Italy 2025
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Legal and corporate affairs director | METINVEST TRAMETAL & FERRIERA VALSIDER – Italian rerollers of Metinvest Group
Group legal and corporate affairs manager | CAREL Industries
Legal director head of m&a and corporate transaction | MSC
Head of legal, corporate, regulatory and antitrust affairs | Enel Group
Head of legal, regulatory and compliance affairs | ENI Plenitude
Vice president corporate law and secretary of the board of directors | Recordati
Chief legal, corporate affairs, and compliance officer | Lavazza Group
Head of legal, compliance & corporate affairs | System Logistics
Legal director and regional compliance officer | Hilti Italia
It has been an honour and a privilege to research and produce this year’s edition of The Legal 500: GC Powerlist Italy. Each edition offers the opportunity to spotlight the exceptional calibre of in-house legal professionals in the country, and this year has been no exception. What made this experience especially rewarding was not only the depth of legal insight shared, but also the openness, curiosity, and strategic thinking demonstrated by the general counsel we interviewed. Their contributions elevated this publication and reaffirmed its relevance to Italy’s fast-evolving legal and business landscape.
This year, a number of key themes emerged — among them, the growing alignment between legal functions and broader business strategy, and the increasingly proactive role that general counsel are playing in responding to complex socioeconomic shifts.
Simone Davini LL.M., General Counsel Italy at Deutsche Bank, shared an important and sobering perspective on one of the most pressing macroeconomic challenges Italy faces today:
“Italy is facing a deep demographic crisis, being one of the countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world… The population has not grown naturally since 2006, and immigration has not offset the decline… These factors contribute to an aging population, raising serious concerns about the long-term sustainability of the social security and healthcare systems and about the labor market: in fact, the tax-payers population shrinks, while the demand for public health services and pensions grows; on top of that, the overall workforce goes down, tanking the internal rate of productivity and the global output of the Italian economic system.”
This kind of strategic, systems-level thinking highlights the evolving role of general counsel—not just as legal experts, but as business-critical advisors with a firm grasp on the wider context in which their companies operate.
Equally important in today’s corporate environment is a focus on culture and inclusion. Lodovico Bianchi Di Giulio, Group General Counsel – Head of Legal & Compliance at BIP Group, described his department’s approach to fostering equity and belonging:
“In BIP Group’s Legal & Compliance Department, diversity and inclusion are naturally embedded: two-thirds of our team members are women. We place strong emphasis on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, while also assigning each team member challenging objectives that promote both personal and professional growth… I dedicate significant time to listening to team members’ feedback, responding thoughtfully to their needs, and fostering a supportive and respectful working environment.”
These reflections are just two among many that demonstrate how Italy’s top in-house counsel are helping to reshape corporate priorities—balancing legal risk with long-term value, and guiding organisations through uncertainty with vision, empathy, and clarity.
Within this edition, you will find a wealth of insights across a range of topics, alongside detailed profiles of the talented legal leaders who make up the 2025 GC Powerlist: Italy. I would like to express my deepest thanks to everyone who took part. It is with great pride that I present this edition—celebrating the integrity, resilience, and leadership of Italy’s most outstanding in-house legal professionals.
Margherita Birri
Research Editor
Legal 500
On 9 June, Legal 500 hosted the launch of the GC Powerlist: Brazil 2026 at the Grand Hyatt in São Paulo, once again in exclusive partnership with Cescon Barrieu – marking the fourth consecutive year of collaboration with our longstanding key partner in the country. This flagship publication celebrates the most accomplished and influential in-house lawyers in Brazil, bringing together leading corporate legal professionals to recognise their outstanding achievements.
The evening opened with remarks from Francisco Castro, Research Editor at Legal 500 and editorial lead behind the publication. He highlighted the exceptional accomplishments of this year’s honourees and shared key insights drawn from the research and submissions process, including the prominence of certain industries, the continued expansion of in-house roles into executive and strategic functions, and the growing diversity, particularly the increasing presence of women in legal leadership positions.
This was followed by remarks from Alexandre Barreto, Managing Partner at Cescon Barrieu, who congratulated the featured general counsel and reflected on the ongoing evolution of Brazil’s legal and business sectors. He underscored the importance of recognising the in-house legal community and noted how the firm continues to adapt to the shifting demands of both clients and the wider business landscape.
With over 100 guests in attendance, including many of Brazil’s leading corporate legal professionals, the event once again demonstrated Legal 500 and Cescon Barrieu’s shared commitment to championing the country’s in-house legal talent.
Legal 500 extends its sincere thanks to Cescon Barrieu for their continued partnership, now in its fourth consecutive year. We are also pleased to announce our return to Brazil later this year with the GC Summit Premier, our new flagship platform for in-house counsel to exchange ideas, strengthen networks, and explore the key legal challenges shaping today’s business environment.
