the energy sector.
- Advising an international company in the aeronautical sector on litigation relating to airport concession tender procedures, including the challenge of tender specifications, interim measures and claims for alleged irregularities in the award.
- Advising an aviation sector company in unfair competition proceedings, including defending against allegations of allegedly irregular commercial practices in the field of airport services.
- Advising an international investment services firm in proceedings relating to the marketing of financial instruments, focusing on verifying compliance with regulatory obligations under Spanish and European legislation.
- Representation of a leading multinational group in the healthcare and consumer goods sector in civil proceedings relating to the performance of a contract for the supply of healthcare products and the agency contract for their subsequent distribution.
- Participation in legal proceedings on behalf of a telecommunications company concerning repeated breaches of contract by operators in network lease and usage agreements, including claims for damages arising from such breaches.
- Advising an international banking institution in civil liability proceedings arising from fraudulent transfers, focusing on the assessment of due diligence, fraud prevention protocols and issues of international jurisdiction.
- Disputes with online gambling players regarding the validity of general terms and conditions and claims for refunds, an emerging area of litigation in which several claims have been dismissed in their entirety by the courts.
- Spanish
- English
- University of Seville, PhD student in Law
- Carlos III University, Master of Access to the Legal Profession
- University of Seville, Degree in Law and Public Administration and Management
Publications and media
- Organic Law 1/2025 and MASC: a practical perspective to shed light on the remaining uncertainties (Part I), March 2026.
- One step away from the new regulation on class actions in Spain, 12 February 2026.
- New developments and amendments introduced by the Organic Law of 2025 on measures to improve the efficiency of the public justice sector, 16 January 2025.
- The Chilean doctrine of unforeseeability and the rebus sic stantibus clause in Spain: a comparative look at the approaches explored in both legal systems in cases of serious contractual imbalance caused by supervening, unforeseeable and extraordinary circumstances. Journal of Civil Law. Vol. X, No. 5 (October–December 2024), pp. 263–298.
- A comprehensive incorporation of the rebus sic stantibus clause into Spanish law in *La Modernizzazione della teoria generale delle obbligazioni e dei contratti*, Proceedings of the 3rd Ivs Civile Salmanticense-SISDic Congress, Edizione Scientifiche Italiane, Salamanca, 2024.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Seville Bar Association
- Spanish Business Litigation Club
- WLW (Women in the Legal World)