The Legal 500

Within Administrative law, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato’s lawyers are experienced in public law contracts for public services, tenders and licences, as well as town planning and environmental law. Department head Filippo Pacciani, and senior counsels Giuseppe Abbruzzese and Sergio Starace are the key contacts. Starace joined from Studio Legale Associato in affiliation with Simmons & Simmons LLP.

Within Banking and finance, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a second tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato’s ‘team is very dynamic and hardworking’. It advised a pool of banks on financing the acquisition of Metroweb by a consortium, and the lenders on a motorway financing. Alberto Giampieri heads the department and ‘strong negotiator’ Monica Colombera leads the project finance team.

Within Debt, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato’s Andrea Giannelli is ‘always available with prompt advice’. The practice advised Enel on Enel Finance International’s €1.75bn issue of two series of notes on the Euro market under Enel and Enel Finance International’s €25bn GMTN programme.

Within Equity, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato advised AXA on its subscription option rights agreement pertaining to Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena’s share capital increase. Bruno Bartocci is recommended.

Within Corporate and M&A: Milan and Rome, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a second tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato is ‘a great law firm’. The team acted for Dicembre 2007 in divesting 7.3% of shares in Gruppo Coin, and represented Costa Crociere in its joint venture with Alpitour. In Rome, Filippo Troisi is recommended and Giovanni Nardulli is ‘an excellent co-ordinator of different groups’. Milan-based Bruno Bartocci is also a key contact.

Within Dispute resolution, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a second tier firm,

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.

Within EU, regulatory and competition law, tier 4

Legance Studio Legale Associato has ‘a good feel for how competition law is applied in Italy’. The practice advised Italgas in an abuse of dominance case, and assisted Visa in IAA proceedings against Mastercard and the major Italian banks for an alleged infringement of Article 101 of the TFUE with regard to domestic interchange fees. In Rome, team head Denis Fosselard ‘provides commercially focused and pragmatic advice’. Gilberto Nava is also praised, and senior counsel Vito Auricchio is ‘a capable, responsive lawyer’.

Within Employment, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato represented Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione in consultations with trade unions. Alberto Maggi is ‘available and business-minded’, and Tommaso Li Bassi and senior counsel Silvia Tozzoli are also well regarded.

Within Energy, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a second tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato recently advised the lenders on the financing of a portfolio of five photovoltaic power plants. Project finance specialist Monica Colombera is ‘helpful during negotiations’, and Filippo Pacciani heads the administrative law side. Additionally, Rosella Antonucci has ‘great knowledge of the energy sector’, and Giuseppe Abbruzzese and Sergio Starace are well regarded.

Within Legal market overview,

Among developments at law firms, NCTM Studio Legale Associato endured the departure of litigation partner Paolo Pototschnig and a small team to Legance Studio Legale Associato, and Pedersoli e Associati opened up in Turin after recruiting several equity partners from Grande Stevens: Studio Legale Associazione Professionale.

Within Real estate, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato is praised for its ‘quality advice and team support’. The practice advised Generali Properties on its acquisition of Immobiliare Milano’s entire stake in Citylife, and also assisted Fondi Immobiliari Italiani with obtaining a financing facility to acquire multiplex sites. Giovanni Nardulli is ‘effective in complex negotiations’, Alberto Giampieri is ‘highly competent’, and Bruno Bartocci, Filippo Troisi, Andrea Giannelli and Giandomenico Ciaramella are also key contacts.

Within Restructuring and insolvency, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato’s excellent banking practice makes it a strong choice for lender-led restructuring work, while its corporate finance practice ensures strength when assisting borrowers and advising on distressed M&A transactions. The team assisted UniCredit, Intesa Sanpaolo, BNL and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena with the debt restructuring of Ciccolella Group. The key contacts are Giandomenico Ciaramella and Stefano Parlatore in Rome, and ex-NCTM Studio Legale Associato partner Paolo Pototschnig in Milan.

Within TMT Other recommended firms

Within Tax, Legance Studio Legale Associato is a third tier firm,

Legance Studio Legale Associato’s ‘advice is always technically perfect and business-like’. It advised Venice Shipping and Logistics and Perseveranz on a joint venture, involving sophisticated corporate income tax issues, including the tax-efficient structuring of returns on the investment. Claudia Gregori is well regarded and Marco Graziani ‘easily combines the skills of a lawyer with those that we expect to find in a chartered accountant’.