Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense? 

We have implemented a very useful tool for privacy compliance purposes on the basis of our department’s study and analysis; this tool has fully automatised the request flow from the business, provided direct interactions with the register of data processing and has been used several times for accountability purposes, also during the Italian Privacy Authority’s investigations. The tool also redirects users to the standard data processing sheet that is crucial to map internal privacy by design processes and provides warnings for internal and external users who are not in compliance with the applicable internal procedures and regulatory framework. 

What are some of the main trends impacting the industry sector you work in in Italy?   

Digital markets in Italy and broader Europe are now encountering new regulatory trends (DMA and DSA) which will ensure a broader access to the market and a fairer business environment. This means that medium enterprises will have new opportunities to compete against gatekeepers and web giants. On the other hand, consumers will gain more transparency and higher protection of their fundamental rights 

What legal considerations should be taken into account when structuring and executing an M&A, and how can the legal department play a strategic role in facilitating a successful M&A transaction?  

We have been recently involved in two proprietary M&A deals (sell side). Our department played a significant role starting from preparation of the teasers as well as in drafting and sharing all the usual preliminary documentation (such as NDA, LOI and disclaimers). In the due diligence preparation, in addition to the updating and population of legal documentation, we provided assistance to other internal functions on helping to calibrate answers to add requests as well as to set limits on disclosure given the high sensitiveness of some document on checklist and the confidentiality commitments vis-à-vis third parties as well as certain additional regulatory constraints.