The Legal 500

Bonelli Erede Pappalardo has ‘deep teams providing superior service’. The group recently acted in a high-value share capital dispute, and is especially strong in international arbitration. Genova-based Vittorio Allavena heads the team.

Lombardi Molinari e Associati ‘can turn desperate situations into acceptable deals’. The practice successfully assisted Parmalat in a civil trial commenced by Groupe Lactalis seeking to suspend the execution of a resolution taken by Parmalat’s board of directors to postpone a shareholders’ meeting. Giuseppe Lombardi is ‘extremely sharp, and has excellent knowledge of Italy’s business stakeholders’. Ugo Molinari is also a principal contact.

Pedersoli e Associati strengthened its bench through its merger with Marena D’Angelo & Fagotto. Recent instructions included representing majority shareholders of an Italian real estate company in approximately 20 proceedings, including claims challenging the validity of shareholders’ meeting resolutions. Valeria Mazzoletti is ‘a tough litigator when in court’. Filippo Casò and Andrea Magliani are also recommended.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer successfully acted for an international bank in the first Parmalat-related clawback case to reach verdict. Rome-based Fabrizio Arossa is a key contact, and in Milan Enrico Castellani and Giuseppe Curtò are praised.

Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners’ ‘proactive and thoughtful’ team acted in the Rinascente dispute, advising in a clash with the majority shareholders, the conflict having arisen from differing views regarding the sale of the company’s sole asset. Milan-based GianBattista Origoni and Alberto Nanni are recommended, and Rome-based Antonio Auricchio is also a key contact. Daniele Vecchi is ‘experienced in the procedural and substantive laws governing dispute resolution within Italy, as well as the EU’. In Rome, Augusta Ciminelli is praised for her ‘deep knowledge of the law and wise advice’. Federico Busatta and Alessandro Villani are also well-regarded practitioners. Of counsel Aulo Cossu joined from NCTM Studio Legale Associato in 2011.

Legance Studio Legale Associato was joined by NCTM Studio Legale Associato’s former partner Paolo Pototschnig. The practice is experienced in corporate litigation and is also noteworthy for banking litigation, having defended various banks in disputes arising from investor compensation claims arising from breaches of Italian bank regulations. Silvano Enne and Stefano Parlatore are the key contacts.

Allen & Overy – Studio Legale Associato’s Massimo Greco heads the Italian litigation and arbitration practice, which represented Cape Natixis and Cape Natixis Private Equity Fund in a dispute regarding the exercise of a put option of shares. Experienced practitioner Pasquale Cardellicchio is also recommended.

Studio Professionale Associato a Baker & McKenzie advised Hitachi Europe in a tort claim against the former directors and statutory auditors of Green Air in order to hold them liable for failing to preserve the integrity of the company’s assets. In Milan, Claudio Camilli, Gianfranco Di Garbo and counsel Silvia Picchetti are recommended. Gianfranco Macconi and counsel Guido Brocchieri are the principal contacts in Rome.

Chiomenti Studio Legale acted for Goib Luxembourg in arbitration proceedings regarding the alleged nullity of a settlement agreement. Andrea Bernava divides time between Rome and Milan, and is recommended along with Rome-based Ennio Cicconi. Silvio Martuccelli and Sebastiano Zimmitti are the key practitioners in Milan.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ‘stays on top of the issues’. The practice represented HSBC in civil proceedings brought by an Italian asset management fund arising from the Madoff fraud. Telecom Italia is also a client. Ferdinando Emanuele and William McGurn lead the team, and Emanuele provides ‘rare clarity in his advice and a remarkable intelligence’.

Clifford Chance successfully defended Citibank in criminal proceedings relating to market rigging in the Parmalat case, in which the bank and its executives were fully acquitted. Team head Fabio Guastadisegni and Carlo Felice Giampaolino are recommended. Recently promoted partner Antonio Golino leads the regulatory investigations, fraud and crime team.

De Berti Jacchia Franchini Forlani’s recent matters include successfully concluding litigation at first instance for a Swedish company’s receiver, defending damages and termination claims brought by an Italian purchaser of equipment. Maria Cristina Franchini is the key litigation contact and Giovanni De Berti is recommended for arbitration and ADR. Michelangelo Cicogna is also well regarded.

Studio Legale De Nova’s Giorgio De Nova is a widely respected litigation and arbitration expert.

‘Excellent litigator’ Francesca Rollaheads Hogan Lovells Studio Legale’s litigation department. The recruitment in 2010 of Rome-based Massimiliano Marinozzi has enhanced the firm’s profile in the insurance, automotive and sports sectors. Marinozzi ‘provides a very prompt and efficient service’. Recently appointed of counsel Filippo Chiaves is experienced in contentious insolvency, and is ‘extremely responsive and very sound in his advice’. Cristina Pagni joined Studio Legale Associato in affiliation with Simmons & Simmons LLP.

Labruna Mazziotti Segni was instructed to defend two of three class actions pursued against banks in Italy. The team is co-led by the ‘experienced and shrewd professional’ Enrico Zattoni, Francesco Ruggeri Laderchi and ‘valuable individual’ Guido Motti.

Studio Mariconda is frequently praised for its longstanding dispute resolution experience. Vincenzo Mariconda is ‘a deeply talented litigator’.

NCTM Studio Legale Associato endured the departure of Paolo Pototschnig for Legance Studio Legale Associato. Meanwhile, the practice assisted a solar energy plant owner in litigation concerning a joint venture and the financing and building of a plant. Maurizio Cimetti heads the practice. Alberto Toffoletto, Anthony Perotto and Gian Carlo Sessa are well regarded.

Studio Santa Maria acts in international and domestic litigation, and arbitrations. The practice has developed particular expertise in environmental disputes as well as securities litigation, including class actions and derivatives cases brought by security holders. Alberto Santa Maria and Claudio Biscaretti di Ruffia are the main contacts.

Studio Legale Schlesinger – Anelli’s Piero Schlesinger is a ‘first-rate litigator’. Franco Anelli is also recommended.

Ashurst advised Carifirenze in arbitration with BNP Paribas regarding corporate control of Findomestic. Ilario Giangrossi heads the practice, which in 2011 recruited Francesco De Gennaro to its newly opened Rome office from NCTM Studio Legale Associato.

Bird & Bird represented a company and its majority shareholders in a complex shareholder dispute action involving dismissal of the directors. Edoardo Courir and Antonio Danile are principal contacts, and Stefano Pravettoni is recommended for his ‘good knowledge, experience and communication skills’. Rome-based Osvaldo Lombardi is well regarded.

Margherita Barié leads the team at Carnelutti Studio Legale Associato, which was retained by a company under extraordinary administration for revocatory actions concerning payments for an aggregate amount of €80m, made in the six months prior to the declaration of its insolvency.

DLA Piper combines ‘a punctual and accurate boutique service, but is supported by an international approach and reach’. Italy head of disputes Bruno Giuffré is ‘sharp and experienced’, and the ‘smart and focused’ Raffaella Quintana in Rome leads in white-collar crime matters. The team recently acted in a dispute arising from the acquisition of the capital of two companies. David Marino, construction arbitration specialist Stefano Modenesi and Rome-based Francesco Cerasi are all praised.

Studio Legale Irti’s lawyers act as arbitrators and advocates in domestic and international commercial arbitration before major bodies, including the ICC and the Italian Arbitration Association. Nicola Irti, Alfredo Irti and Natalino Irti are recommended.

Macchi di Cellere Gangemi’s Silvia Lazzeretti is ‘an excellent litigator’. The team represented UBS in appeal proceedings relating to the merger of Edison into Italenergia and the fairness of the merger exchange ratio, achieving a successful first instance decision for UBS.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe assisted companies from the Marriott Group in a dispute with a private consumer regarding a timeshare agreement at a Spanish resort. Riccardo Troiano, leads the group, in which Milan-based Luigi Colombo and Giovanni Carcaterra are also key contacts.

Paul Hastings LLP represented Telecom Italia in criminal proceedings and multiple civil claims for damages deriving from corruption, data protection violations, espionage and IT crimes, allegedly committed by some of its former managers and employees to the detriment of more than 5,000 parties. Francesca Petronio leads the team, which welcomed associate Francesco Falco from Lombardi Molinari e Associati.

Pavia e Ansaldo successfully assisted Economy, Policy and Law Research Centre (EPLC) in an international arbitration appeal before CEPANI in Brussels against Soges.

Studio Legale Associato in affiliation with Simmons & Simmons LLP recently recruited Hogan Lovells Studio Legale’s former head of litigation Cristina Pagni, together with senior associate Gabriele Bonivento. Pagni has a focus on financial and insurance disputes. Of counsel Luca Basilio heads the white-collar crime department.

Giorgio Altieri leads Tonucci & Partners in alliance with Mayer Brown LLP’s disputes practice. Piergiorgio della Porta Rodiani is noted for civil and commercial litigation, as well as arbitration, with a strong focus on bankruptcy proceedings and insolvency cases.