Fieldfisher has combined with Bologna firm Lucchini Gattamorta & Associates (LGA) as it opens its fifth outpost in Italy, continuing this year’s global expansion spree.
Gianvincenzo Lucchini, LGA founding member and corporate partner will lead the new Italy office, joined by fellow LGA partner and dispute resolution specialist Andrea Gattamorta. An 18-strong group of associates and trainees from LGA will also work in the office. LGA’s Rimini office will be closed as part of the merger.
With four other offices in Milan, Rome, Venice and Turin already in, Fieldfisher’s Italian arm now comprises over 210 lawyers and 28 partners. The offices focus on various areas of law including banking, corporate, employment, data protection and compliance.
Giusi Lamicela, executive partner of Fieldfisher in Italy, said the firm chose Bologna for its next office because of the city’s ‘strong industrial and commercial history.’ Lamicela added that Fieldfisher seeks to be a ‘leading influence’ in the Italian legal market by making further strategic partnerships.
Fieldfisher managing partner Michael Chissick said that the firm’s Italian branch has been effective ‘at cross-selling and developing relationships across the network – particularly in our energy and natural resources sector.’
Chissick also restated the firm’s ambition to increase its Spanish presence within the next year, targeting launches in Barcelona and Madrid. Earlier this year, Chissick told Legal Business that Fieldfisher has plans to be represented in each of the major capital cities in Europe.
Fieldfisher opened in Italy for the first time in June 2016, through a merger with Studio Associato Servizi Professionali Integrati (SASPI). The tie-up provided Fieldfisher with offices in Milan, Rome, Venice and Turin.
The firm has expanded this year, opening offices in both Amsterdam and Shanghai. The Amsterdam arm launched on 1 May, with a five-partner team from local TMT specialists Kennedy Van der Laan.
The four-partner Shanghai office opened in February, with Fieldfisher corporate partner Liang Xing leading the new office.