Francesco Puntillo was appointed Head of Legal, Corporate, Regulatory and Antitrust Affairs at the Enel Group in June 2023.

A specialist in corporate law, he has extensive expertise in corporate acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance, and private equity transactions involving both listed and unlisted companies, in Italy and internationally.

With over 25 years of experience in the energy sector—both traditional and renewable—as well as in infrastructure, he has been involved in many of the most significant transactions in the industry. He has advised listed and unlisted companies, major national and multinational utilities, infrastructure funds, pension funds, insurance funds, and private equity funds.

Francesco previously served on the Executive Committee of Gianni & Origoni, where he was Head of the Energy and Infrastructure Department—one of the largest and most structured sector teams in Italy and Europe.

He specialises in extraordinary transactions within regulated sectors, particularly energy (electricity and natural gas). His practice also extends to other regulated areas such as the water and waste cycles, transport, and infrastructure more broadly.

He has gained significant expertise in infrastructure development projects, including those financed through limited and non-recourse funding, as well as BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) and BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) models. Notably, he has advised developers and lenders in numerous infrastructure projects and has deep experience in works and services contracts, including EPC, EPCM, O&M, and OMSA agreements.

Francesco is widely recognised as one of the leading legal experts in the energy sector both in Italy and abroad. Prestigious international legal directories Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 have consistently acknowledged him as “one of the best energy lawyers in Italy.” He has received numerous awards, both nationally and internationally, including the Client Choice Award in the Energy & Natural Resources category for Italy—an honour reserved for professionals distinguished by outstanding client service.

Before joining Gianni & Origoni, Francesco held partnership roles at Pavia e Ansaldo and leading international law firms, including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Allen & Overy in Milan.

He holds a law degree from La Sapienza University in Rome, a specialisation in Corporate Finance from the Sorbonne University in Paris, and an LL.M. from Cornell University in the United States.