About

In 2010 Simone Davini assumed position as head of legal and corporate affairs at Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, working at the company’s Milan branch. Davini has over twenty-two years’ experience as an in-house lawyer in the banking and finance sector, and amongst his most notable recent experiences was in 2017, when Davini assisted the Bank with the legal engineering of a landmark financial transaction with the Italian top-quality food company Granarolo, markedly allowing the company to de-stock its warehouse of hams. Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank has a global reach and strong focus on quality of execution, and of his current position Davini states: ‘[It has] allowed me to further expand significantly my exposure to cross-border deals and to their legal and drafting implications, to boost my ability to take care of complex deals within a tight time frame and interacting with highly sophisticated players’. During his time at the Bank he is proud of having put together a team of very committed talented young lawyers, whom he trains to work transversally on several different legal matters and areas. Before assuming his current role, Davini’s career saw him undertake a number of important and noteworthy projects in the sector. During this period he has held leadership roles for national and international companies including Ernst & Young International, ING Group, Banca Profilo Group and Intesa Sanpaolo Group, dealing with key acquisitions, financing and securitisation both in Italy and abroad, as well as with the structuring and placement of securities and investment products. His time at ING Direct was particularly significant, as it enabled the company to begin its Italian operations: ‘This was my first time as a legal leader and helped me understanding the building blocks of, and the mechanics for, an effective, productive and well perceived legal department’ says Davini. In 2006 he joined the major Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo, to lead a team of lawyers dedicated to OTC products and structured finance, an experience which was key in improving his ability to manage complex and sensitive legal files, organising and leading a large legal team with different levels of skills, as well as interaction with very senior people both internally and externally. In addition to his sparkling experience and track record of achieving important business objectives, Davini lectures regularly at conferences and seminars and has authored several publications on derivative contracts.