Withers Studio Legale

withersworldwide.com

Sergio Anania

Sergio is a partner in the corporate team in Milan. He is a lawyer with over 30 years of experience, specialized in extraordinary transactions, corporate restructuring, and venture capital. Sergio provides strategic legal advice to Italian and international companies, guiding them through complex processes with a pragmatic, negotiation-oriented approach, marked by discretion and precision. In the restructuring field, he is particularly active in the acquisition of single-name credits backed by trophy assets, overseeing the entire process: creditor identification, structuring of securitization vehicles, repossession, and asset enhancement. Recent successful transactions include: The closure of a negotiated procedure involving the restructuring of a significant debt secured by a trophy hotel asset in Milan; The renegotiation of bank debt for a large shopping center in the Milan metropolitan area, converting the debt into equity. In the venture capital and growth equity space, he advises funds and startups on the negotiation of innovative instruments such as SAFE, convertible notes, and incentive plans (work for equity, stock option plans). Recent transactions include: Advising UK venture capital investors on a €10 million seed round in a cloud storage company; Supporting a biotech startup through multiple investment rounds, totaling €15 million in funding; Assisting investment funds in the food and technology sectors from pre-seed to Series A.

Mattia Biasi

Mattia is a partner in the corporate and real estate department. Mattia assists private investors, family offices, and real estate funds in complex acquisition, development, and asset‑management transactions in Italy and abroad, involving both residential and commercial properties. He has gained significant experience in luxury and hospitality transactions, including cross‑border deals, having also worked at Withers’ headquarter in London. He handles real estate M&A transactions, from negotiating acquisitions and disposals of commercial and residential assets to defining strategic partnerships for the development of complex projects. Mattia advises family offices and investment funds on structuring vehicles and governance models for real estate investments, integrating both legal and strategic expertise. He has solid experience negotiating commercial and retail lease agreements, often for international brands and luxury operators, and managing transactions involving private capital and global investors. Among his distinctive strengths is his experience with branded residences projects. He has supported luxury residential developments tied to international brands in various regions of Italy, overseeing contractual structuring and joint ventures with hotel operators.

Roberto Bonomi

Roberto is a practising Italian Commercialista and a partner within our private client and tax team. He focuses on taxation of individuals and trusts, as well as taxation of financial income and digital assets. Roberto acquired an extensive expertise in the protection of family assets, in inheritance tax planning as well as in the tax compliance of foreign assets (e.g. RW Form, W-8 BEN, FBAR). He assists HNWIs, sport personalities, talents, artists in their international tax planning. His recent work has focused on cross-border activities for private clients between Italy and the USA, as well as increasingly in Latin America and Israel. He has developed an in-depth knowledge of the main tax aspects connected with private luxury assets: yachts, private jets, co-ownership agreements, etc. Roberto co-heads the Israel Special Interest Group and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Crypto & Digital Assets Special Interest Group. Over the years, he has developed a specific focus on employee incentives & benefits, such as, carried interest for executive fund managers, stock options, RSUs, including tokens and crypto-based incentives.He is also a member of the task force 'Global Mobility' dedicated to assisting clients wishing to take advantage of the new Italian 'non-dom' tax system as well as other specific tax incentives for individuals relocating to Italy (e.g. the "impatriati" and retirees regime). Roberto has been recognized as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) by STEP. The TEP credential is the designation given to full members of STEP that have specialist qualifications and experience, especially in inheritance and succession planning.

Stefano Cignozzi

Stefano is a partner in our corporate team in Milan. He focuses on acquisitions, extraordinary transactions and corporate nance activities, advising industrial clients and private equity funds on anational and international basis.Stefano also provides assistance on corporate and commercial matters for private equity investors, multinationals and private companies.He has also acquired considerable experience in the banking sector, providing assistance with setting up credit facilities for ordinary fnance, project finance and debt restructuring processes.

Giulia Cipollini

Giulia is senior partner in the private client and tax team and head of tax and wealth planning in Italy. She brings a wealth of international experience as a strategic advisor, with in-depth knowledge in both corporate and personal Italian and international tax matters. Her areas of specialization include tax compliance, tax litigation, and tax rulings before the Italian Tax Authorities, as well as wealth planning, tax and digital assets, inheritance tax planning, and the structuring and taxation of trusts. Navigating the evolving landscape of global mobility, Giulia advises on the Italian Flat Tax Regime for new residents, Inbound Regime, as well as other bespoke tax incentives for individuals and companies relocating to Italy. She provides integrated cross-border advice also on immigration and civil matters, with a particular focus on Investor Visa applications, international prenup and matrimonial property regimes, international wills and dual citizenships. Notably, she has substantial expertise in assisting private clients from Latin America, with a particular focus on Brazilian and Mexican clients, as well as extensive experience advising clients from Israel, United Kingdom, United States of America, South Africa and Australia. To meet growing demand in the art sector, Giulia and her team became a point of reference for art-related matters concerning tax, mobility of art pieces and collections, wealth management and transgenerational planning. Their expertise includes also loan agreements, import/export, customs (e.g., temporary admission), contracts, and due diligence, reinforcing Withers' distinguished position in the global arts and creative industries landscape. She also leads the philanthropy and charitable assistance in Italy, advising prominent charitable entities, foundations, charitable trusts linked to HNWIs, fashion brands, museums, art and cultural institutions. As the result of her pioneering work in the private client and tax sector, Giulia and her award-winning team is now the market leader in advising Italian and international HNWIs and families, entrepreneurs, trustees, foundations, charities, figures from the arts, fashion, and sports sectors, as well as major global brands and corporates. She also advises family-owned businesses on succession planning, governance structures, and cross-border tax strategies, supporting generational transitions and long-term sustainability. Giulia is the global coordinator of the Withers Continental Europe SIG (special interest group) and a key-member of the International Family Business SIG, the Art SIG, the Charities and Philanthropy SIG and the Israel and Latin America SIGs at Withers. Moreover, she has been recognized as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) by STEP and she is currently a member of the board of the Scientific Committee of STEP Italy Branch and a member of the Philanthropy Advisors SIG Steering Committee worldwide. She has been key speaker at several STEP events in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, LATAM Area, Singapore, London, Italy, Cyprus and Switzerland. She is also a key speaker at the Institute for Family Governance (IFG) Conferences. Furthermore, she is often a panelist at the Italian Embassy in Washington, the Italian Consulate in Singapore, New York and Miami, in which presents, together with Government representatives, the Italian res non-dom regime and its main features. In 2025, Giulia was elected member of the advisory board of the International Tax Planning Association (ITPA) and since 2023, she is part of the Milan Bar's Tax Disputes Commission. She has been recognized since 2018 by the international legal directory Chambers, in the High Net Word guide, as one of the best Private Wealth Lawyer in Italy.

Roberta Crivellaro

Roberta is managing partner of Withers in Italy and head of the 'Italian desks' worldwide. Roberta specializes in cross-border corporate, commercial and real estate transactions in many different business sectors, such as food and wine, luxury, fashion and furniture. She is a point of reference in the Italian market for transactions involving family offices or family businesses with a particular focus on corporate reorganization issues and generational business transitions. She completed her legal training abroad, qualifying as a solicitor. She worked for many years in London and was the first Italian woman to become a partner in a City law firm. Upon returning to Milan in the early 2000s, in 2010 she launched the Italian practice of Withers, immediately taking on the role of Managing Partner. For nine years, she also served as European Leader of Withers’ Business Division. She remains today among the very few women managing partners of business law firms in Italy. In 2026 and 2025 she was listed by Citywealth among the Top 50 advisors for Non-Doms and UHNW individuals in Italy. In 2025, Forbes Italy included her among the 100 most successful women in Italy, highlighting her role in driving economic and other forms of progress in the country. In 2024, Forbes Italy mentioned her among the top 100 consulting professionals in Italy. Since 2019, she has been a regular presence among the Best 50 Italian lawyers, a directory promoted by the publication LegalCommunity. In 2020, the same publication listed her among the few women managing partners of a law firm in Italy, recognizing her contribution to a historic transformation within the Italian legal market, historically led by men. In 2025 she led the Italian offices of Withers to obtain the UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification for gender equality. Since 2014, the international directory Legal 500 EMEA Italy has consistently listed her as a recommended lawyer in the areas of corporate and commercial, real estate, food and beverage, and fashion and luxury.

Carlo Alberto Demichelis

Luca Ferrari

Luca is a partner in our Italian corporate team and heads the sports practice globally. As the firm's global head of sport, Luca leads a team of lawyers based in Withers' main offices in Europe, the USA and Asia, advising on sports-related regulatory, commercial, corporate and tax matters. His work includes high-profile sports transactions such as sponsorship agreements, international football player transfers and football player contracts, management contracts, direct sports investment into sports organisations and the licensing of audio-visual rights. In addition to assisting corporate clients such as sponsors, manufacturers of sports apparel and equipment, sports marketing agencies and media companies, Luca also advises football clubs, sports leagues, governing bodies, athletes, coaches, sports managers and sports agents. As a business lawyer with an international education and background, Luca has been dedicated to sports law and the sports industry since the beginning of his professional career. Over the years, his practice has spanned several sectors of the Italian economy, including fashion, design, hospitality and food and beverage, with a particular focus on the wine industry. In this area he has advised a number of well-known Italian brands on international expansion and cross-border business matters. Luca was included in Sport Business International's World's 20 most influential lawyers feature and ranked in the top three of the directory's Top 20 listing.He has been recognised by the Italian legal directory TopLegal as Lawyer of the Year – Sports Practice at the TopLegal Industry Awards. He has also received the Lawyer of the Year – Sports Law award at the Legal Community Labour Awards on multiple occasions.

Guido Galeotti

Guido is a partner in the corporate team in Milan. Guido has a transactional focus, with over 25 years of consolidated experience across various industrial sectors, particularly in the chemical, manufacturing, environmental, and energy sectors. He has successfully concluded numerous corporate transactions, including multi-jurisdictional acquisitions, coordinating national and international teams, corporate mergers, group reorganizations, investment agreements, and shareholders' agreements. His clients come from all over the world and are industry leaders. Guido also oversees projects for the redevelopment of industrial areas, decommissioning contracts, establishing new plants for renewable energy production, negotiating environmental agreements, and guarantees for managing environmental liabilities in connection with company acquisitions, businesses, and industrial sites. Guido also has extensive experience in procedures for remediating sites contaminated by historical and current pollution, while also providing environmental compliance services. His entire activity is characterized by a deal-making approach combined with profound legal expertise.

Fernando Gandioli

Partner, Private Client and Tax

Fiona Giordani

Claudio Giordano

Claudio is of counsel in our corporate team primarily based in Padua. He has long-standing experience in domestic and international matters, including general corporate, M&A and private equity transactions. He is a member of the board of directors of several Italian companies based in the Veneto area active in various business sectors, all of which deal extensively in the international arena. Claudio has also been for many years a close personal advisor to a number of leading entrepreneurial families in the region, assisting them with their business and personal wealth planning.

Jacopo Liguori

Filippo Molinari

Filippo Molinari is a practising Italian Commercialista and a partner within our private client and tax team. Filippo’s core focus lies on tax issues relating to individuals, family business restructuring, as well as taxation of sports and entertainment personalities. He assists Italian, foreign HNWIs and high net worth families with estate planning, real estate investments, family wealth management, trust structures and issues concerning international and corporate taxation. Filippo’s proven track record also spans clients wishing to benefit from the Italian flat tax regime, inbound workers regime and other tailored tax incentives for individuals relocating to Italy. He has also garnered select expertise in assisting private clients with procedures to regularise assets and foreign held income. Moreover, Filippo has handled and assisted with tax issues pertaining to philanthropy and nonprofit entities. Filippo has been recognized as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) by STEP. The TEP credential is the designation given to full members of STEP that have specialist qualifications and experience, especially in inheritance and succession planning.

Alessia Murgia

Cristina Pagni

Christina is a partner in our dispute resolution team in Milan.Her practice focuses predominantly on domestic and cross border commercial disputes, with extensive experience in financial services, insolvency and insurance litigation. Cristina is a well-known figure in the Italian market, acting for financial institutions and corporate entities, as well as HNW families and individuals. She has a deep knowledge of the local judiciary and legal market combined with the skills to manage complex cross-border litigation and arbitration, and deal with the challenges such work can bring. She has long been recognized as being an important player in the market with a strong reputation for domestic and international litigation and arbitration and a top-notch experience in domestic and cross-border insurance, asset recovery and aviation litigation. She is a frequent speaker at professional events on insurance and topical issues in managing complex litigation. Cristina is member of the steering and the scientific committees of the International Association of Insurance Law (Associazione Internazionale di Diritto delle Assicurazioni – AIDA) and regularly serves as a member of arbitration panels including those of the main International Arbitration Chambers. Cristina has been reconfirmed as Independent Director of De Longhi SpA. She has also been confirmed as President of the Independent Directors’ Committee and of the Remuneration and Appointments Committee and appointed Member of the Risk and Control, Corporate.

Matilde Rota

Matilde Rota is a partner in the Litigation & Arbitration department and co-head of the Italian Dispute Resolution practice, operating from the Milan and Padua offices. She has solid experience in corporate and commercial litigation, international arbitration, and advisory work on ESG matters. She is regularly entrusted with highly complex disputes, often involving cross-border elements that require an integrated approach combining domestic law, international conventions, and European regulations—particularly in matters of jurisdiction, recognition, and enforcement of foreign judgments. In corporate litigation, Matilde advises leading Italian and international companies in disputes related to extraordinary transactions, directors’ liability (D&O), banking operations, and contractual disputes, as well as in product liability and debt recovery proceedings. She is recognized for her ability to structure effective litigation strategies and guide clients through sensitive disputes, always maintaining a business-oriented perspective. In arbitration, Matilde has extensive experience in both institutional and ad hoc proceedings, including ICC, CAM, and CAS arbitrations. She regularly acts as counsel in international and domestic arbitrations and is particularly active in sports arbitration, where she represents athletes, clubs, agents, and sports institutions before major national and international bodies, including the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).Matilde is also a key point of reference for legal assistance on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues. She collaborates with companies and investors, supporting them in developing compliance strategies and managing legal risks related to human rights, environmental responsibility, and sustainability across the supply chain. Her work in this area spans multiple sectors, including banking & finance, real estate, manufacturing, fashion & luxury, food, healthcare, infrastructure, technology, and asset management. She also provides assistance to private clients and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in complex disputes concerning the protection and management of their assets and personal interests, often in international contexts.