The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Italy > Dispute resolution

BonelliErede’s ‘remarkably trustworthy’ team is jointly headed by Vittorio Allavena, who specialises in complex litigation, and international arbitration expert Laurence Shore. The practice is highly regarded in both areas and recently represented Atahotels in a damages action filed by Fondazione Enpam and Enpam Real Estate regarding an alleged lack of execution of improvement construction works pertaining to Tanka Village Resort during the lease period. The group’s client roster also includes A2A, Cassa di Risparmio Cesena, Banca CR Firenze and La 7. Monica Iacoviello ‘is an outstanding litigator' who is particularly noted for 'tough and complex hearings’ and ‘has a natural gift in illustrating highly sophisticated trial strategies to clients’.

The ‘well-prepared, responsive and helpful’ team at Lombardi e Associati ‘has very strong capabilities and expertise as well as outstanding partners in the field of litigation for commercial and civil matters’, and is also noted for its financial and corporate expertise. Founder Giuseppe Lombardi ‘can always help in finding and defining the best strategy for the litigation, in particular in multiparty or multi-jurisdictional matters’ and newly promoted partner Chiara Mancini is ‘a quick thinker, an excellent strategist and is always very responsive with a business-driven mentality focused on trying to find the best possible solution for the company she assists’. In a recent highlight, the practice represented longstanding client Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena in two liability disputes against Deutsche Bank and Nomura International regarding multibillion-euro repo transactions; other work includes acting for Alstom Ferroviaria in challenging an arbitral award related to a consortium, which concerns the construction of the Italian high-speed railway system. Lotario Dittrich and ‘great lawyer’ Manuela Soligo are other names to note. Associate professor Riccardo Campione joined the firm as a counsel in September 2017. Christian Patelmo left in January 2018 to join Carnelutti Studio Legale Associato.

The department at Chiomenti has good strength in depth and international capabilities in administrative, financial and corporate law and is praised for being ‘professional, efficient, dedicated and transparent in its relationship with the client’. In recent highlights, the team represented Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti in a dispute arising from the construction of a luxury hotel in Sudan, and acted for the relative majority shareholder Vivendi in proceedings aimed at suspending a resolution made by the statutory auditors of Telecom Italia. Practice head Silvio Martuccelli, Andrea Bernava and counsel Sebastiano Zimmitti are the key contacts in the practice. Luca Ferrari was promoted to partner in January 2018. Ennio Maria Cicconi left to found his own boutique in October 2018.

Corporate, financial and antitrust matters are the mainstays of Clifford Chance’s dispute resolution practice, as well as civil and criminal law issues. Head of team Fabio Guastadisegni and Carlo Felice Giampaolino represented Elipso Finance in the arbitration against Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena regarding an alleged breach of guarantees connected to the selling of financial receivables; Antonio Golino and Jean-Paule Castagno are acting as counsel of record for the former managers of Seat Pagine Gialle and Permira in a criminal investigation concerning an alleged bankruptcy fraud.

The sizeable team at DLA Piper provides comprehensive advice on a wide range of contentious work, including corporate, financial and commercial litigation and arbitration. Stefano Modenesi heads the team. In recent work, the group defended Fondo Italiano d’Investimento and the directors and auditors appointed by the client in manufacturing company Zeis Excelsa in a claim brought by a minority shareholder regarding alleged serious irregularities in the administration of the company. In 2018, counsel Alessia Marconi joined from Studio Legale Associato a Watson Farley & Williams and Davide Rossetti was promoted to partner. White-collar crimes expert Raffaella Quintana, Alessandro Lanzi, Italy managing partner Bruno Giuffré and Francesco Cerasi are other names to note.

Hogan Lovells International LLP ‘provides exceptionally thorough analysis of all legal issues, granting all the instruments to take quick decisions’, and has expertise in the full gamut of contentious matters, from banking, corporate and commercial litigation to real estate and product liability matters. The group successfully defended a tobacco manufacturer in a case brought by consumers regarding liability for the health risks associated with smoking. ‘Brilliant’ head of team Francesca Rolla, who is ‘always prompt to react to urgent and complicated issues with a calm approach, providing the most appropriate suggestions’, is representing New York University in a longstanding dispute regarding the bequest of Sir Harold Acton’s estate in Florence. Filippo Andrea Chiaves and the ‘skilled, experienced and customer-focused’ Christian Di Mauro are the other names to note, while counsel Andrea Atteritano’s ‘thorough work’ and ‘intimate grasp of facts’ also impresses.

Legance - Avvocati Associati advises on contentious financial and white-collar criminal law matters, as well as antitrust, IP and insolvency-related disputes. In recent highlights, Stefano Parlatore represented Henkel Italia in several injunction proceedings aimed at obtaining the withdrawal of certain competitors’ products from the market and acted for the same client in the negotiation of settlement agreements, and Daniele Geronzi represented Banca Nazionale del Lavoro in various proceedings against Ferrovie del Sud Est e Servizi Automobilistici regarding issues of procedural, bankruptcy, administrative and criminal law. Arbitration proceedings are another area of expertise; Cecilia Carrara is the key contact in this space.

Nctm Studio Legale acts for clients in a variety of sectors, including energy, real estate, TMT, insurance, banking and finance. The ‘excellent’ and sizeable team, led by Alberto Toffoletto, has ‘very strong technical and strategic skills’ and ‘always tries to find alternative solutions by adopting a pragmatic approach’. It successfully represented Erg Power in an arbitration against Cogest Consorzio Gestioni regarding the maintenance and renovation works to be performed on a plant in Sicily and is defending Telecom Italia in a follow-on antitrust damages action brought by Vodafone. The group also represents the EU Council before the EU courts regarding the tariffs imposed at EU borders on imports from various third countries. ‘Excellent strategic-thinker’ Angelo Anglani is also recommended. Michele Zucca and Martino Andreoni were promoted to equity partner in June 2018.

‘Prestigious’ Pedersoli Studio Legale handles a wide range of contentious matters, from banking, securities, corporate, commercial and criminal litigation to domestic arbitration. The team adopts 'a unique approach to problem solving linked to strong knowledge and competence’ and ‘researches every possible legal aspect’. Practice head Carlo Pedersoli, the ‘energetic and passionate’ Andrea Magliani and Filippo Casò are noted. White-collar and corporate criminal law expert Enrico Maria Mancuso joined from Studio Professionale Associato a Baker & McKenzie in January 2018.

Dentons’ ‘pragmatic, reliable and pro-active’ department provides 'an excellent level of service’ and has 'an in-depth commercial understanding of the sector in which the client operates’. Active in international and domestic litigation and arbitration across a wide range of sectors, including banking, corporate, pharmaceutical, real estate and construction, energy and consumer goods, the practice is led by Sara Biglieri, who is ‘fast, always on top of the situations and a valuable resource for the client when difficult decisions have to be taken’. Newly promoted partner Davide Traina impresses with his ‘negotiation and professional capabilities’. The team successfully represented a real estate developer in a cross-border construction dispute against Interium regarding a luxury mixed-use development in Kazakhstan. Matteo Vizzardi, who focuses on white-collar criminal law, was a new arrival from Luca Santa Maria e Associati in January 2019.  ‘Brilliant’ criminal law expert Armando Simbari, who arrived in February 2018 from Dinoia Federico Pelanda Simbari Uslenghi, rejoined his former firm in February 2019.

Noted for its ‘exceptional competence, in particular in corporate and commercial law', Mondini Rusconi Studio Legale’s team ‘deeply understands clients’ needs’. ‘Outstanding lawyer’ Paolo Flavio Mondini and Giacomo Bonelli head the practice and often handle IP litigation, recently representing Gio Ponti’s heirs in a dispute against Cassina arising from the reproduction of the iconic Gio Ponti armchair. Other work includes acting for Montecristo in a dispute with Benchmark regarding an alleged infringement of Montecristo’s model rights, and representing Banca Popolare di Sondrio before the Consiglio di Stato regarding the constitutionality of a decree issued by banking regulation authority Banca d’Italia, which required the largest cooperative banks to convert to joint stock companies by the end of 2016.

Studio Professionale Associato a Baker & McKenzie counts commercial, finance and commercial litigation as well as domestic and international arbitration as key strengths. Practice head Gianfranco Di Garbo represented WEG in the negotiations with a bankrupt Italian company regarding the recovery of bank guarantees for advance payments made, and defended Azienda Serraglio in a dispute concerning its expropriation of an agricultural property by counterparty Cepag, the consortium in charge of the construction of a public structure. Francesco Maruffi was a new arrival from Simmons & Simmons in July 2018. Counsel Luca Pescatore is also recommended. Leonardo Giani joined Simmons & Simmons and Enrico Maria Mancuso is now with Pedersoli Studio Legale.

Bird & Bird’s practice is well-known for its strength in IP and regulatory litigation, often acting for domestic and international clients across various sectors, including IT, media, food, fashion, TMT and transport; it also handles competition, commercial and white-collar crime disputes. Head of team Giovanni Galimberti and Arturo Leone are the key names in the practice.

De Berti Jacchia Franchini Forlani’s ‘available and competent’ team, which counts commercial and IP litigation as well as arbitration as particular strengths, has ‘excellent dispute capabilities at an international level’ and ‘stands out for its professional and ethical approach with both clients and adversary parties’. Litigation expert Maria Cristina Franchini, mediator Giovanni de Berti and ‘excellent arbitrator’ Michelangelo Cicogna head the practice. David Maria Santoro successfully represented state electricity company Servizio Elettrico Nazionale in a claim against the Italian state related to the reimbursement of favourable energy tariffs to several radio and TV broadcasting companies. With respect to arbitration, the team is acting as co-counsel in an ICSID arbitration against the State of Kuwait.

Eversheds Sutherland Associazione Professionale is experienced in insolvency, commercial and criminal litigation. The ‘responsive’ team is led by Renato Fiumalbi, and commercial law expert Beatrice Bigonzi ‘has the capacity to immediately find and focus on the key elements of an issue and guide the client through very complex situations in a simple and comprehensible way’. Simone Barnaba joined in July 2018 from Verusio e Cosmelli, Studio Legale.

Giovanardi Pototschnig & Associati has a particular focus on banking and finance, commercial, and insolvency law. The practice is defending Unione di Banche Italiane in a dispute brought by a limited liability company regarding an alleged undeserved suspension of disbursements. Other clients include Intesa San Paolo and Nestlé Italia. Valeria Mazzoletti heads the team alongside Paolo Pototschnig and Cecilia Lampertico.

Santa Maria – Studio Legale Associato often handles administrative, commercial, corporate and M&A litigation as well as domestic arbitration and is active across a wide range of sectors. Alberto Santa Maria and Claudio Biscaretti di Ruffìa are the key contacts in the practice. Davide Pozzoli is also a name to note.

Macchi di Cellere Gangemi has offices in Rome, Milan and Verona, and represents clients such as Ryanair and BMW in disputes regarding competition, product liability, banking and finance law. The ‘knowledgeable’ team is led by the ‘very competent’ Silvia Lazzeretti and was strengthened by the arrivals of Giulia Verga and Enrico Storari from Studio Legale Sartori in November 2017, as well as of counsel Monique Sasson in January 2018 from Jams International.

Insurance litigation has been an especially busy area for Norton Rose Fulbright, while administrative, corporate and commercial law are other areas of expertise. Practice head Cecilia Buresti is the name to note; Ilario Giangrossi joined Grimaldi Studio Legale in January 2018.

Pavia e Ansaldo’s dispute resolution practice is especially strong in competition, commercial, insolvency and finance litigation. Clients include the Alken Fund and Lufthansa Technik. Jointly headed by Marina Santarelli in Milan and Maurizio Vasciminni in Rome, the ‘practical and efficient’ team recently welcomed of counsel Paola De Pascalis from Studio Legale Associato Alberto Alessandri in June 2018.

CMS has experience in administrative, commercial, insurance, financial, tax and life sciences litigation, often advising clients from the energy and insurance sectors. The client base includes the Synlab Group, Raffineria di Roma and QBE. ‘Great litigator’ Laura Opilio and Paola Ghezzi head a team that ‘always deeply analyses the aspects of the matters’. Of counsel Massimo Dotto joined in October 2017 from Coggiatti e Associati.

Lamberto Schiona heads the dispute resolution practice at Jones Day and has longstanding experience in contract, corporate, financial, insolvency, construction, criminal and competition law across a broad range of sectors. Clients include Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, Blackberry and Goldman Sachs.

‘Young and dynamic’ firm LCA Studio Legale merged with Sanzo e Associati in August 2018, welcoming a dispute resolution team of five partners and several associates, including business and bankruptcy law expert Salvatore Sanzo. Practice head Gian Paolo Coppola ‘acts in a very professional and efficient manner’, advising clients including Wyscout, H-Farm and the Marcegaglia Group. IP litigator Monia Baccarelli joined Quorum in July 2018.

McDermott Will & Emery Studio Legale Associato specialises in disputes in the environmental, energy and real estate sectors, as well as in contract and corporate law. The practice, led by Stefano Mechelli, is active in litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Orsingher Ortu – Avvocati Associati is best known for IP and TMT-related matters, but has expanded its expertise to contentious commercial, financial, competition and employment matters. Marco Consonni and Fabrizio Sanna are the practice heads. Highlights included representing a manufacturer in a dispute regarding acts of unfair competition carried out by a competitor with the support of former employees, and assisting Ferrari with its brand protection. Counsel Federica Cinquetti joined in 2018 from Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners.