Team size: 6

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

The objective is to align Legal strategy as much as possible with the Company strategy to render Legal Area the trusted business partner to operational Company Areas. Legal Area aims to be as agile as possible to address any unforeseen matters. Rapid growth of D-Orbit in the past several years put Legal Area at the forefront of ensuring compliance with more stringent requirement, also with regard to reporting and corporate practices. Under the leadership of Legal Area D-Orbit implemented the Organisational Model pursuant to the Italian 231/2001 Law Decree, and obtain three-star Legality Rating. Given that D-Orbit is a pioneer in the outer space logistics market, Legal Area also works actively on advocating and contributing to the development of the relevant regulatory framework that will shape further development of space activities, including, most recently the Italian space law and the EU proposal for the EU Space Act Regulation.

What are the major cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?

D-Orbit’s recent major transactions to which Legal Area contributed decisively and extensively include: acquisition of Planetek Group in Q1 2025; negotiation and signature of the first contract with the European Space Agency regarding the in-orbit servicing mission to be performed by D-Orbit via its proprietary in-orbit servicing vehicle GEA in the geostationary orbit for the total value of 120 million Euro in Q3 2024; completion in Q2 2024 of C Round investment that was record-breaking for the European space sector (€150m); creation of a joint venture in the US (D-Orbit US LLC) in Q2 2024.

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?

D-Orbit is a benefit corporation and a certified B-Corp, with the benefit corporate purpose of fostering sustainable use and human expansion in outer space. D-Orbit technological solutions and logistics services are tailored to increase and ensure sustainability. This is the case of our proprietary InOrbit NOW (ION) satellite carrier that is capable of placing our customer satellites in precise orbital slots from which they need to operate thereby reducing time to operations for our customers, and host payloads for in-orbit validation and demonstration purposes that allow our customers not to build and launch their own satellites. General Counsel and Chief Quality Officer are nominated by the Board to coordinate and oversee achievement of the benefit corporate purpose. D-orbit has an inter-Area Sustainability Committee that addresses the issues at any level or stage of Company’s operations that are related to sustainability.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

D-Orbit’s Legal Area has gender parity, which is a great achievement in a tech company that otherwise has male gender as largely dominating one. Legal Area and the Company’s objective is to recognise merit, professionalism and dedication to its growth. As the leading of the Legal Area, and also as a woman, I am committed to promote female colleagues and ensure that the equal treatment culture thrives in D-Orbit, not only within the Legal Area but generally across the Company.