The Legal 500

Within Administrative law Other recommended firms

Within Banking and finance, tier 4

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP acted for Saras in the negotiation of a €170m five-year loan agreement with a pool of international and Italian banks; and Fiat Industrial in obtaining a €350m loan from the European Investment Bank to support its development of alternative power and fuel technologies for trains and other commercial vehicles. Rome-based Claudio Di Falco is recommended, as are Roberto Bonsignore and counsel Carlo de Vito Piscicelli in Milan.

Within Debt, tier 4

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s recent instructions included acting as Italian, US and international counsel to Fiat Finance and Trade – and guarantor Fiat – on its €600m offering, issued under Fiat’s €15bn GMTN programme. Rome-based Claudio Di Falco is recommended, as are Milan-based Pietro Fioruzzi and Giuseppe Scassellati-Sforzolini.

Within Equity, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s Milan-based Pietro Fioruzzi is a key contact. Rome-based Giuseppe Scassellati-Sforzolini has experience in multi-jurisdictional equity offerings by Italian companies; and Claudio Di Falco has acted on international capital market transactions, including an exchange offer and a yankee bond issue.

Within Corporate and M&A: Milan and Rome, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s highlights included acting as counsel to Ferretti Holding during the sale of Ferretti’s entire share capital, and advising A2A and Delmi on the sale and purchase of equity investments in Edison and Edipower. Milan-based Roberto Casati’s ‘advice and strategic acumen is outstanding’, and Matteo Montanaro, Roberto Bonsignore and Pietro Fioruzzi are also recommended. Rome-based Giuseppe Scassellati-Sforzolini is well regarded.

Within Dispute resolution, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP recently represented Sky Italia in winning an ICC arbitration instituted by RTI, which sought compensation for alleged breach of commitments to the EC. Rome-based Ferdinando Emanuele has developed an international litigation and arbitration practice, and is expert in multi-plaintiff and class action litigation. Emanuele is ‘always available to discuss issues with clients’. Milan-based Carlo Santoro was promoted to the partnership.

Within EU, regulatory and competition law, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a first tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s ‘dynamic and hardworking team’ recently represented Edison before the EU General Court, obtaining the annulment of a 2006 EC decision, which had handed down a €58m fine after holding Edison liable for the participation of its then wholly owned subsidiary, Ausimont, in a hydrogen peroxide cartel. It also successfully acted for Telecom Italia in a two-year long abuse of dominance investigation by the Italian Antitrust Authority (IAA) concerning the alleged failure to provide competitors with the information necessary to compete in tender procedures. Rome-based Mario Siragusa is ‘by far the best antitrust lawyer in Italy’; Giuseppe Scassellati-Sforzolini and Marco D’Ostuni are also recommended.

Within Energy, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a third tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s recent highlights include acting as counsel to A2A and Delmi in a transaction involving the sale and purchase of equity investments in Edison and Edipower. The team also assists energy companies with antitrust and other regulatory matters, as well as commercial litigation and arbitration.

Within Restructuring and insolvency, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a third tier firm,

Because of the firm’s experience in sovereign debt restructuring, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s Milan and Rome offices, alongside the international offices, became the legal advisers to the Hellenic Republic. The Italy practice acted for the equity investors in negotiations relating to the restructuring of Ferretti, the Italian yachtmaker, and its related sale.

Within TMT, tier 4

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP advises IT, media and telecoms clients on corporate transactions, regulatory matters, investigations, patent disputes, licensing, and competition law.

Within Tax, tier 4

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s Vania Petrella is recommended. The team advised the issuer Fiat Finance and Trade – and its guarantor – on the tax aspects of its €850m Reg S notes offering.