PROFESSIONAL ROLES
Gabriele Donà has developed nearly thirty years of experience in European Union law (both substantive and procedural) within a leading law firm, where he continues to serve as Managing Partner.
In addition to handling matters relating to EU law before all Italian courts (tax, administrative, civil and criminal), including the highest courts (such as the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Council of State and the Constitutional Court), he regularly appears before the Court of Justice of the European Union. [To date in 34 proceedings – arising from so-called “direct” actions, including claims for damages, against acts and conduct of certain EU institutions (European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Parliament) or based on arbitration clauses (in relation to public-private partnerships, through “joint undertakings”, between the European Union and the industrial sector), or initiated following preliminary rulings referred by national courts – concerning the following matters: antitrust agreements, State aid, taxation, customs law, EU agricultural law, fisheries, environment, imports from third countries, European parliamentary law, EU grants to research consortia, administrative transparency of EU institutions and European civil service law].
He has also acted, under the freedom to provide services regime, before Belgian, German, Portuguese and French courts, in both domestic and international arbitration proceedings, and before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
He has served as Adjunct Professor of European Union Law and EU Procedural Law at the Department of Legal and Business Sciences of LUM University of Bari-Casamassima (academic years 2022/2023, 2023/2024 and 2024/2025).
Previously, he was Adjunct Professor of “EU Procedural Law: Litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union” at the Department of Law of the University of Ferrara (academic years 2008/2009 to 2012/2013).
Former President of the “Union des Avocats Européens” (U.A.E.), based in Luxembourg (from 2018 to 2020). [Vice President (from 2014 to 2018); Member of the Executive Committee (from 2014 to present)].
Director of the U.A.E. specialization courses in Italy for obtaining the title of “Specialist Lawyer in European Union Law” (since 2025). [Member of the joint Scientific Committee “University of Milan, Milan Bar Association, U.A.E.” for the specialist training course leading to the same qualification (since 2026)].
Member of the Scientific Committee of the “International and EU Taxation” Commission of the Naples Chartered Accountants and Accounting Experts Association (since 2026).
He is regularly invited, both in Italy and abroad, to lecture – in academic and professional settings – on substantive and procedural EU law matters.
PRACTICE AREAS
EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS
Law Degree, University of Padua (1996)
Admitted to the Padua Bar (1999)
Registered advocate before the Court of Justice of the European Union, Luxembourg (since 1999)
Qualified to plead before the Supreme Court of Cassation and other higher courts (since 2012)
PUBLICATIONS
He is the author of numerous articles on EU law (substantive and procedural), including:
“A Revolution in the World of Sport: from Walrave and Koch to Donà v. Mantero”, in European Integration through Community Case Law (1954–1974): Processes, Actors, Narratives, edited by A. Arena, M.E. Bartoloni, M. Riberi, vol. III, pp. 1195–1216 (Editoriale Scientifica, 2026);
“Rights of Defence and Good Administration in Antitrust Proceedings in the Recent Case Law of the Court of Justice of the European Union”, in the proceedings of the XVI Treviso Antitrust Conference (Larcier-Intersentia, 2025);
“Preliminary References to the Court of Justice of the European Union by National Courts”, PQM (December 2024);
“The Action for Annulment and the Innovations Introduced by the Lisbon Treaty”, Diritto comunitario e degli scambi internazionali (2010);
Commentary on judgments of the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Communities (Il Sole 24 Ore Group, 2000–2002).
He also contributed commentary on Articles 121–127 of the Rules of Procedure (written phase of proceedings) in Le regole del processo dinanzi al giudice dell’Unione europea (Editoriale Scientifica, 2017).
He is co-author (with Wilma Viscardini) of the monograph La tutela penale e amministrativa degli operatori economici e gli interessi finanziari dell’Unione europea (Cedam, 2000).
He has edited the following collective works:
A European Union of Justice: Challenges for Judicial Cooperation in Europe (Larcier-Intersentia, 2024);
Le règlement extrajudiciaire des litiges (REL) dans le contexte juridique européen (Larcier-Intersentia, 2024).