Event Report

On Tuesday, 27th February 2024, The Legal 500 embarked on a journey to Milan, gracing the launch of the inaugural edition of the GC Summit Italy 2024 at The Westin Palace. The event boasted a full attendance of in-house counsel, alongside the five esteemed partners — ADVANT nctm, Baker McKenzie Italia, Hogan Lovells, LCA, and Legance.

The event kicked off with a welcome address by Sara Maggi, The Legal 500’s editorial lead for the Summit, who set the right tone for the day.

ADVANT nctm led the first session, delving into ‘Market Competitiveness, Capital Bill, and Listing Package: State of the Art and Prospects’. Partners Lukas Plattner and Prof. Alberto Toffoletto, accompanied by Giovanni Lombardi, general counsel at Illimity, Ulisse Spada, group general counsel at DiaSorin, and Domenica Lista, secretary of the board of directors at Leonardo, explored new legislative reforms aimed at simplifying the regulatory framework to foster a more conducive environment for companies in capital markets.

LCA moderated the second panel, with Niccolò Abriani and Marina Rosito, equity partners, leading a discussion joined by Raffaella Luglini, chief sustainability officer at Leonardo; Giuseppe Catalano, company secretary and head of corporate affairs at Assicurazioni Generali; and Simona Musso, chief legal, corporate affairs, and compliance officer at Lavazza. This panel focused on the intricate system of corporate ESG risks and opportunities, offering practical examples and valuable insights into the implementation of ESG principles.

Hogan Lovells took the helm for the third session, exploring ‘The rapid and increasingly significant introduction of technological innovation in the legal field’. Sabrina Borocci, Massimiliano Masnada, and Christian Di Mauro, partners, were joined by Filippo Galluccio, head of legal – corporate and contracting at Vodafone, and Alessandro Luca Bianchi, head of legal – senior counsel at IBM Italy, navigated through transformative technological tools available to general counsel, elucidating their benefits for today’s legal departments.

Baker McKenzie Italia presented the subsequent session, with Paola Colarossi, managing partner, and Francesca Gaudino, partner, joined by Francesco Pennisi, head of legal at Italy Shell, and Sara Citterio, group general counsel at Trussardi. This session offered practical insights into M&A operations and current legal trends, focusing on pre-sale carve-outs, post-acquisition integration challenges, and data privacy issues at each stage of transactions.

The fifth panel of the day, moderated by Legance, featured speakers Andrea Silvestri and Claudia Gregori, partners, alongside Andrea Navarra, group general counsel at ERG, Laura Segni, general counsel at IMI CIB, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Michele Catanzaro, general counsel at NextEnergy Capital. They shared insights and experiences on ‘Risks in M&A transactions and insurance policies’, providing attendees with crucial tips to prepare for potential tax risks during M&A operations, and fostering valuable networking opportunities through interactive discussions and shared experiences.

After such a brilliant and insightful set of sessions, attendees moved to a drinks and canapés reception. The Legal 500 was delighted to host the GC Summit Italy 2024 and exceedingly happy with the positive turnout of the event and the topics discussed. We look forward to being back in Italy soon!

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