Team size: 10/12

What are the most significant cases, projects, or transactions that you and your legal team have recently been involved in?

Over the past year, the legal function has been deeply involved in two transformational projects that have helped shape the next phase of growth for EF Solare.

One of the most significant was the successful completion of the €2.2 billion refinancing of the Group. Beyond the size of the transaction, it required the alignment of multiple stakeholders considering the ownership structure of EF Solare, financing providers and business objectives. For me, it was a particularly rewarding experience because it demonstrated how a legal team can contribute strategically to creating the financial platform needed to support future investment and growth. The transaction was subsequently recognised with major international project finance awards (Project Finance International and IG Globlal Awards).

At the same time, we supported the business integration relating to the combination of EF Solare and Sorgenia, a process aimed at creating one of Italy’s leading energy transition platforms, with an installed capacity of 6GW. It was a highly complex exercise that required balancing corporate, regulatory and organisational considerations in order also to ensure the alignment among shareholders, management and other stakeholders.

What made the past year particularly challenging was the substantial overlap between the refinancing process and the integration activities relating to EF Solare and Sorgenia. Running these two projects in parallel required not only legal expertise, but also significant management, leadership and cross-functional coordination capabilities.

Alongside these strategic initiatives, the legal team has continued to support acquisitions, co-development opportunities and permitting activities. My approach has always been to position the legal function as a business partner combining legal requirements with commercial awareness, maintaining strong governance and effective risk management.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Provided that General Counsel must combine legal expertise with a clear understanding of the business (more today than in the past), in such highly regulated industries as energy, the legal team cannot operate at the margins of decision-making, they need to understand the commercial, financial, operational and regulatory drivers behind every strategic choice.

Technical excellence remains fundamental, but it is no longer sufficient, it becomes key element being able to translate complex legal issues into practical and actionable solutions, supporting the management in making informed decisions and anticipate risks.

I also believe that leadership is increasingly important. Building motivated teams, developing collaboration across different functions and earning the trust of senior management are essential components of the role.

We are currently living through a time of geopolitical change, and the world order that we have come to take for granted for many years is being rewritten. Does this affect your company’s risk profile and, if so, what are you doing to mitigate this?

The current geopolitical environment undoubtedly affects the risk profile of companies operating in the energy sector. Over the last few years, we have seen how geopolitical developments can rapidly influence energy markets, energy prices, financing conditions, supply chains and regulatory priorities and investment decisions.

For a energy company, these factors are often interconnected. Therefore, risk mitigation cannot be limited to legal compliance alone. It requires close cooperation between all the departments (legal, finance, development and management teams) in order to support informed decision-making.

The experience of the past year reinforced my belief that resilience is built through preparation, transparency and strong cross-functional collaboration. In periods of uncertainty, the role of the legal function is not only to identify risks, but also to help the business navigate them in a pragmatic and commercially sustainable way.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The energy sector is evolving at an extraordinary pace. While financing structures continue to grow in scale and complexity, I believe one of the most important areas for in-house lawyers to monitor remains the regulatory and permitting landscape.

At the same time, geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain resilience and the growing role of AI are changing the risk landscape for every business. For in-house legal teams, this means moving from a reactive approach to a predictive one, identifying risks before they materialise and working alongside the business. AI and digital tools will undoubtedly improve efficiency, but they will never replace legal judgement. I also believe that external legal advisers play a critical role in supporting the in-house team. The most valuable advisers are not only technically strong, but are able to anticipate business needs, understand strategic objectives and work as an extension of the in-house team. Establishing a trusted and collaborative relationship with external counsel enhances efficiency and facilitates decision-making, maintaining the highest standards of legal quality and governance.