Event information
In a rapidly evolving legal landscape, staying ahead of technological advancements is crucial. We invite you to join us for an evening of cutting-edge insights and practical applications at the GC Forum Italy 2024. This exclusive event is designed to showcase how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming legal operations and to provide you with the tools and knowledge to navigate this new frontier.
Experience firsthand how AI can revolutionize your legal practice through a series of engaging discussions and live demonstrations.
Join us in Milan on October 24 at 5.00 PM for an evening that promises to be both thought-provoking and practically valuable. Don’t miss this opportunity to see AI in action and explore its impact on the legal sector.
The event will be in Italian, with some presentations in English.
Agenda
5.00pm – 5.15pm Arrival and registration
5.15pm – 5.30pm Opening remarks and Keynote address: Operating at the forefront of legal innovation: A&O Shearman’s AI journey
- Margherita Birri, editor, Legal500
- Francesca Bennetts, partner, A&O Shearman
5.30pm – 6.20pm The intersection of AI and law: Legal challenges associated with AI adoption and innovations in legal practice
This engaging panel, featuring a mix of partners from the firm and general counsels (GCs), will explore the dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the legal field. The discussion will focus on key issues, practical tools, and future expectations regarding AI’s integration into legal practices. Panelists will delve into three main topics:
Topics that will be explored:
- The use of AI in legal practice (which tools are GCs adopting, what opportunities and challenges are they seeing regarding the use of AI in their day-to-day work)
- Legal, risk management, and governance issues associated with AI development and deployment within a business
- Expectations of legal counsel regarding legal advice about AI and the use of AI
The panel will allow attendees to gain deeper insights into the practical implications of AI in the legal sector.
- Giuseppe Catalano, head of corporate affairs, Assicurazioni Generali SpA; president, AIGI (Italian Association of In-house Counsels)
- Giovanna Faillace, head of external relations, innovation, sustainability, industrial law and IPR legal assistance, Enel
- Rita Izzo, GC ad interim, UniCredit
- Amilcare Sada, partner, A&O Shearman
- Adriano Perotta, head of legal Europe, DHL Group
- Lodovico Bianchi di Giulio, group general counsel, BIP Group
6.20pm – 6.50pm Demo, AI tools
Following the panel discussion, attendees will witness a live demonstration of cutting-edge AI tools designed to streamline legal processes.
- Valentina Barbanti, head of knowledge, Italy, A&O Shearman
- Matteo Fanton, senior associate, A&O Shearman
- Enrico Roveda, associate, A&O Shearman
6.50pm – 7.00pm Closing remarks
7.00pm – 8.00pm Networking Drinks
Speakers
Francesca Bennetts, partner, A&O Shearman
Francesca is in the Markets Innovation Group (MIG), which is made up of lawyers, technologists and developers who are focused on the creation of innovative solutions for clients that help them meet large-scale legal and regulatory challenges. She plays a key role in the development of innovative technological solutions for clients, such as ContractMatrix, a contract review and negotiation tool that is powered by generative AI, and IBORMatrix, a system designed to facilitate the transition away from LIBOR and other interest rates, involving an innovative approach to the use of AI.
Francesca is a key member of the firm’s market-leading, cross-practice and multijurisdictional AI advisory practice. She is also on the firm’s AI Brains Trust and has been heavily involved in the firm’s deployment of generative AI at enterprise level with a particular focus on the impact of generative AI on our people.
Giuseppe Catalano, head of corporate affairs, Assicurazioni Generali SpA; president, AIGI (Italian Association of In-house Counsels)
Giuseppe Catalano has served as Secretary of the Board of Directors at Assicurazioni Generali since January 15, 2015, with the responsibility of overseeing activities related to corporate governance, including acting as secretary for both the Board of Directors and its Committees. Previously, from 2005 to January 2015, he was the Legal and Corporate Affairs Executive Director at Indesit Company SpA, where he coordinated all legal and corporate advisory activities for the group. From 2000 to 2005, he was Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Natuzzi SpA, a company listed on the NYSE, and before that, he worked as an in-house lawyer for banking institutions in Italy and Luxembourg.
He practiced law and obtained an advanced diploma from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa. Catalano has also acted as a consultant for the public prosecution in a criminal case concerning the analysis of organizational and control models under Legislative Decree 231/2001 for companies under investigation.
He has authored numerous academic contributions in various fields of civil and commercial law. Currently, he is the president of AIGI (Italian Association of In-House Lawyers), a member of the Consultative Working Group of the Markets Standing Committee of ESMA, a member of the Advisory Board for the General Counsel Leadership Circle Europe, and part of the Evaluation Committee at LIUC–Università Carlo Cattaneo.
Giuseppe Catalano has been Secretary of the Board of Directors of Assicurazioni Generali since January 15, 2015, with the task of coordinating the management of activities related to corporate governance, including through his role as secretary of the Board of Directors and the Board Committees.
Previously, from 2005 to January 2015, he served as Legal and Corporate Affairs Executive Director of Indesit Company SpA, coordinating all legal and corporate advisory activities for the Group. From 2000 to 2005, he was Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Natuzzi SpA, a company listed on the NYSE, and prior to that, he worked as in-house counsel for banking institutions in Italy and Luxembourg.
He practiced law and earned an advanced diploma from SSSUP S. Anna of Pisa. He has also served as a consultant for the public prosecution in a criminal case related to the analysis of organisational and control models under Legislative Decree 231/2001 for companies under investigation.
He is the author of numerous scientific contributions in various fields of civil and commercial law. Currently, he is the President of AIGI (Italian Association of In-House Lawyers), a member of the Consultative Working Group of the Markets Standing Committee of ESMA, the Advisory Board of the General Counsel Leadership Circle Europe, and the Evaluation Committee of LIUC-Carlo Cattaneo University.
Giovanna Faillace, head of external relations, innovation, sustainability, industrial law and IPR legal assistance, Enel
Head of the Legal Office for Innovation and Intellectual Property at Enel since 2022. Previously, at Enel, he held the role of Head of the BD and M&A Office at Enel Green Power, and prior to that, Head of Legal Sustainability for Italy
Rita Izzo, GC ad interim, Unicredit
Rita started her career as in-house counsel in 2001 at Albacom, a British Telecom affiliate, dealing with national and international contracts, regulatory affairs, and privacy. In parallel, she accomplished notarial practice. In 2004 she moved to Recordati, a listed chemical and pharmaceutical company, where she advised on national and international business, litigations, M&A and corporate transactions, with several roles from business lawyer to deputy general counsel and member of supervising body. Rita joined UniCredit in 2008 and over the years she held various positions advising the CE-EE Leasing, Banking and Global Banking Services business areas. From 2016 to 2022 she was Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs and Corporate Secretary at UniCredit Services, the subsidiary serving all entities of UniCredit Group. Since 2020 she also took the role of Group Head of Digital, Media and Operations Legal at UniCredit S.p.A. In March 2024, she was appointed ad interim Head of Group Legal. LL.M. – Master of Laws, Bocconi University J.D. – Doctor of Laws, University of Naples Admitted to Milan Bar Association
Amilcare Sada, partner, A&O Shearman
Amilcare Sada boasts a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades, during which he has provided expert guidance on a multitude of litigation matters, including domestic and international banking, finance, restructuring, insolvency, and commercial litigation. His expertise extends to advising on criminal and regulatory investigations initiated by financial services authorities and public bodies (e.g. Consob, Bank of Italy, FSA and FCA), particularly in areas concerning white-collar crime, anti-money laundering, and sanctions enforcement, as well as on international arbitration. He advises major international and domestic clients active in various sectors (such as financial services, technology, life sciences, industrial and manufacturing, etc.).
Amilcare leads the Legal Tech focus group at A&O Shearman Italy, where he’s at the forefront of innovating and tailoring cutting-edge legal tech solutions for our Italian clientele.
Lodovico Bianchi di Giulio, group general counsel, BIP Group
Lodovico is Group General Counsel at BIP Group, a multinational group active in the management and IT consulting sector, with headquarters in Milan and activities in 10+ countries.
He leads a team of 10 professionals, who are involved in all legal and compliance activities of Bip Group including, among others, M&A, Data Protection, IP, Quality & Certifications. The team interacts for day-to-day assistance with all Italian and foreign subsidiaries and has helped on the acquisition and integration of 15+ companies in the past decade. Lodovico also serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors and supervises the risk management function.
Lodovico began his career at “magic circle” international law firm Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman) in Milan, where he was involved in corporate and capital markets activities. He was also seconded to the Australian investment bank and infrastructure investor Babcock & Brown, where he then moved to start his in-house career.
Subsequently, he was part of the management buy-out that brought to the establishment of Hideal Partners Group, a privately owned pan-European investor and financial advisor in the renewable energy and infrastructure sector.
He joined Bip Group in 2021, with the responsibility of building and heading the legal & compliance function.
Lodovico is a qualified lawyer in Italy and holds a Law Master’s Degree from the University of Milan.
The BIP Group legal & compliance team has been awarded as Best Team of the Year in 2023 by Inhousecommunity, the most recognized community of law professionals in Italy.
Adriano Perotta, head of legal Europe, DHL Group
Adriano Perotta is the Head of Legal Services for Europe at DHL Group, leading a team of 70 colleagues spread across the region, from Iberia to Russia. He has spent nearly his entire professional career in the logistics industry, serving as General Counsel for several global market players. Before joining the logistics sector, he gained experience in law firms and in the legal department of RCS Mediagroup.
Adriano is passionate about innovation. In recent years, he has been actively involved in various projects focused on the digitalization and automation of legal services, aimed at improving efficiency and generating more value for the business. These projects include tools for legal self-service, legal risk management, contract lifecycle management and legal spend and matter management.
Valentina Barbanti, head of knowledge, Italy, A&O Shearman
After practising in the Corporate department of the Rome Office, Valentina earned her LL.M at New York University and worked as an international associate in the New York office of Allen & Overy. In 2004, as a senior associate she structured and implemented the Italian knowledge management project. Appointed as Know-How Manager for Italy in 2007, and then as counsel in 2008, she is the head of the Know-How department in Italy. Valentina has lectured as part of the Executive Master programs of several Italian Universities. She is the author of a number of publications for Italian, European and U.S. legal reviews and contributes to leading Italian newspapers.
Matteo Fanton, senior associate, A&O Shearman
Matteo is a senior associate of A&O Shearman Litigation practice in Italy. He has gained significant experience in a number of financial and commercial disputes. He assists banks, financial institutions and corporations in both domestic and international litigation proceedings, as well as in the context of regulatory investigations of supervisory authorities.
He also regularly provides assistance, often together with criminal counsel, in criminal investigations and proceedings, particularly with regard to white-collar crimes and anti-money laundering issues. Matteo holds a LL.M degree in International Commercial Law from University College London (UCL) and, in 2021/2022, he was seconded at the London headquarters of the firm in the Litigation & Investigations team.
Enrico Roveda, associate, A&O Shearman
Enrico Roveda is an associate of A&O Shearman Corporate practice in Italy. Enrico’s practice covers corporate law, with a focus on M&A deals.
Enrico has been involved in transactions concerning the acquisition, disposal and restructuring of national and international companies, as well as in assistance on general corporate and commercial matters. He has contributed to advise Italian and international clients, including private equity funds, listed and private companies, operating in sectors such as energy, real estate, industrial and manufacturing.
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A&O Shearman is the transformational law firm, created to achieve unparalleled outcomes for our clients’ most complex, multijurisdictional matters across an ever-changing world and regulatory landscape.
A firm of nearly 4,000 lawyers, including 800 partners, working across almost 50 offices in 29 countries. In Italy, our presence extends back 26 years with offices in Milan and Rome, 15 partners and a team of over 90 lawyers.
A&O Shearman has the experience, diversity of skills and backgrounds, and global understanding to stay at the forefront of the changes across every sector, market, and jurisdiction around the world.
As a pioneer in the legal industry, A&O Shearman is dedicated to continual advancement and finding innovative ways to exceed our clients’ expectations. At A&O Shearman, we don’t just talk about legaltech, we use it.
The firm delivers legal services in new and flexible ways, and combine cutting-edge legal tech and our wealth of expertise to help our clients manage risk, reduce cost and work more efficiently.
In February 2023, A&O Shearman team became the first in the world to implement generative AI across an international law firm at enterprise level. And we don’t just use AI-based tools, we build them, too.
As the world’s leading AI advisory firm, we help responsible pioneers harness the potential and manage the risks of this transformational technology.