The team at Jones Day focuses on complex real estate financing and refinancing mandates as well as facility agreements, distressed situations and more. Co-head Francesco Squerzoni advises lenders on acquisition, real estate and project financing and fellow co-head Marco Frattini assists with structured finance, real estate financing and special situations such as non-performing portfolio acquisitions. Andrea Cantarelli supports the team across various financing transactions including green and sustainability-linked loans.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team demonstrates a rare ability to integrate legal expertise with strategic insight, offering not just legal advice but actionable solutions that support complex transactions, corporate restructuring, and capital raising initiatives. Their strength lies in anticipating potential legal hurdles and proactively designing structures that mitigate risk while enabling growth. Rather than operating in silos, the lawyers work seamlessly across disciplines — corporate, tax, regulatory, and real estate.’
- ‘Marco Frattini leads with the charisma and precision of a frontman on a world stage—his presence in negotiations and strategic discussions is as commanding as Mick Jagger at Copacabana. Clients immediately recognize his ability to energise teams, navigate complexity, and deliver results with style and substance.’
- ‘Jones Day brings a distinctive blend of technical mastery and a straightforward, results-oriented approach. The practice is particularly strong in the structuring and management of real estate investment vehicles, and few teams in the market can match their depth of expertise in this area.'
- 'Francesco Squerzoni is a lawyer I greatly enjoy working with. His style is very direct and pragmatic — no-nonsense advice that gets straight to the point, which is both refreshing and highly valuable in complex transactions. He is, without question, the master of 7.2 vehicles, with a level of technical knowledge and practical experience that gives clients confidence they are in the best possible hands.'
- ‘Knowledge and speed.’
Key clients
- Société Générale SA
- Macquarie
- UniCredit S.p.A.
- Hedge Invest SGR S.p.A.
- Natixis SA
- Savills IM SGR S.p.A.
- Arrow Global
- Banco BPM S.p.A.
- Credit Agricole CIB Milan
- Bank of America
- Tikehau
- Deutsche Bank AG
Work highlights
Advising Société Générale on the sale of the professional equipment financing businesses operated by Société Générale Equipment Finance (SGEF) to Groupe BPCE.
Advised Bank of America Europe Designated Activity Company and Banco BPM S.p.A., as mandated lead arrangers and original lenders, on an EUR 85.2 million facility agreement for Felix S.r.l., supporting the extension of the facility’s maturity and amendments to commercial terms in connection with a permitted change of control and the borrower’s conversion into a SICAF (AIF).
Advised Banco BPM S.p.A. on structuring and granting mortgage financing for a residential property acquisition and redevelopment in Santa Margherita, as part of a securitisation under article 7.2 of Law No. 130/1999.
Practice head
Francesco Squerzoni; Marco Frattini
Other key lawyers
Andrea Cantarelli