Herbert Smith Freehills LLP

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Enrico heads the Italian Corporate Crime & Investigations practice at Herbert Smith Freehills. As a litigator and trial lawyer with 20 years of experience, Enrico assists clients on all their white-collar crime matters, on both contentious and non-contentious issues. He has significant experience working with clients on criminal litigation, investigations, compliance, risk and crisis management. Enrico acts for domestic and international companies and their directors in connection with corporate and financial crimes including money laundering, corruption, fraud, market abuse and tax offences.

Francesca Morra

Francesca leads the Italian energy and infrastructure practice at Herbert Smith Freehills. Her extensive knowledge of the energy and infrastructure sector is based on nearly 20 years of experience advising Italian and multinational energy companies, international sponsors, project developers, private equity funds and leading investment banks on some of the most innovative and complex transactions in the renewables space, conventional power, oil and gas (including LNG), energy efficiency, electric mobility and various types of infrastructure projects. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, the development of projects and infrastructures, industry contracts and regulatory matters, including ESG, MiFID, EMIR, MAR, REMIT, TPA exemptions. She also advises on competition, foreign direct investment and consumer protection issues. Recognised as one of Italy's energy & infra experts by the main legal directories, Francesca is a frequent speaker on various energy-related topics and a contributor to legal publications. She also lectures on energy and competition law.

Giulia Maienza

Senior Associate

Laura Orlando

Laura is the Managing Partner of Herbert Smith Freehills' Milan office and leads the firm's global Intellectual Property practice as well as its EMEA Life Sciences practice. A recognised thought leader in intellectual property law, Laura is appreciated by clients and peers for her innovative and strategic expertise, particularly in the life sciences sector. She excels in handling high-profile, multi-jurisdictional patent cases, including those under the SPC Regulation and before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). Her advice is crucial to major pharmaceutical companies in managing patent expirations and securing market leadership through effective patent lifecycle management, obtaining marketing authorisations and navigating data exclusivity provisions. Laura's ability to deliver proactive, innovative legal solutions extends across a wide range of industries, including food, chemicals, consumer goods, telecommunications, media and technology (TMT), electronics, fashion and industrial design. Throughout her career, Laura has received numerous accolades and is consistently ranked in the top tier of prestigious legal directories, is regularly listed among the top 50 lawyers in Italy and as one of the 50 most inspiring female legal professionals in Italy.

Martina Maffei

Martina Maffei is a Senior Associate in the Italian IP Disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills, with extensive experience in multi-jurisdictional cases, particularly in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, and food sectors. She represents many of the largest pharma and biotech companies on a range of regulatory issues, including marketing authorizations for medicinal products and medical devices, data exclusivity, pricing and reimbursement, compliance with standards for interactions with healthcare professionals and organizations, and transparency obligations. Martina also advises on legal and regulatory aspects of digital health solutions, as well as borderline qualification cases between food, medical devices, cosmetics, and medicinal products. Martina assists Italian and international clients with sophisticated IP and regulatory issues, including patents, trademarks, e-commerce, and the legal aspects of digital projects such as advertising strategy and social media use.

Pietro Pouché

Pietro Pouché is a partner in the Italian IP Disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills, with extensive experience in intellectual property disputes, including trademark, design, and patent litigation. He assists clients in exploiting and protecting valuable IP assets across various industries such as TMT, energy, consumer products, and fashion. Pietro has significant expertise in data protection, TMT regulatory issues, and transactional matters involving IP assets. He is known for his work in complex cross-border IP litigations, commercial transactions, and regulatory matters, representing clients before judicial courts and in international arbitrations in jurisdictions like China, India, and the US. His practice also covers general commercial dispute resolution, making him a well-regarded commercial litigator in the market. Pietro is a lecturer at the Master in Fashion Law at the University of Milan and other courses on International Private Law. He regularly speaks at seminars on IP issues organized by associations such as Indicam, AICIPI, and the International Trademark Association, as well as on ESG matters and cultural appropriation issues.

Sara Balice

Sara Balice is an Of Counsel in the IP disputes team at Herbert Smith Freehills, with over 15 years of experience. She specializes in IP law, advising both local and international clients on contentious and non-contentious matters. Her expertise covers patents, trademarks, design, copyright, trade secrets, and unfair competition. Sara is particularly focused on the life sciences industry, where she is involved in complex multijurisdictional patent and SPC litigations, often representing originator companies against generics. Sara also has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating IP license agreements, clinical trial agreements, and material transfer agreements, and she advises on product advertising in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. She is known for her high technical knowledge and has built strong relationships with clients due to her legal acumen and litigation skills. Recognized by international and Italian legal publications, Sara's practice spans multiple industries, including healthcare, life sciences, consumer goods, fashion, TMT, industrial, and automotive.

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