How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?   

Permanent communication among different company functions, particularly with business colleagues, is essential during periods of crisis. Understanding the source of the problem in all its dimensions—not just from a legal perspective—is of paramount importance, and sharing goals among teams is fundamental. At the end of the crisis, this effort will lead to new relationships and competencies for all involved colleagues, such as a better understanding of the business and how the company operates within its markets, relationships with customers and suppliers, distribution chains, profits, and investments. Sometimes, better business ideas can originate from lawyers, who are naturally specialised in flexibility and adaptation to circumstances, always keeping in mind the safeguarding of the business, its reputation, and the long-term legal consequences of certain operational options.  

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently?   

Recently, I have managed several transactions focused on the development of power generation plants from renewable sources to supply green electricity for the Italian industrial sites of Sasol Italy. Among others, I have personally drafted and negotiated a dozen long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Galileo Green Energy GmbH, Green Go S.r.l., and Eemaxx Innovation, covering more than 80% of the total energy consumed by Sasol Italy’s industrial sites. 

These PPAs feature an innovative pricing system that includes zonal price remuneration with a dynamic discount, a dynamic floor price that guarantees the electricity produced by the photovoltaic plants, and a cap price that protects Sasol from any price shocks. 

These partnerships are part of a broader sustainability strategy for Sasol Italy, where this long-term commitment demonstrates a concrete social responsibility towards implementing the energy transition and achieving our goal of reducing emissions. 

What role does the legal department play in promoting and ensuring corporate social responsibility in your organisation?   

An organisation’s ability to respond to corporate social responsibility (CSR) requires a diversity of related perspectives at the board and executive levels, and this is where the role of the General Counsel (GC) comes into play. The GC’s portfolio extends well beyond technical legal issues to incorporate ethical considerations in any advice provided to the company, supporting and promoting the company’s culture and corporate decision-making while ensuring that expectations are met. 

Lawyers are instrumental in championing an organisation’s values and encouraging employees to uphold those standards and expectations, from drafting internal policies to assessing laws and external contracts to ensure that business needs align with the company’s commitment to CSR. In this respect, the GC will contextualise the issues, identifying both legal and non-legal factors that impact decision-making and assisting the company in determining what actions to take voluntarily, beyond what may be mandated by legal regulations and financial requirements. Ultimately, the GC acts as a “wise counsellor” to the company, as purely technical legal advice can sometimes be inadequate. Accordingly, the GC plays a significant role in helping the company achieve high performance, high integrity, and effective risk management. 

What do you see as the major legal challenges for businesses in Italy over the next five years, and how are you preparing to address them?   

Europe’s chemical industry is experiencing one of the deepest crises it has ever faced. The industry struggled with weak demand throughout 2023 and 2024, leading to a drop in chemical prices at a time of historically high costs, particularly for energy and feedstocks. The impact on the financial results of Europe-based companies has been severe. This downturn coincides with overcapacity in many petrochemical value chains, and the EU’s share of global chemical sales has dropped significantly. At the same time, one of the major challenges ahead is the energy transition, which is particularly complex and costly in the chemical sector. 

During this period of instability, my role is not limited to risk mitigation but requires proactivity and organisational resilience, supporting project groups aimed at achieving success through research and development projects for new products and technologies. I provide specific added value by addressing contractual cost-saving initiatives and energy transition projects, including renewables and electrification technologies, developed to meet the demands of the European Green Deal and all its related regulations