Italy special report - Studio Legale De Andrè

Italy special report
TOPLEGAL AWARDS 2014
A Night
of Legal Firsts
The TopLegal Awards, now in their
eighth year, mirrored a year of innovation
for the Italian legal market
A
FTER MONTHS OF EXpectation, the TopLegal
Awards, which took place on
27 November at the East End
Studios in Milan, proved once
again to be the most anticipated event of the legal calendar. For some it was a case of
triumphant celebrations; for
others, disappointment for a
prize longed for but not forthcoming. The curtain lifted
around 9.00pm and fell close
to 11.30pm. In all, thirty-three
prizes were awarded. To assist
TopLegal’s Research Unit on
selecting the winners, a jury of
17 experts drawn from Italian
business and finance.
If some of the winners were
predictable, others achieved an
unexpected victory (see box).
Both winners and finalists,
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however, distinguished themselves during the year and not
just on legal technical merit.
The profession in Italy, known
for its deep-rooted attachment
to tradition, has been changing
in recent years. As a result of
the prolonged economic crisis,
law firms have been compelled
to go back to the drawing board
and adopt a fresh approach to
improve the competitiveness
and efficiency of their services.
Once again, this edition of the
TopLegal Awards put a strong
emphasis on firms’ capacity to
innovate and support clients’
business strategies in addition
to providing the best legal assistance. Some of the successes
at the TopLegal Awards reflected the ability by law firms
to respond quickly to clients’
THE TOPLEGAL
PANEL OF JURORS
TopLegal thanks all the
Jurors for their invaluable
assistance and commitment
to the TopLegal Awards
Gianpaolo Accossato
Magneti Marelli
Lorenzo Bertola
AgustaWestland
Arturo Betuni
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena
Simone Chini
Allianz
Michelangelo Damasco
Autostrade per l’Italia
Alessandra Ferrari
GE Avio
Federico Finzi
Amazon Italia Services
Andrea Liaci
Banca IMI
Salvatore Lo Giudice
RAI
Fabio Londero
Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche
Lorenzo Michetti
Rottapharm
Giuseppe Nicosia
Prelios
Daniele Novello Total
E&P Italia
Maurizio Raffaini
Nexive
Marco Reggiani
Snam
Mauro Soldera
Gruppo Adecco Italia
Nicola Verdicchio
Pirelli & C.
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Italy special report
1. Alberto Santa Maria,
winner (centre)
of the TopLegal Award
for Excellence,
is congratulated
by Alessandra Ferrari,
General Counsel of General
Electric Avio
2. Bruno Gattai (centre),
TopLegal’s Lawyer of the Year
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3. Chiomenti
(Annalisa Reale, left)
and Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
(Marco Maniscalco), joint
winners of the Employment/
Industrial relations
Law Firm of the Year award
changing demands or their
need to re-position themselves
effectively in a new segment of
the market. Yet others demonstrated an ability to thrive
in areas of legal specialization
under intense pressure from
the downturn.
As in recent years, there were
some notable changes to this
year’s Awards. The biggest of
these concerned the decision
to phase out individual prizes,
in the various categories relating to practice areas, in favour
of a shift towards the law firm
and its team. The elimination
of the individual categories
was designed to recognise not
only the importance and value
of collective efforts, but also
to support the idea of the law
firm as a brand and institution, something with which
the Italian legal market, with
its customary focus on highprofile personalities, continues
to struggle. Another important
change concerned the individual grouping of the nine practice areas: each practice area
was sub-divided into two further areas, with the Corporate
Criminal category divided into
three subdivisions. Yet another
of the novelties of the 2014 TopLegal Awards was a recognition for the best Italian Desk of
the Year to take account of the
increasing number of transactions completed by law firms
without a direct presence in
Italy. Lastly, and as a result of
some strong showings by finalists in each category, it was felt
necessary to dedicate honourable mentions to those candidates which only narrowly
missed out on victory.
On the night, the awards
ceremony was divided into two
parts. In the first, prizes were
awarded for the individual and
deal categories, concluding
with the TopLegal Award for
Excelence, this year received
by Alberto Santa Maria, founder of Santa Maria. The second
part of the evening turned its
attention to the various practice area categories.
Four years after it was first
introduced, the award for
Best Female Lawyer of the
Year went to Giulietta Bergamaschi, from employment
boutique Lexellent, who won
thanks to her ability to combine a strong record of client
work with a dedication to implementing equal opportunities for women within her
4. Francesca Brilli of Ashurst,
the Rising Star of the Year
5. Linklaters’ Andrea Arosio,
Managing Partner of the Year
firm. Meanwhile, Bruno Gattai
of Gattai Minoli Agostinelli
& Partners was named Lawyer of the Year in recognition
of his outstanding achievement in the Italian legal market. Against some very stiff
competition, Gattai tipped the
balance thanks to his technical legal skills and his weight
and leadership in challenging
market conditions.
In other prominent wins,
the Law firm of the Year was
awarded to Bonelli Erede
Pappalardo; Francesca Brilli
of Ashurst won the Emerging
Lawyer of the Year (under 35);
the Best Place to Work went to
Withers; while Andrea Arorio of Linklaters was crowned
Managing Partner of the Year.
Linklaters also took the prize
for best law firm in the Banking & Finance category. A double victory was also achieved
by Bonelli Erede Pappalardo,
a joint winner in the category
Employment/Industrial Relations Law Firm of the Year with
Chiomenti (which also won
the award for best Tax Litigation Firm of the Year), and by
Toffoletto de Luca Tamajo,
honoured in the category best
Firm of the Year for Innovation
and Employment litigation. TL
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Italy special report
The unexpected triumphs
International law firms among some of the year’s surprise winners
T
HE RESULTS OF THE
TopLegal Awards gave
several interesting indications about the direction
taken by the legal market during 2014. Along with one or
two surprises as well. Orrick
Herrington & Sutcliffe confirmed itself as a go-to firm
for Debt capital markets and
there were few surprises that
traditional heavyweight Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt &
Mosle secured the crown as
Law Firm of the Year for Dispute resolution/Abitrations.
Scrolling through the names
of the winners, however, some
results appeared less obvious.
The expansion of regulated
business, rather than rewarding the niche boutiques, this
year favoured an international law firm. In the public law
category relating to procurement, concessions and public
services, Clifford Chance
beat the competition to win
the award for its handling of
the initial public offering of
Rai Way, a leading operator
of television and radio broadcasting infrastructure. Corporate finance specialists Legance, which last year went
home with the award for its
work in public law, this year
diversified further to win the
prize for the category Competition & EU Law.
Finally, in a year that saw a
spate of foreign takeovers of
Italian companies such as Alitalia, Ansaldo Energia, Gentium, Indesit and Telecom
Italia, as well as the reverse
merger involving Fiat, the
Corporate Law Firm of the
Year award went to an international legal house, Shearman & Sterling. Shearman
clinched the title thanks to
its work on behalf of insurer
Allianz in the complex acquisition of Milano Assicurazioni from Italian counterpart
UnipolSai. TL Clifford Chance celebrates its award for Public Law (Contracts, concessions
and public services) Law Firm of the Year
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TOPLEGAL AWARDS 2014
The winners
All the night’s successes, category by category
A
TOTAL OF THIRTYthree prizes were awarded
at the eighth edition of TopLegal Awards on 27 November
2014. Both winners and finalists mirrored the major trends
of the legal market in Italy
over the last twelve months.
Against the backdrop of economic conditions that continue to prove difficult for business lawyers, candidates were
judged not only on the basis of
their technical legal support
but also for their responsiveness to the changes underway
in the legal sector which required strategic advice for clients to re-launch and expand.
In some instances, it was considered appropriate to draw attention to some of the distinguished finalists who deserved
a mention of honour.
Continues on page 94
•7
We are honored to be recognized
as the “Italian M&A Team of the Year”
by TopLegal Awards 2014.
Shearman & Sterling’s Italian team advised on many of the largest,
most complex and most innovative transactions completed in the
Italian market in recent years, including various market firsts. With over
30 years of experience working with the most important Italian companies,
Shearman & Sterling has established a strong position in the Italian
market. The firm’s Italian practice is focused on all areas of corporate law,
providing assistance in capital markets, M&A, finance and restructuring
transactions, as well as assisting on the Italian aspects of the firm’s
international arbitration and antitrust matters. Nearly all members of the
Italian team are internationally trained and dual qualified and constitute
one of the very few true international law teams based in Italy.
ABU DHABI | BEIJING | BRUSSELS | FRANKFURT | HONG KONG | LONDON | MILAN | NEW YORK | PALO ALTO
PARIS | ROME | SAN FRANCISCO | SÃO PAULO | SHANGHAI | SINGAPORE | TOKYO | TORONTO | WASHINGTON, DC
shearman.com
INDIVIDUAL
AWARDS
Honourable mentions
Stefano Simontacchi
(Bonelli Erede Pappalardo)
Responsible for developing
and managing a bold threeyear strategic plan aimed at an
internal restructuring of the
practice and greater institutionalisation of the firm.
Lawyer of the Year
Bruno Gattai
(Gattai Minoli Agostinelli)
After salvaging the entire
Italian practice of defunct
US firm Dewey & LeBoeuf
by re-launching the troubled
Grimaldi brand on the verge
of extinction in 2012, Gattai
launched a new firm that soon
positioned itself alongside the
leading Italian independents.
In the last year, Gattai demonstrated strong leadership,
attracting major lateral hires,
and advised on some of the
major domestic and crossborder transactions.
Honourable mentions
Luca Arnaboldi
(Carnelutti)
Completed several important
deals for industrial clients
which allowed Carnelutti to
return to the fore of the market. Among these was the acquisition of the French property portfolio of listed property
company Risanamento by English fund Chesterfield.
Michael Immordino
(White & Case)
Single-handedly re-launched
White & Case in Italy after
the firm withdraw from the
market in 2008, Immordino
has brought the new practice
abreast of the global network
by creating a first-tier capital
markets practice in Italy.
1
1. Bruno Gattai,
Lawyer of the Year
Paolo Sersale
(Clifford Chance)
Advised on significant corporate transactions, including Telefónica’s investment in
Telco-Telecom Italia, and contributed to raising the profile
of a pivotal practice considered
challenging for international
firms operating in Italy.
Managing / Senior Partner
of the Year
Andrea Arosio
(Linklaters)
Entrusted with expanding Linklaters’ presence in Italy, Arosio
led an ambitious recruitment
drive aimed at hiring promising
young lawyers and has consolidated the firm’s core services
while launching a number of
strategic support practices.
Franco Toffoletto
(Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo)
Responsible for coordinating a
merger that strengthened the national presence of the firm and implementing innovative technology
in favour of an internal organization and work culture considered
cutting-edge for the legal sector.
Female Lawyer of the Year
Juliet Bergamaschi
(Lexellent)
Combined high-level professional
activity with a commitment to
anti-discrimination policies in the
workplace. Bergamaschi implemented flexible hours to improve
the work-life balance and achieve
a ratio among associates of two to
six in favour of female lawyers.
Rising Star of the Year
(Under 35)
Francesca Brilli
(Ashurst)
A project finance specialist, she
has distinguished herself over the
year for the range and quality of
clients and deals. Brilli also worked
pro bono for the World Bank.
•9
Italy special report
TopLegal Award
for Excellence
2. Alberto Santa Maria,
winner of the TopLegal
award for Excellence
Alberto Santa Maria
(Santa Maria)
Active at the firm he founded over
forty years ago, Santa Maria has
been a prominent figure in the international and European law arena, acting as international arbitrator and lawyer before the legal institutions of the European Union.
3. Withers, winner of the
Best Place to Work award
4. Franco Toffoletto receives
the award on behalf of
Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo,
Innovation Law Firm
of the Year
2
LAW FIRM AWARDS
Law Firm of the Year
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
In addition to advising a number of
large institutional clients like Alitalia, Prada and Rai Way on important strategic deals, the firm has
implemented a radical change in
its firm-wide management and internal organization considered unprecedented in the Italian market.
Honourable mentions
Legance
The corporate finance specialist
has increasingly diversified in
areas such as public law, competition, employment and TMT. It
also advised on headline international transactions involving
Italian industrial clients.
Lombardi Molinari Segni
The firm expanded its corporate
offering and national reach after
launching a Rome office following
the arrival of a spin-off team from
Labruna Mazziotti Segni. On the
deal front, the team advised on the
restructuring of troubled electricity generating company Sorgenia.
3
Best Place to Work
Withers
Promoted progressive professional development and career opportunities while supporting flexible
and remote working. The firm
especially nurtured its female talent, achieving among the highest
male-to-female ratios among lawyers of any Italy-based law firm.
Innovation Law Firm
of the Year
Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo
In its drive to improve efficiency and internal organization, the firm introduced a
4
COO (Chief Operating Officer) and quality manager. It
invested in technology and
developed a system of training
and assessment for both trainees and lawyers.
Continues on page 134
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Studio Legale De André, founded in the Forties, ensures
its clients a full range of consulting and litigation services, in
the main areas of Corporate and Commercial Law, Contract Law, Intellectual Property, Civil Law and Labour Law.
Studio dell’anno
NORD
The Firm represents and assists companies and individual
clients, on both a national and international level, in offices
based in Genoa, Milan, Rome and Sarzana (La Spezia).
Studio Legale De André has consolidated links with other
important Law Firms in Italy and abroad, and can provide
its services in Italian, English, French, German and Dutch.
studiodeandre.it
Genova
Milano
Via Assarotti, 15/10 - 16122
Via Bernardino Telesio, 2 - 20145
Roma
Sarzana (SP)
Lungotevere Marzio, 1 - 00186
T +39 010 882002
Via Socrate Benacci, 1 - 19038
T +39 02 43980804
T +39 06 6897199
T +39 0187 278002
F +39 010 876826/887086
F +39 02 43980825
F +39 06 6892376
F +39 0187 692801
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Law Firm of the Year:
Northern Italy
De Andrè
In a difficult regional market,
the firm completed several important strategic deals relating
to restructurings and corporate
acquisitions. The team also secured an important decision at
the Italian Council of State.
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Honourable mentions
Ponti
Defended several defendants
in criminal proceedings for tax
avoidance in relation to a leveraged buyout aimed at restructuring chemical company Roots following an investment by the Arab
concern Taghleef Industries.
Law Firm of the Year:
Central Italy
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Bovesi Cartwright Pescatori
The firm carved out a niche for
itself in the region. The team
advised an SME on credit negotiations with Chinese banks and
secured the IPO of Mobelleria
Brambilla, a company specializing in precision components for
the automotive industry.
Honourable mentions
Lexjus Sinacta
In addition to the merger of
multi-utility company Hera with
Udine-based counterpart Amga,
the team advised on the public
listing of Bologna airport.
Law Firm of the Year:
Southern Italy
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Loconte
The firm was judged to be able to
rival competitors in more mature
business centres in terms of internal culture. It advised private equity fund Vertis on its acquisition
of fashion label Silvian Heach and
the Armaturo Group on its plan to
acquire Shell’s Italian assets.
5. De Andrè, Law Firm of the
Year, Northern Italy
6. Bovesi Cartwright
Pescatore, Law Firm of the
Year, Central Italy
7. Stefano Loconte (centre)
receives the award for
Law Firm of the Year,
Southern Italy
• 13
Italy special report
Italian Desk of the Year
Skadden Arps Slate
Meagher & Flom
Advised some of the major Italian companies (Generali, Gentium, Maire Tecnimont) on
joint-venture, M&A and debt
capital markets deals such as
the Italian Ministry of Finance’s
corporate bond issuance.
8
DEAL AWARDS
SME Deal of the Year
Spinazzi Azzarita Troi
Completed an innovative earnout deal on behalf of an Italian
motorcycle helmet manufacturer by German investors.
Honourable mentions
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
Advised on a capital increase
for Isagro, a multinational Italian manufacturer of agrochemicals, through the issuance of a
new category of shares on the
STAR segment of the electronic share market (MTA), part of
the Italian stock exchange.
Restructuring
Deal of the Year
DLA Piper
The firm advised Etihad Airways on the sensitive and complex takeover of ailing national
carrier Alitalia which involved
an extensive restructuring and
an innovative acquisition of the
functional parts of Alitalia’s airline business by the bidder.
14
•
9
8. Lorenzo Corte accepts the
award on behalf of Skadden,
Italian Desk of the Year
9. Spinazzi Azzarita Troi,
winner of the SME
Deal of the Year
10. Nino Lombardo of DLA Piper,
winner of the Restructuring
Deal of the Year award
Honourable mentions
E&Y Law
The team worked on the €800
million debt restructuring on
behalf of the City Council of
Parma. The restructuring also
involved the corporate recovery of publicly-owned companies and public works.
10
Lombardi Molinari Segni
Mandated by over 20 creditor
banks to restructure the €1.8 billion debt of energy company Sorgenia. In an unusual agreement
for the Italian market, the salvage
involved a lenders-led solution by
which the banks gained complete
control of the company.
PRACTICE AREA
AWARDS
Banking and Finance
Linklaters
Thanks to its deep bench of expertise, the firm secured some of
the most complex and innovative
financing deals, including the €1.5
billion financing for construction
group Salini in its takeover of rival
Impregilo. The team also advised
the banks on the €525 million financing for the €400 million issuance of securities by Salini.
11
11. Linklaters (foreground),
Banking & Finance Law
Firm of the Year
Banking & Finance:
Debt Capital Markets
12. Orrick, with Patrick
Messina (centre)
and Madeleine Horrocks
(right), pick up the award
for Banking & Finance
Debt Capital Markets
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
A leading player in numerous “minibond” issuances involving non-listed
SMEs, the firm also advised banks
on the first Italian mini-bond fund.
Honourable mentions
Clifford Chance
Advised the banks on the issuance
of the first hybrid Tier 1 bond by
an Italian bank (Unicredit) under
Basel III regulations.
13. Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt
& Mosle (with the managing
partner Galileo Pozzoli,
second from the right),
the Arbitration Law Firm
of the Year
12
Dispute Resolution:
Arbitrations
Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle
Advised the Republic of Uganda
on three investment arbitrations
concerning tax agreements with
private investors for a total value
of $940 million. Among the first
arbitrations against the Republic of Uganda, the case created a
precedent in the oil & gas sector.
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Italy special report
Honourable mentions
Gianni Origoni Grippo
Cappelli
Completed two major equity capital markets deals involving the
Italian State: the privatization of
publicly-owned shipbuilder Fincantieri (worth approximately €1
billion) and the Italian Post Office (estimated at €6 billion euro).
Corporate / M&A
14
14. White & Case (from
the left, Michael Immordino,
Paola Leocani and Nicholas
Lasagna) win the award
for Corporate Equity Capital
Markets Law Firm of the Year
Dispute Resolution:
Commercial Litigation
Gianni Origoni Grippo
Cappelli
The team successfully defended
a leading pharmaceutical company against a minority shareholder who challenged the company’s financial statement, and
defended two other pharmaceutical companies over compensation relating to the disposal of
waste, obtaining an important
precedent in the area of environmental damage.
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Honourable mentions
Lombardi Molinari Segni
The firm successfully defended
Banca Popolare Emilia Romagna against 100 of the bank’s
shareholders who challenged
a shareholders’ resolution on
voting procedures for the appointment of company offices.
Corporate: Equity Capital
Markets
White & Case
Distinguished itself for the
number and significance of
mandates, both for financial
institutions and corporates
in public listings (including
World Duty Free) and for capital increases (including Banca
Popolare di Milano and Maire
Technimont).
Shearman & Sterling
In a transaction that required
a complex agreement between
the parties and in which creative legal advice was considered a decisive factor, the firm
advised insurer Allianz on the
acquisition of the assets of
Milano Assicurazioni from rival UnipolSai for €1.7 billion.
Honourable mentions
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo /
Chiomenti
Both firms were involved as advisers on the complex public-private agreement between Alitalia
(assisted by Bonelli Erede Pappalardo) and Etihad Airways (Chiomenti) which resulted in the acquisition of a 49% stake in Alitalia
by Etihad for €560 million.
Corporate Crime: Companies
R&P Legal
The firm played a major role
on the most significant case involving the criminal liability of
internet providers known as the
“Google-Vividown” case. Three
15. Mario Colombatto (left)
and Piero Magri of R&P Legal,
winners of the Corporate
Crime / Companies Law Firm
of the Year award
16. Corporate Crime / Finance
Law Firm of the Year,
Dinoia Federico Pelanda
Simbari Uslenghi
(with Massimo Dinoia, right)
17. Annalisa Reale
of Chiomenti, co-winner
of the Employment / Industrial
Relations Law Firm of the
Year, along with Bonelli
Erede Pappalardo
15
client’s chairman, its executive
director and a company counsel
where accused of water poisoning, failure to reclaim the site
and unauthorized waste management. In a preliminary hearing all
the defendants were acquitted.
Corporate Crime: Finance
16
Corporate Crime: Environment
17
Pulitanò Zanchetti
Assisted steel pipe manufacturer
Dalmine, a defendant in criminal
proceedings arising from alleged
exposure of workers to asbestos in
the 1960s and 1980s at the company’s plants in Bergamo. The Court
of Appeal of Brescia acquitted
Dalmine in all of the cases bar one.
executives from Google were
acquitted of unlawful data processing after a video showing
an autistic boy being bullied by
his classmates was uploaded to
the Google Video platform.
Honourable mentions
Bana
Defended a construction company involved in criminal proceedings concerning the reclamation
of a site in Milan in which the
Dinoia Federico Pelanda
Simbari Uslenghi
Obtained a major success at the
Supreme Court which acquitted
Italian fashion designers Dolce
and Gabbana, accused of tax
evasion through failure to disclose income, thereby overturning an earlier judgment of the
Court of Appeal of Milan.
Employment:
Industrial Relations
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
and Chiomenti
The joint- winners handled
the thorny labour law aspects
of the acquisition of Alitalia
Continues on page 194
• 17
Studio dell’anno
PENALE
Finanziario
(assisted by Bonelli Erede Pappalardo) by Etihad Airways
(assisted by Chiomenti). The
transaction involved a complex reorganization, the creation of a new company and
negotiations with the unions
over more than 5,000 workers.
Employment: Litigation
Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo
The firm coordinated the defence team that advised automotive client Fiat and which secured a positive ruling on an appeal filed by the Italian labour
unions Fiom and CGIL against
the unfair dismissal of 19 workers at Fiat’s plant in Pomigliano.
Independent Authorities:
Competition & EU Law
Legance
Advised energy company Italgas at the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) in Lazio on its
appeal against a Competition
Authority decision relating to
an alleged abuse of dominant
position in the gas distribution
market. The defence secured a
reduction in the fine imposed
on the client, from €4.7 million
to €1.55 million.
18
tigation by the European Commission against rates for wholesale access services proposed
in 2013 by the Italian national
regulatory authority in charge
of telecommunications (AGCOM). The investigation concluded with a recommendation
by the Commission against the
adoption of those rates.
Intellectual Property
Independent Authorities:
Regulatory
Jacobacci
In a complex case concerning alleged violations of moral
rights, the firm won for its client R. Guggenheim Foundation,
in litigation against the heirs of
Peggy Guggenheim, obtaining
a rejection of the claim by the
heirs for the return of the Peggy
Guggenheim collection (worth
over €1 billion).
Cleary Gottlieb Steen
& Hamilton
Assisted Telecom Italia on obtaining the opening of an inves-
Honourable mentions
Bird & Bird
Successfully advised Outdry
Technologies (Group Columbia
18. Jacobacci, with Massimo
Sterpi (left) and Fabrizio
Jacobacci, Intellectual
Property Law Firm of the Year
Sportswear) against shoe brand
Geox in a counterfeiting case
which saw the Court of Milan
uphold Outdry’s patent.
Public Law: Contracts,
Concessions, Public Services
Clifford Chance
Advised on the public law aspects of the complex privatization of Rai Way, a leading operator of television and radio
broadcasting infrastructure.
Honourable mentions
Ashurst
Advised a pool of banks on the
complex environmental and
public law aspects of the €260
million bridge loan for the project financing of the Pedemontana-Lombarda motorway.
• 19
Italy special report
Public Law: Litigation
Lipani
Advised Accenture at the Council of State on its appeal against
the Ministry of the Interior in
relation to the government’s accelerated restricted procedure
for an online police training
programme. The judgment obtained set an important precedent for public procurement.
Honourable mentions
P & I Guccione
In a landmark case, the firm
successfully assisted motorway
operator Autostrade Centro
Padane before the Council of
State which upheld the approval
process for the construction of
a third bridge over the Po River.
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Tax: Litigation
Chiomenti
Defended global medical device company, St Jude Medical,
in complex transnational disputes relating to transfer pricing and involving two separate
mutual agreement procedures
initiated with the Belgian and
US authorities.
Tax: Transactional
Maisto
In a complex multinational
transaction, the firm advised a
leading pharmaceutical company
in a disposal of its division valued
at over €7 billion. The transac-
20
•
20
tion required the unbundling of
the assets to be sold and a legal
strategy to avoid double taxation.
TMT
Hogan Lovells
The team obtained a significant
victory for Wikimedia foundation against a €20 million lawsuit for defamation filed against
the company by a former adviser of Silvio Berlusconi. The case
established that Wikimedia is a
hosting not a content provider
and therefore could not be li-
19. Lawyers from Lipani show
off their award for Public Law
Litigation Firm of the Year
20. Maisto, Tax Consulting
Law Firm of the Year
able for content drafted by individual users.
Honourable mentions
Baker & McKenzie
Advised mobile virtual network
operator Poste Mobile on case
relating to electronic communications services which redefined the competition framework in the mobile industry. TL
The Winners of the 8th TopLegal Awards
Individual Awards
Law Firm Awards
Deal Awards
Practice Area Awards
Category
Winner
Lawyer of the Year
Bruno Gattai (Gattai Minoli Agostinelli)
Managing / Senior Partner of the Year
Andrea Arosio (Linklaters)
Female Lawyer of the Year
Giulietta Bergamaschi (Lexellent)
Rising Star of the Year (Under 35)
Francesca Brilli (Ashurst)
TopLegal Award for Excellence
Alberto Santa Maria (Santa Maria)
Law Firm of the Year
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo
Law Firm of the Year: Northern Italy
De Andrè
Law Firm of the Year: Central Italy
Bovesi Cartwright Pescatore
Law Firm of the Year: Southern Italy
Loconte
Best Place to Work
Withers
Innovation Law Firm of the Year
Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo
Italian Desk of the Year
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Restructuring Deal of the Year
DLA Piper
SME Deal of the Year
Spinazzi Azzarita Troi
Banking & Finance: Debt Capital Markets
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
Banking and Finance
Linklaters
Corporate Crime: Companies
R&P Legal
Corporate Crime: Environment
Pulitanò Zanchetti
Corporate Crime: Finance
Dinoia Federico Pelanda Simbari Uslenghi
Corporate: Equity Capital Markets
White & Case
Corporate: M&A
Shearman & Sterling
Dispute Resolution: Arbitrations
Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle
Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation
Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli
Employment: Industrial Relations
Bonelli Erede Pappalardo / Chiomenti
Employment: Litigation
Toffoletto De Luca Tamajo
Independent Authorities: Competition & EU Law
Legance
Independent Authorities: Regulatory
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Intellectual Property
Jacobacci
Public Law: Contracts, Concessions, Public Services
Clifford Chance
Public Law: Litigation
Lipani
Tax: Litigation
Chiomenti
Tax: Transactional
Maisto
TMT
Hogan Lovells
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Save the date
July 2015, Milan
Candidates and all those interested in attending the TopLegal Corporate Counsel Awards
should contact [email protected] or click on www.toplegal.it/awards-corporate/