The Legal 500

Bonelli Erede Pappalardo has a longstanding reputation for expertise in the financing and corporate aspects of real estate deals. The team acted on the sale of parts of a major real estate portfolio. Alessandro Balp is ‘very experienced’.

Chiomenti Studio Legale recently advised Hofima in the acquisition of units in real estate funds Omicron Plus and Core Nord Ovest. The pracice also represented Risanamento in the sale to Aedes of the remaining 50% stake of Turati Immobiliare and an additional 50% stake in Diaz Immobiliare. ‘Almost flawless’ team head Umberto Borzi is ‘a real asset at the negotiation table’.

DLA Piper continues to grow with the arrival of senior associate Francesco De Blasio from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. The practice advised Charter Hall on the sale of the real estate investment closed fund, Macquarie Office Italy, and acted for UniCredit Real Estate on the structuring of a project to bring all the UniCredit Group Milan offices together through the leasing of three skyscrapers. Davide Apollo and Olaf Schmidt are very well known to the market. Guido Inzaghi is a town planning expert.

Clifford Chance remains involved in the Italian real estate sector’s major deals. FIMIT SGR was advised on the launch of a new fund and Standard Life assisted with the acquisition of a company owning a to-be-developed commercial centre in northern Italy. Paolo Rulli is ‘an excellent lawyer’.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s competitors describe Marzio Longo as ‘simply brilliant’. The team acted for Burberry on the acquisition and development of Burberry’s stores in Italy, and assisted IKEA Centre Italia with the acquisition of a shopping centre under development. Pirelli Real Estate is a client. Emiliano Conio is noted for real estate finance transactions.

Gianni, Origoni, Grippo & Partners’ multidisciplinary practice fields lawyers who are experts in corporate law, zoning, environmental protection, finance and tax. The practice assisted SATOR Immobiliare in the formation of real estate fund Emilia. Domenico Tulli has advised on the restructuring of museums, the redevelopment of a major food market and the development of a former Alfa Romeo car-building site. Maria Grazia Lanero is recommended.

NCTM Studio Legale Associato consolidated its practice after reinforcing the group with Delli Santi & Partners’ arrival in 2009. Highlights included advising Italy’s National Social Security Institute on the establishment of a fund for the management and development of its real estate properties and provided strategic consultancy advice to Allianz on its relations with the other partners in CityLife, being the €3bn redevelopment of Fiera Milano and the largest real estate project currently underway in Italy. Riccardo Delli Santi is recommended.

Jones Day’s Matteo Troni ‘knows how to approach institutional investors’. The practice advised the developer Lasalle Investment Management in the renegotiation of a loan granted by Eurohypo to subsidiaries located in Italy, France, Germany and Luxembourg. Other highlights included acting on the acquisition of a logistics site and assisting with the sale of a company owning a shopping centre. Giovanni Marini is a key contact.

Legance Studio Legale Associato advised Generali Properties on the acquisition of a portion of the interest held by Lamaro Appalti in Citylife. On the finance side, a pool of banks was assisted with the loan agreement made available to SAI Investimenti.

Lombardi Molinari e Associati’s ‘advice is always prompt and appropriate’. The team acted for Castello SGR on the acquisition of two office buildings in Milan, and assisted Risanamento Group in the disposal of properties and development projects.

Allen & Overy – Studio Legale Associato’s Stefano Sennhauser is noted for real estate finance and ‘has a strong negotiating attitude when required’. The practice advised Foruminvest in connection with a €110m refinancing of a retail shopping centre.

Bird & Bird LLP’s Raimondo Maggiore is appreciated for his ‘legal knowledge and ability to deal with regulatory bodies’. The team advises several top real estate asset management companies operating in the Italian market, and is also experienced in a broad range of traditional real estate matters, including acquisitions, disposals, leases, property management, and project development. The practice advised BNP Paribas REIM SGR in relation to the liquidation of the first Italian real estate closed-end fund, Portfolio Immobiliare Crescita.

Carnelutti Studio Legale Associato’s Benedetta Amisano is ‘an excellent lawyer’. The practice assisted BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Italy in the purchase of a shopping centre in Padua and advised the CDS Group in a deal concerning the development of land that is destined for hotel and commercial activities. Intesa Sanpaolo is a client. Senior partner Luca Arnaboldi is a key contact.

The ‘swift and cost-effective’ De Berti Jacchia Franchini Forlani is increasingly focused on the administrative law and regulatory aspects of real estate management, alongside leasing. Recently, the practice was active in representing Italian clients in real estate deals in Russia, as well as Russians investing in Italy. Gianni Forlani is ‘to the point’, and recommended for his retail sector real estate work. IKEA is a client.

Hogan Lovells Studio Legale’s Milan managing partner Marco Rota Candiani is a corporate M&A lawyer with extensive experience in the real estate sector. The practice recently advised on the acquisition of two companies that respectively own two commercial centres. Senior associate Edoardo Disetti joined from Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP.

Peers rate Latham & Watkins LLP’ Simone Monesi highly. The practice represented Banca Popolare di Verona and UniCredit Corporate Banking as mandated lead arrangers in the €180m financing to Valdadige Sistemi Urbani for the realisation of an urban rehabilitation project in Bologna. Tommaso Amirante and Antonio Coletti are also key figures.

d’Urso Gatti e Bianchi Studio Legale Associato recently assisted Aedes in the sale of 50% of the stake in Real Investment Fund 3 and Real Investment Fund 4 to the Cordea Fund.

Gallavotti Honorati de Marco & Partners ‘knows the real estate sector very well’. The practice assisted Fintecna Immobiliare in the €282m acquisition of a significant stake interest in the company Italia Turismo, a tourism asset management company, owning a multi-asset portfolio composed of real estate properties and holiday resorts in different tourist locations throughout Italy. Alfonso Annibale de Marco, Claudio Honorati and Sergio Esposito Farber are principal contacts.

Labruna Mazziotti Segni works primarily on transactions involving direct and indirect acquisition of assets, the contribution of real estate portfolios to funds, and development projects, as well as litigation and arbitration real estate matters. The practice acted for Carrefour in a €70m transaction involving a commercial centre under construction in Trieste and advised Generali in a sale and lease back transaction of a building in Rome.

Norton Rose Studio Legale is active on the purchase, sale and finance side of commercial real estate transactions, its team comprised of corporate, finance, tax, and dispute resolution experts, as well as environmental, administrative and town planning law specialists. The practice advised Corio on the acquisition from Schroders of Le Vele Shopping Centre and the adjacent Millennium Entertainment Centre. Nicolò Juvara and Mario Lisanti are key contacts.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP acts for developers, financial institutions, opportunity funds, real estate operating companies, pension funds and advisors. Fortress Investment Group was advised by Alberto Del Din and Alessandro Stoppa in the establishment and management of various real estate funds in Italy. Del Din ‘stands out in all possible ways’.

SLA Osborne Clarke (Member of the Osborne Clarke Alliance)’s Daniele Zanni recently acted for Cattolica Immobiliare in the vesting of various real estate complexes into the Euripide real estate fund.