CBA Studio Legale e Tributario

Energy, Infrastructures and Project Finance

Partner

Francesco joined the Firm in 2023, having previously worked for the firm from 2005 to 2012.  In the meantime, he has worked for leading national and international law firms.

Francesco provides regulatory (ARERA), administrative and antitrust advice to several multi-utilities (private and public) operating in the energy, integrated water and waste markets. He also provides judicial assistance before higher courts in litigation related to ARERA regulatory issues.

Following the liberalisation of the gas and energy sector in Italy, Francesco worked as an advisor in the Legislative and Legal Department of the Authority for Electricity and Natural Gas ("AEEG", now "ARERA"), before becoming a partner (Energy Department) in national and international law firms.

Francesco is recognised by Legal 500 as Leading Individual in Energy and by Best Lawyers as Recommended Lawyer in Regulatory. Legalcommunity's Report in Energy & Infrastructure ranks him Elite in Arbitration and Litigation, Excellent in Regulatory Antitrust and Utilities, Highly Recommended in Energy & Infrastructure, Renewables and Recommended in Oil & Gas; Leaders League recognised him Excellent in Energy: Regulatory Law.

He was awarded Lawyer of the year - Litigation at the Legalcommunity Energy Awards 2025.

Italian, English

Member of the Milan Bar Association, 2000;

Member of the Special Register of Counsel for Supreme and Higher Jurisdictions, 2014.

Law Degree with honours, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 1994.

Master’s in European law, London School of Economics, 1996.

Second-Level Master's in Competition Economics and Public Utilities Regulation, specialising in Energy and Gas, Università degli Studi di Roma - Tor Vergata, Rome, 2003.

Academic Activities and other information

Lecturer in the field of energy at the Higher School of Public Administration (Presidency of the Council of Ministers) as well as assignee of research assignments in the energy sector. Adjunct lecturer from 2004 to 2023 at the CEIS Master's Degree Program of the University of Rome Tor Vergata Master's Degree Program (2nd level) in Economics of Competition and Regulation of Public Utilities. “Expert of the subject” (lectures on regulation/antitrust in the energy sector) at the University of Milan - Bicocca Dept. of Political Economy. Lecturer on “The regulation of the natural gas market in Italy and the national regulatory authority” at the Interuniversity Master's Degree on Global Markets Regulation, organized by La Sapienza and LUISS Guido Carli in 2018.

Articles and publications

Author of more than 200 contributions in national and international journals such as Quotidiano Energia, Wolters Kluwer, Encyclopedia Treccani and Gruppo 24Ore on energy regulation, renewable energy, energy upgrading, energy supply contracts. Among others, include the monograph on “The regulation of the natural gas market” (Bruno Leoni Institute, 2008), “GAS. Disciplina pubblicistica” (Encyclopedia Treccani - Diritto Online, 2014) and ‘La compliance nel settore del gas naturale’ (Wolters Kluwer Italia, 2020).