Team size: 13 

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 went through a process in order to make the members of the legal team real business partners (with high specialisation in legal issues) able to better understand the needs of colleagues, guiding them throughout the procurement or route to market processes. In this way, working side by side with business colleagues, the team was able to provide an effective and appreciated contribution. 

Can you foresee any key developments to the way general counsel work over the next five years? 

Digitisation is certainly one of the greatest opportunities and access to information and tools is undoubtedly easier than in the past. AI and the amount of information it will be able to manage will undoubtedly be useful in guiding the company’s prospective choices. But the experience of a general counsel, who knows not only the laws and logic of the market but also the identity of the company in which they work, makes them difficult to replace in identifying concrete risks and determining effective actions. 

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

Large multinationals are always at the centre of the attention of national and EU legislators. The goal is to always keep the attention high on environmental issues (intended both as a fight against pollution and waste, and as a fight against greenwashing), on consumer law (reform of class – action), on respect for human rights and on the protection of the food chain. 

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?  

In a context where compliance is becoming increasingly important, a solid due diligence activity can identify the main liabilities of the target and the remedial actions to be taken before the closing or during the integration phase. Then, precisely during the integration phase, the legal team – which follows all company processes – can be an effective booster of this integration because it can help the target and its management to become familiar with the standards of the acquiring company.