| 3M Italia
3M Italia is part of the South East Europe region (SEER) of 3M which belongs to the broader EMEA region and comprises of 17 countries in total. ‘We operate in...
| A2A Group
Italian utility A2A was founded out of the merger of Italian companies AEM (Azienda Energetica Municipale) of Milan and ASM Brescia (Azienda dei Servizi Municipalizzati) at the end of 2007...
| Accenture - Complex Contracting
The Accenture legal team overseeing complex contracting for Italy, Central Europe and Greece (ICEG) is made up of nine lawyers, eight in Italy and one in Poland as well as...
| Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna
Located northwest of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna (AdB) is an international airport serving the city of Bologna in Italy. The legal team of AdB...
| AIG
Insurance company, AIG began operating in the Italian market in 1949 to support pan-European and multinational programmes to contribute to the development of local companies offering a wide range of...
| Amplifon
Amplifon is a leading hearing specialist with 65 years of experience in the industry, it operates in over 29 countries boasting over three million customers worldwide. The Amplifon legal team...
| Aon Italia
Aon Italia is an organisation that offers risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage services providing customers in Italy with a dedicated and highly specialised team of resources. The Aon Italia...
| Assicurazioni Generali
Deemed as one of the most significant players in the global insurance and financial products market, Assicurazioni Generali is the largest Italian insurance company in Italy and third largest in...
| Atlantia
Atlantia is a leading Italian holding company in the motorway and airport transport infrastructure sector. The legal team is tasked with supporting its legal activities in all the 23 countries...
| Avanade Italy
Described as, ‘agile and flexible’ by the Avanade senior director, regional legal counsel lead for Italy, Poland, Spain and Portugal, Francesco Paolino, the company’s legal team is composed of three...
| Axpo Italia
Energy and utility company Axpo Italia has more than 100 years of experience in the production and supply of sustainable energy. Although headquartered in Switzerland, Axpo holds a leading position...
| Banca IMI
Banca IMI is the investment bank of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group. With more than 850 employees, it operates in the areas of capital markets, investment banking and structured finance on...
| Banco BPM
Created by the merger between Banco Popolare and Banca Poplare di Milano, Banco BPM is a recently created bank that started operating on 1 January 2017. It is nevertheless the...
| Barclays
The Barclay’s legal team covering Italy comprises of lawyers based in both London and Milan, with previous experience in international and Italian law firms. The legal team provides advisory and...
| BNP Paribas Real Estate
BNP Paribas Real Estate is a European commercial property consultancy company with around 2,600 employees in 51 cities. In Italy, the BNP Paribas Real Estate legal and corporate affairs function...
| Boehringer Ingelheim Italia
The Boehringer Ingelheim Italia legal team is made up of four lawyers, dedicated respectively to the company’s human pharma business, the animal health business and to the other enabling functions...
| Borsa Italiana
Based in Milan, Borsa Italiana is Italy’s only stock exchange. Following a merger in October 2007, it is currently a subsidiary of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). Formed by talented...
| Bottega Veneta
Italian luxury goods and fashion brand Bottega Veneta has been a prominent fashion brand since its inception in 1966. Supporting its iconic fashion reputation throughout Italy and its international expansion...
| Bracco Imaging
With a history in the Italian healthcare sector dating back to 1927, Bracco Imaging has since become a prominent leader in diagnostic imaging, and is the lead company in the...
| British American Tobacco
The central legal department of British American Tobacco (BAT) is based in Rome and is responsible for coordinating the strategic legal agenda of the local legal offices, responsible for business...
| Campari Group
Campari Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. Headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Campari Group owns 18 plants worldwide and...
| Canadian Solar EMEA
Founded in 2001 in Ontario, Canada, Canadian Solar operates as a global energy provider with expanding business subsidiaries in 19 countries in six continents. Canadian Solar is both a global...
| Cargill
Cargill is a global corporation that provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. It has been active in Italy since 1962 and now has around...
| Carraro Group
Headquartered in Campodarsego, Carraro Group is a leader in highly efficient power transmission systems. The Group makes gears, transmission systems and special tractors for the world’s primary agricultural machinery manufacturers....
| CDP Equity
CDP Equity, previously known as Fondo Strategico Italiano (Italian Strategic Fund), was established in late July 2011 as a sovereign wealth fund. With a capital of €3.7bn, its portfolio currently...
| Cementir Holding
Cementir Holding is a leading producer of cement and mixed-concrete, and is a holding company with subsidiaries manufacturing cement and concrete primarily in Turkey and Denmark. In 2018 the company...
| Cerved Group
Established in 1974 as a data processing centre for Veneto Chambers of Commerce, Cerved Group has grown to become the largest information provider in Italy and one of the major...
| CheBanca!
Launched as a digital bank in 2008 with a focus on deposits and mortgages, CheBanca! is a part of the Mediobanca Group. As of June 2019, CheBanca! has over 865,000...
| Coca-Cola HBC Italia
Coca-Cola HBC Italia is the main producer and distributor of the Coca-Cola Company brand products in Italy, and is made up of 2,000 employees operating from the company headquarters in...
| Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank Italy
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank has been present in Italy for more than 40 years, and prides itself for having a robust product platform that is supported by strong...
| DeA Capital
Founded in 2000, DeA Capital is an Italian company that belongs to the De Agostini Group, a leading publishing house in Italy that deals with investments in private equity and...
| Deutsche Bank
In 1977, Deutsche Bank opened its first representative office in Milan, Italy. Today with more than 5,000 employees, 620 branches, as well as more than two million private clients, the...
| Diesel
Italian retail clothing company, Diesel, is located in Italy and is focused on manufacturing and selling denim, footwear and accessories. The legal team are faced with a range of retail...
| eBay
The Italy based in-house legal team of American multinational e-commerce corporation eBay is part of the Central and Southern Europe legal team. This wider team covers all EU markets except...
| Edizioni Condé Nast
A leading publishing company in Italy, Edizioni Condé Nast is owned by publishing powerhouse Condé Nast International and publishes 12 renowned fashion and trend-defining magazines such as Vanity Fair, Vogue...
| Enel Italy
Taking charge of the legal affairs for Enel Group in its home market in Italy, a team of approximately 140 people including in-house lawyers and paralegal staff support the business...
| Engie Italy
ENGIE has been operating in Italy for 20 years and is now one of the leaders in the energy sector. It is also a shareholder of Tirreno Power, one of...
| Eni
Italian global oil and gas super player, Eni, operates in 67 countries worldwide and employs more than 30,000 people. The legal team is made up of 253 lawyers and 38...
| ERG
The corporate and legal affairs (CLA) department of ERG is composed of 20 members under the responsibility of general counsel Andrea Navarra. The team is divided into three sections: legal...
| Esso Italiana
Esso Italiana is the main company of ExxonMobil Group in Italy where it has been operating since 1891. It is a leader in the oil and gas industry but carries...
| Falck renewables
Renewable energy company Falck Renewables is based in Milan, but has installed capacity in the UK, France, Spain and in the US. The company’s group legal and corporate affairs department...
| FCA Bank
FCA Bank is dedicated to motorists and motor financing, and was created from a joint venture between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Italy and Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance. Today it is present...
| FedEx Express
International courier services provider FedEx is supported in the Southern European region by a legal team made up of eight lawyers and one executive assistant based in Italy, three in...
| Ferrari
Representing the finest in Italian automotive design and craftsmanship, Ferrari’s culturally iconic story began in 1947 when it started to produce unique sports cars that are recognised for their unique...
| Ferrero Group
Since its inception in 1946 Ferrero Group has exponentially grown to its current iconic global position with its much respected brands: Nutella, Tic Tac, Ferrero Rocher and Surprise, sold in...
| Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, often abbreviated as FCA, is an Italian-American multinational corporation and is the world’s eighth largest auto maker. The Group was established in October 2014 by merging Fiat...
| Fiditalia (Societè Generale Group)
Fiditalia is a leading Italian financial company specialised in the consumer credit sector, which is owned by French multinational investment bank and financial services company Societè Generale Group. The legal...
| Fox Networks Group Italy
A division of 21st Century Fox, Fox Networks Group Italy is a company dedicated to the development and management of thematic pay television channels and digital properties. The Group offers...
| Generali Italia
The general counsel area of Generali Italia is responsible, as a whole, for legal and corporate supervision for all “Country Italia companies”, which are Generali Group companies that have registered...
| Geox
Known for its revolutionary waterproof and breathable clothes manufacturing, Geox is an Italian clothing and shoe brand that has been at the forefront of fashion innovation since its founding in...
| Google Italy
The legal team of Google Italy is comprised of a number of talented in-house lawyers, who provide legal advice on a wide range of matters for Google. The team is...
| Green Network
Green Network is a dynamic Italian company in the energy and gas sector that started in 2003 with the liberalisation of the energy market in Italy. Today it has grown...
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
Multinational information technology company Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), has been present in Italy for a number of years in the area of manufacturing and distributing technology products. The legal team...
| Hilti Italia
Hilti Italia is dedicated to designing and manufacturing of cutting-edge technologies, products and services to support professionals in the construction world. The legal department of Hilti Italia is made up...
| IBM Italy
IBM is a leading cloud platform and cognitive solutions company and is the largest technology and consulting employer in the world, with more than 380,000 employees serving clients in 170...
| Iliad Italia
Italian telecommunications company Iliad Italia is a large mobile operator in Italy with over 3.31 million active lines. Considering that Iliad Italia launched its business just one year ago, the...
| Illimity Bank
illimity Bank is a new paradigm bank based in Milan, which supports businesses specialised in supporting small and medium-size enterprises. The Bank was formed very recently from the merger of...
| Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Europe) - Milan Branch
The in-house team of the legal and compliance department of the Milan branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is currently composed of six professionals, out of a...
| Intesa SanPaolo
Intesa SanPaolo is an Italian banking group resulting from the merger of Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI, and was classed the largest banking group in Italy in 2014. The legal...
| Isagro
Heading the legal team of Isagro, Laura Tricomi serves as group director of legal affairs, reporting directly to the president and chief executive officer of the company. Established in 1993,...
| Johnson & Johnson Medical Italy
Johnson & Johnson Medical Italy is widely recognised in Italy for being a world leader in developing medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods. The legal team is responsible for...
| JT International Italia (JTI Group)
JTI sells many of the world’s best-known tobacco brands, such as Winston, Mevius, Camel and LD all over the world. Led by the principles of speed, engagement and innovation, the...
| KONE
KONE is a global leader in the elevator, escalator and automatic building doors industry. The KONE Italy legal department takes charge of legal matters in its home market. ‘The mission...
| Lavazza
Iconic Italian coffee brand Lavazza has a long established global name that is known by many all over the world. The first Lavazza store was opened in Turin in 1895....
| LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, also known as LVMH, is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. Since its creation in 1987, LVMH has comprised a unique...
| Marchiol Group
Marchiol Group, consists of five companies with 30 branches, more than 700 employees and €280m in a yearly turnover. It specialises in the distribution of electrical and automation equipment, intended...
| Mediaset
Headquartered in Milan and founded in 1987, Mediaset is the largest commercial broadcaster in Italy. Its legal department is headed by Gina Nieri, director of institutional and legal affairs and...
| Mediobanca
Mediobanca is a longstanding Italian bank founded in 1946 to facilitate the post-World War II reconstruction of Italian industry, and today has an international footprint with branches in London, Madrid,...
| Mercury
Mercury Luxury is a multinational company operating in several different industries such as fashion and design, furniture, baby care, health and beauty and medical devices. Led by general counsel Massimiliano...
| METRO Italia Cash and Carry
METRO Italia Cash and Carry serves customers in Italy with a commitment to offering retail food and non-food products, namely fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and tobacco products, as well...
| Moncler
Moncler has established itself as a popular luxury Italian apparel and lifestyle company, recognised globally for its down jackets and sportswear. Founded in 1952, Moncler is the abbreviation of Monestier-de-Clermont,...
| MoneyGram
MoneyGram is an international money transfer company with headquarters in the US. Its global legal team is made up of 20 individuals who report into the executive vice president, general...
| MPS (Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena)
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking services, operating through a number of business segments including retail banking, wealth management, corporate banking,...
| Nestlé Italy
The Nestlé legal team provides legal advice for all the three widely-recognised operating companies of the Nestlé Group in Italy: Nestlé Italiana, Sanpellegrino and Nespresso. In the last two years,...
| NextEnergy Capital
The legal team of NextEnergy Capital is composed of two lawyers, head of legal Michele Catanzaro and senior legal Claudia Calderini, as well as one trainee. Catanzaro possesses extensive experience...
| Nokia Italy
Nokia is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology and consumer electronics company with a European legal team of 50 lawyers. In Italy, the team has three members, headed by head...
| PayPal
Worldwide leaders in the e-commerce industry and renowned online payment system, PayPal has a number of international legal teams, recognised for driving the business’s global business forward. PayPal’s Italian legal...
| Petrolvalves
Petrovalves is a leading valves manufacturing company established in 1964 and although it is more than 60 years old, the legal department was only formed in 2016, following a change...
| Petronas Lubricants Italy
Petronas Lubricants is a global oil lubricant and fluids business with presence in 86 countries across the globe. In Italy, Petronas Lubricants has its headquarters for the European market, the...
| Pillarstone
Investment management platform Pillarstone works with European banks and businesses to manage their exposure to non-core and underperforming assets, helping them stabilise, grow and create value. The Pillarstone legal team...
| Pirelli
Founded in Milan in 1872, Pirelli is known today as a global brand known for its world famous reputation as major producers of tyres and associated services. Today, with a...
| Prysmian Group
Prysmian Group is an Italian multinational corporation involved in manufacturing electric power transmission and telecommunication cables and systems and has become the largest manufacturer of cables in the world by...
| QVC Italy
Part of the QVC Group, QVC Italy is a shopping and entertainment channel, present in the Italian digital terrestrial television. The legal team plans and develops the legal, regulatory and...
| Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana
Owning 14 television channels and six radio stations, Rai – Radiotelevisione Italiana is the largest television company in Italy. It is an Italian state owned public service broadcaster managed by...
| Replay
Italian denim label Replay is a prominent fashion label owned by one of the leading international companies in the denim sector, Fashion Box. It is involved in creating, promoting and...
| Rizzani de Eccher
Focused on various areas within the general contractor and international construction market, Rizzani de Eccher brings together a number of operating units within civil engineering and building construction. Made up...
| Shell
International energy company Shell has a universally established position in the area of research, production and marketing of oil and natural gas as well as the production and marketing of...
| Sidel
With over 170 years of industry experience, Sidel is a leading provider of equipment and services solutions for packaging, beverage, food, home, materials and personal care products in over 190...
| Siram by Veolia
Siram by Veolia holds a world-leading position in the optimised management of environmental services. Today it is present in five continents and has achieved over 100 years of operation in...
| Snam
Snam is an Italian natural gas infrastructure company and was originally a subsidiary of Italian energy company Eni. The Snam legal team has developed over time, evolving its structure based...
| Technogym
Founded in 1983, Technogym is a leading designer of gym equipment and fitness solution based in Cesena, Italy. Led by general counsel Paolo Fabiani and senior corporate lawyer Claudia Brighittini,...
| Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia is an Italian telecommunication company which offers infrastructure and technological platforms on which voice and data become advanced telecommunication services and leading-edge ICT solutions and tools. General counsel,...
| Trussardi
Italian fashion house Trussardi was founded in 1911, and has since embarked on a global expansion into the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including opening...
| UBS
UBS has been present in Italy since 1996, offering a high level of financial services to private, corporate and institutional clients on a global scale and today has a presence...
| Unicredit
Italian global banking and financial service company UniCredit describes itself as a successful pan-European group. It has a business model and integrated corporate and investment banking division that provides 26...
| Volkswagen Group Italia
Volkswagen Group Italia imports cars, spare parts and accessories for Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The legal team is tasked with the legal management related to the...
| Volvo Group
The Volvo Group is a world leader in manufacturing trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine industrial engines with production facilities in over 18 countries and its products sold in more...
| Whirlpool EMEA
The Whirlpool EMEA legal team is part of the Whirlpool Corporation global law department, which embodies the mission and vision to be ‘one team, recognised for delivering competitive advantage by...
| Wind Tre
Wind Tre is the largest mobile operator in the Italian telecommunications market and a leader in fixed-mobile integration and in the development of next-generation fibre networks. Since 7 September 2018,...
| Zurich Insurance Company
Zurich Insurance Company in Italy offers commercial market insurance products and services across the country, including life insurance, home, health, and investment and security products. The legal team is divided...
For over 30 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world. The GC Powerlist is the latest publication from The Legal 500, turning its attention to the in-house function, and recognising those corporate counsel who are driving the legal business forward. The latest edition is the GC Powerlist: Italy Teams, which identifies an array of the most influential and innovative in-house counsel working in the region…read more
We have canvassed opinions from law firm partners and in-house counsel across Italy, to identify corporate counsel that have been instrumental in changing or forming opinions within their company or industry; developing brilliant technical solutions to complex issues; creating innovative structures to ensure that the in-house function is driving the business forward; or providing a business working model that other corporate counsel should follow. Our team of experienced researchers assessed the nominations, speaking both to general counsel and nominating lawyers to finalise each list. The GC Powerlist: Italy Teams features not just information on why that individual has made the list, but also comment from those in-house lawyers about how they have helped shape innovation in the legal industry.
If you have feedback on the GC Powerlist: Italy Teams, or wish to nominate other in-house individuals (either in Italy or global), please do get in touch at [email protected].
We hope that this listing will stimulate debate around the role of the in-house lawyer and help corporate counsel with possible improvements and efficiencies in running their departments.
I am delighted that Freshfields once again has the opportunity to sponsor The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Italy.
We are a leading global law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world’s leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on ground-breaking and business-critical mandates.
We have been in London for the best part of three centuries and in Italy for just over two decades. But while our presence in Milan and Rome is relatively short-lived compared to the UK, we were among the first international law firms to establish an Italian presence. Since 1997, other international law firms have come and gone. But we have stayed put and established ourselves as a go-to law firm for Italian businesses looking to do both cross-border and domestic deals.
With the Italian economy in the doldrums over recent years, the number and value of such deals have of course been relatively small compared to before the financial crisis. But things are picking up. Each year from 2016 to 2018, the number of deals involving Italian entities has exceeded the 2008 total of 1,245. In 2018, there were 1,462 deals with an aggregate value of $128.2bn, well above the previous post-crisis high of $90.1bn in 2015.
Domestic and inbound transactions have bounced back particularly well. There were 837 domestic deals in 2018, a rise of 156 percent over 2013’s post-crash low of 327. For inbound transactions, there were 333 in 2018, rising by 126 percent from 2012’s post-2008 low of 147. The number of outbound deals has not shown such a marked increase but in 2018 was still nearly double the 2013 low (186 v 95). These trends are reflected in the recent activities of our Italian corporate team, which has been working on an increasing number of deals, particularly for financial investors.
So, helped by stability in the country’s banking sector, corporate Italy has rediscovered its appetite for deal-making. But the trend may not last. Domestically, the OECD reports GDP growth as sluggish and believes it may even stagnate in 2019; business and consumer confidence is low. Externally, global trade tensions are hurting demand, particularly in the automotive and mechanical industries. So what can the legal team do to support their company during these challenging times?
Finding ways to reduce costs is the obvious one. Your legal spend is inevitably going to be scrutinised – whether it’s for one-offs, like a transaction or dispute, or for business as usual. But there should also be room for you and your team to take a proactive approach to risk management. That might mean, for example, carrying out regulatory due diligence on new business models, products and services. Consumers, particularly in Europe, have more power than ever – to not only publicise flaws in product design but also seek collective redress. Having a team of in-house lawyers overseeing the development process is better than launching a product or service that is later found to leak personal data or breach antitrust rules.
So innovation is risky. But it’s also a good way to head off decline. As a law firm, we are more committed than ever to helping clients improve how they do things. And that makes us more committed than ever to improve how we do things too. For example, earlier this year, we launched the Freshfields Lab in Berlin, where we work alongside clients to design tech-enabled solutions to their most complex challenges. And with input from clients, we are developing a tool to improve the way their matters are logged, tracked and billed.
Many congratulations to the 100 teams who have made this year’s list. I wish you all the best over the next 12 months and trust that you will find even better ways to solve your companies’ most critical issues.