Event information
The Legal 500 proudly unveils the inaugural edition of the GC Summit Italy 2024, scheduled for February 2024 in the dynamic heart of Milan.
The GC Summit Italy 2024 is a pioneering event dedicated to showcasing Italy’s global influence. Gain invaluable insights into how general counsel and senior in-house legal minds navigate the intricate landscape of legal and business challenges confronting both domestic and international enterprises.
In collaboration with our esteemed partners: ADVANT Nctm, Baker McKenzie, Hogan Lovells International, LCA studio legale, and Legance; this summit promises a compelling series of panel sessions, delving deep into a diverse array of cutting-edge topics. From adeptly adapting to the ever-evolving legal terrain to recognising the paramount importance of ESG considerations and exploring the transformative impact of legal tech and AI tools, the sessions will also provide a technical focus on M&A intricacies, evolving legal requirements, and the nuances of dispute resolution.
Backed by the profound expertise of our distinguished speakers, the GC Summit Italy 2024 is set to deliver practical, hands-on guidance finely tuned to the unique needs of in-house counsel.
Don’t miss out on the chance to join this conference —an indispensable opportunity for Italy-based in-house counsel aiming to propel their professional development to unprecedented heights.
Agenda
1.00pm – 1.50pm Registration & lunch
1.50pm – 2.00pm Opening Remarks
- Sara Maggi, deputy editor GC Powerlist Series, The Legal 500
2.00pm – 2.50pm Market competitiveness, Capital Bill and Listing Package: state of the art and prospects
The capital markets of the European Union and, in particular, the Italian ones are gradually losing attention in companies interested in raising equity and debt, and several issuers have chosen to delist. This is also due to an overshooting of EU and domestic regulations, which have imposed more significant burdens while increasing compliance risks. Faced with this harmful situation for the economy, courageous reform procedures have been initiated both at the EU level (Listing package) and in Italy (DDL Capitali and interventions by CONSOB and Borsa Italiana) aimed at simplifying the regulatory framework to make the most attractive and welcoming capital markets for companies, which need to be able to take advantage of the broad range of financing sources to face the challenges of the future such as market consolidation, the green deal, and digital transformation.
- Lukas Plattner, partner, ADVANT Nctm
- Giovanni Lombardi, general counsel, Illimity
- Prof. Alberto Toffoletto, partner, ADVANT Nctm
- Ulisse Spada, group general counsel, DiaSorin
- Domenica Lista, secretary of the board of directors, Leonardo
2.50pm – 3.40pm The G factor: Governance strategies for a sustainable growth
In an increasingly interconnected and socially conscious world, ESG risks are not peripheral concerns but defining factors for business success that are progressively evolving into fundamental components of companies’ corporate governance. By proactively identifying, mitigating, and transforming ESG risks into opportunities, companies can navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape, foster sustainable growth, and secure their position as responsible stewards of the future. The panel aims to offer expert counsel on effectively addressing the challenges that lie ahead.
- Niccolò Abriani, equity partner, LCA
- Marina Rosito, equity partner, LCA
- Raffaella Luglini, chief sustainability officer, Leonardo
- Giuseppe Catalano, company secretary and head of corporate affairs, Assicurazioni Generali
- Simona Musso, chief legal, corporate affairs and compliance officer, Lavazza
3.40pm – 3.55pm Coffee break
3.55pm – 4.45pm The rapid and increasingly significant introduction of technological innovation in the legal field
Explore the transformative impact of state-of-the-art technological tools on the roles of general counsel and the operational dynamics of legal teams. This examination provides a deeper understanding of the most recent advancements accessible to legal departments and how these technologies adeptly tackle conventional logistical and operational hurdles. Central inquiries to be explored encompass the significant influence of emerging technologies on the duties of general counsel, the reconfiguration of in-house legal teams, and the evolving connections with external legal consultants. Discover the benefits and opportunities offered by these tools, while simultaneously addressing the challenges and responsibilities they bring into focus.
- Sabrina Borocci, partner, HoganLovells
- Massimiliano Masnada, partner, HoganLovells
- Christian Di Mauro, partner, HoganLovells
- Filippo Galluccio, head of legal – corporate and contracting, Vodafone
- Alessandro Luca Bianchi, head of legal – senior counsel, IBM Italy
4.45pm – 5.35pm Legal trends in M&A operations
Over the past 60 years, our M&A team has helped companies navigate the complex waters of multi-jurisdictional transactions. The panel will discuss key legal developments affecting private M&A deals, with a focus on pre-sale carve-outs and post-acquisition integration challenges, as well as data and privacy issues at each stage of M&A transactions.
- Paola Colarossi, managing partner, Baker McKenzie
- Francesca Gaudino, partner, Baker McKenzie
- Francesco Pennisi, head of legal, Italy Shell
- Andrea Casu, vice president, regional general counsel EMEA and APAC, VF Corporation
- Sara Citterio, group general counsel, Trussardi
5.35pm – 5.50pm Coffee Break
5.50pm – 6.40pm Risks in M&A transactions and insurance policies
The panel will address the main types of tax risks that can take place during M&A operations (due diligence and structural risks), and will focus on insurance tools, including recently developed ones, that the market offers to deal with the aforementioned risks, in order to avoid complex guarantee mechanisms that can represent a significant obstacle to operations.
- Andrea Silvestri, partner, Legance
- Claudia Gregori, partner, Legance
- Andrea Navarra, group general counsel, ERG
- Laura Segni, general counsel, IMI CIB, Intesa Sanpaolo
- Michele Catanzaro, general counsel, NextEnergy Capital
6.40pm – 6.45pm Closing remarks
6.45pm – 745pm Drinks and canapés
Speakers
Niccolò Abriani, equity partner, LCA
Niccolò is full professor of commercial law at the University of Florence (since 2005), professor of corporate law at the Ph.D. and Master’s Degree of LUISS University in Rome (since 2012) and member of the Committee for Appointments and Promotions of Bocconi University in Milan (since 2016). He is one of Italy’s leading experts in corporate law, corporate governance and bankruptcy law. Among his many activities, he advises clients (independent directors and boards of statutory auditors) on related-party transactions, takeover bids, amendments to articles of association and the review and application of corporate governance rules. He also assists companies, bankruptcy proceedings, directors and auditors in liability actions and allegations of serious irregularities. He acts as advisor, board member, liquidator and legal commissioner for major restructuring and turnaround operations in the context of composition agreements, debt restructuring agreements and certified recovery plans.
Marina Rosito, equity partner, LCA
Marina is specialised in assisting medium and large industrial groups in operations of acquisition and disposal of assets and in transactions aimed at opening their corporate capital to funds or industrial investors, in the negotiation of corporate governance agreements and in the negotiation of joint venture agreements. She has a consolidated experience in the negotiation and structuring of financing transactions, also aimed at acquisition, and in trade finance. She regularly assists Italian and foreign clients operating in various industrial sectors – manufacturing, oil and gas, energy, life science, automotive, telco, food and many others – in ordinary and extraordinary business contracts and in internationalisation processes.
Sara Maggi, deputy editor GC Powerlist Series, The Legal 500
Andrea Silvestri, partner, Legance
Andrea Silvestri, tax lawyer, has been assisting leading companies in tax matters for thirty years. He set up and developed the tax department of a major Italian law firm where he was a partner for twenty years. Adjunct Professor at Università “LUISS – Guido Carli”, he is the author of books and several publications in Italian and international tax journals and often takes part as a speaker at national and international conferences. As part of his activity, he assists some of the most important Italian and foreign groups in tax consultancy and litigation, frequently dealing with issues of particular relevance in terms of complexity and value. Andrea Silvestri is mentioned in several international legal directories.
Claudia Gregori, partner, Legance
Claudia Gregori has an extensive experience in all areas of taxation covering M&A, corporate and structured finance, real estate as well as project finance transactions with a high degree of flexibility. She advises domestic and foreign investment banks and investment funds, as well as companies and institutional investors in respect of the structuring of such transactions. Also in light of this, she is regularly involved by both Italian and multinational groups in handling complex negotiations with the tax authorities, tax rulings as well as tax audits and appeals before all Italian and EU courts. Claudia Gregori is a member of Legance’s Sustainability Committee. Claudia Gregori is mentioned in several international legal directories.
Raffaella Luglini, chief sustainability officer, Leonardo
Lukas Plattner, partner, ADVANT - Nctm
Lukas Plattner is an expert in corporate and capital markets law, specialising in the areas of corporate governance of listed companies, IPOs, securities issues and M&A transactions. His list of clients includes: Energica Motor Company, Triboo, Masi Agricola, Elettra Investimenti, SEC, Mobyt, Clabo Group, Caleido Group, PLT Energia, Enertronica, Primi Sui Motori, Poligrafici Printing, First Capital, Ambromobiliare, Fiera Milano and Maire Tecnimont. Lukas is a member of the AssoNext Scientific Committee, the Scientific Committee Courmayeur Foundation as well as some committees promoted by Europeanissuers. He was a member of the Technical Expert Stakeholder Group on SMEs (TESG) promoted by EU Commission and partnered with the MEF (Ministry of Economics and Finance) in the task force that led to the publication of the Green Paper ‘The competitiveness of Italian financial markets in support of growth’ (2021-2022).
Prof. Alberto Toffoletto, partner, ADVANT - Nctm
Alberto Toffoletto, equity partner, has extensive experience in dispute resolution, antitrust and competition, corporate and commercial, M&A , private equity and venture capital. He advises national, international, and multinational companies and private equity funds on acquisitions (both domestic and cross-border), litigations, arbitrations and antitrust law. He is also full professor of commercial and company law at Università degli Studi di Milano. He was legal advisor to the former minister for European affairs, Vincenzo Amendola. He is member of the board at ADVANT Nctm, and he is the coordinator of dispute resolution department. He is a member of the board of directors of UniQLegal (since 2020) – joint venture with Unicredit and La Scala law firm for litigation liabilities management – and is chairman of the board of directors of Legalsoftech (since 2021) – a joint venture with La Scala for IT support. Finally, his active role, as board member, in the National Centre for Prevention and Social Defense – CNPDS Onlus, a foundation focused on studying and implementing a system of prevention and social defense, that aims to promote a cultural, social and civil growth of society.
Paola Colarossi, managing partner, Baker McKenzie
Paola Colarossi heads the corporate reorganisation practice of Baker McKenzie. She practices in the area of corporate reorganisation, M&A, venture capital and private equity and corporate law. She assists clients in national and multijurisdictional M&A transactions, investments and joint-ventures. She has a strong experience in the structuring and implementation of complex corporate reorganisations with a focus on multi-jurisdictional carve outs and post-acquisition integration.
Giuseppe Catalano, company secretary and head of corporate affairs, Assicurazioni Generali
Since 2015 is company secretary and head of corporate affairs of Assicurazioni Generali. Previously, he held roles of increasing responsibility in legal and corporate affairs functions in banks and manufacturing companies in Italy and abroad. Graduated in law with full marks from the University of Bari and completed his studies at the Scuola S. Anna in Pisa, in both cases with a thesis on the legal profiles of financial derivatives. Qualified as a lawyer: member of the Consultative Working Group to the Secondary Markets Standing Committee of ESMA and member of the Policy Committee of Europeanissuers and Member of the Advisory Board of General Counsel Leadership Circle Europe. Lecturer in various commercial and criminal corporate law courses at highly specialised schools and universities and author of numerous scientificcontributions in civil and commercial law. Since 2019 Chairman of AIGI, Italian Association of In-house Lawyers.
Francesca Gaudino, partner, Baker McKenzie
Francesca Gaudino is the partner in charge of the privacy, data security and information technology practice in Italy, a member of the firm’s global privacy and security leadership team and a member of the European Steering Committee of the information technology and communications practice group. Francesca has worked in this practice group since joining the firm, specialising in data protection and security, with a particular focus on legal issues arising from the use of cutting-edge technologies, and has over 20 years of experience advising clients in various data-driven sectors such as retail, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, fintech and technology-driven businesses such as online platforms. Francesca regularly manages multi-jurisdictional projects for the implementation of multi-functional online platforms, cloud computing, advanced marketing and CRM/CEM strategies in digital environments and mobile applications, which raise complex and cross-border multi-faceted privacy and security issues.
Giovanni Lombardi, general counsel, Illimity
Sabrina Borocci, partner, HoganLovells
Massimiliano Masnada, partner, HoganLovells
Christian Di Mauro, partner, HoganLovells
Francesco Pennisi, head of legal, Italy Shell
Simona Musso, chief legal, corporate affairs and compliance officer, Lavazza
Simona Musso graduated in law from the University of Turin and practised as a lawyer for several years. She has been a member of the Lavazza Group since 1996, serving as legal counsel. In 2001, she became the general counsel and now leads the group legal, corporate affairs and compliance team at the Turin headquarters. She also coordinates the lawyers of foreign subsidiaries.
Andrea Navarra, group general counsel, ERG
At the beginning of his career Andrea worked almost 10 years for leading law firms (first at Clifford Chance and then at Chiomenti). In 2008 he decided to move in-house and became head of legal, corporate and ethics (Italy and other related countries) for International Power group (currently incorporated into Engie). In 2013 he joined ERG as head of group corporate affairs and in 2014-2015 became general counsel for Hydro, Thermo, Supply and Trading Business Units. At the end of 2016 Andrea was appointed ERG’s group general counsel. He is member of the board of directors in several companies belonging to the ERG group and is part of all internal committees of ERG.
Michele Catanzaro, general counsel, NextEnergy Capital
Ulisse Spada, group general counsel, DiaSorin
Ulisse Spada is the general counsel and secretary of the board of directors at DiaSorin, of which he is also a member of the supervisory body and data protection officer. DiaSorin, listed on the FTSE MIB of the Italian Stock Exchange, operates worldwide in the laboratory diagnostics market with over 40 subsidiaries, 10 production sites and 9 research centers. From 2009 to 2020 he held the same position in the Piaggio Group and previously was director of legal and corporate affairs at Olivetti, where he began his in-house career in the early 1990s.
Andrea Casu, vice president, regional general counsel EMEA and APAC, VF Corporation
Andrea Maria Casu has gained 20 years of experience in the corporate sector, working for companies operating in the telecommunications, consumer goods and, more recently, the fashion sector.
After obtaining a master’s degree in law from the Catholic University of Milan and the title of lawyer at the Court of Appeal of the Court of Milan, he worked as an in-house lawyer for large multinational companies such as Hutchison Whampoa and the Ferrero Group, ranging from business development operations, compliance activities and intellectual property protection.
With VF Corporation since 2007, he developed the international legal department and led transformative legal strategies. In particular, Andrea played a crucial role in managing the legal aspects related to the main corporate restructuring and M&A operations of VF Corporation, expertly guiding the strategies for the group’s numerous brands.
He currently holds the position of general counsel EMEA and APAC and manages an international team of 25 people, divided between offices in Switzerland, China and Singapore.
He speaks English language and in his free time he loves traveling and trekking.
Filippo Galluccio, head of legal – corporate and contracting, Vodafone
Filippo Galluccio is a lawyer since 2006 and started his professional career in the M&A and banking and finance departments at leading international law firms. He then moved in-house in the telecommunications sector, working at first in Tiscali and later in Vodafone Italia, where he currently heads the legal team responsible for any aspects related to corporate law, extra-ordinary corporate transactions, contracts and distribution.
Passionate about technology and digital, he specialised in covering the full spectrum of legal issues of corporations, with a particular focus on corporate governance, strategic partnerships, transformation and M&A initiatives.
Alessandro Luca Bianchi, head of legal - senior counsel, IBM Italy
Alessandro graduated at the law university of Milan and is a qualified Italian lawyer since 2007. After five years spent in a major law firm in Milan (Rucellai & Raffaelli) focusing on commercial, antitrust and IP matters, in 2008 Alessandro joined IBM Italy where he started his career as an in-house lawyer with different domestic and international responsibilities (in particular: software lead lawyer, strategic outsourcing lead lawyer, antitrust subject matter expert, AI subject matter expert), and managerial roles. In 2012 he went to China with IBM Service Corps for a project with Ningbo University. From 2017 until 2020, he relocated to Ireland as Dublin legal resources centre manager and led the legal team expanding the mission to data privacy (GDPR readiness and implementation) as well as to additional trust and compliance matters and launched the students early professional intern project. From september 2021 until March 2022, he moved to the trust and compliance team with the role of trust and compliance officer for central eastern Europe, building a new profile in trust and compliance, investigations matters including by turning the pandemic limitations into an opportunity to deliver online Integrity trainings, campaigns and awards covering an unprecedent number of employees, business partners, suppliers, and fostering awareness on substantial integrity matters. He re-joined legal since April 2022 as head of legal – senior counsel – Italy.
Sara Citterio, group general counsel, Trussardi
Domenica Lista, secretary of the board of directors, Leonardo
Laura Segni, general counsel, IMI CIB, Intesa Sanpaolo
In association with...
ADVANT Nctm is the Italian member firm of ADVANT, a distinctly European association of independent law firms focused on helping navigating the complex and nuanced legal and commercial landscape of Europe. With about 280 professionals, including 70 partners, and 5 offices in Italy and abroad (Milan, Rome, Genoa, London and Shanghai), ADVANT Nctm is one of the leading independent Italian law firms in terms of size, number and relevance of transactions handled.
Baker McKenzie has been pioneering a global legal perspective since 1962 and is the leading firm for corporate/M&A, tax and IT matters in Italy.
Our team of 130 lawyers and tax professionals, strategically located in Milan and Rome, brings together expertise across a range of practice areas and industries. Working seamlessly with our European and global colleagues, we enable our clients to overcome challenges and achieve their business goals.
The excellence of our services is evidenced by our role as trusted advisors to prominent industrial, commercial and financial companies, both national and international, who turn to us for guidance on complex cross-border transactions.
Hogan Lovells is a leading full service international law firm with 48 offices worldwide and over 2700 professionals, and 160 lawyers sitting between the Rome and Milan offices.
Based in Italy since 2000, Hogan Lovells regularly assists corporates, financial institutions and governmental organisations in the following areas: corporate M&A, banking and loan finance, capital markets, litigation and arbitration, regulatory law, intellectual property and TMT, privacy and cybersecurity, competition law, public and environmental law, restructuring and special situations, labour law, tax and real estate.
Thanks to the integration between practice areas and the global network, Hogan Lovells delivers exceptional legal services in highly regulated sectors, being constantly recognized in the highest rankings of the main Italian and international legal directories.
LCA Studio Legale is an independent full practice law firm with renowned international experience and specialises in corporate legal and tax assistance. Its offices are in Italy (Milan, Rome, Genoa, Treviso), Belgium (Brussels), and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), where they operate in an International Partnership with IAA Law Firm. The firm has been recently experiencing a steady dimensional growth, adding new practices and strengthening core ones, and now counts about 240 professionals.
Legance is an independent law firm with offices in Milan, Rome and London.
Founded in 2007 by a group of acclaimed partners, Legance distinguishes itself in the legal market as a point of reference for both clients and institutions.
It is no coincidence that the name Legance recalls unity and excellence, principles that were at the forefront in the foundation of the firm.
Independent, dynamic, international and institutional are the qualities that most characterise the strength of the firm and have contributed to it becoming a leader in the legal market.
In 2007 there were 84 lawyers at Legance, currently there are over 370.
The value of the group is regarded as a pillar that amplifies each individual’s qualities and skills, the constant attention to clients, the careful evaluation of business objectives and an unconventional approach capable of anticipating legal requirements, 24 hour availability have contributed to establish Legance as a recognised leader in domestic and international markets.
Due to its outstanding international approach Legance can support clients over several geographical areas, and can organise and coordinate multi-jurisdictional teams whenever required.