Latham taps Bonelli for Italian law launch

Bonelli partners Andrea Novarese, Maria Cristina Storchi, Fabio Coppola, Tommaso Amirante and Simone Monesi all join the US firm as partners. Four of the new team will join Latham's Milan office, bringing in local M&A, private equity, equity and debt capital markets and banking and finance capabilities. Amirante will be based in Rome - the firm's first office in the city.

Latham's Italian practice head Michael Immordino commented: "Something we have always looked at launching is a local law capability and we thought the time was right after managing to secure such a talented team."

The launch is the latest in a string of high-profile moves by the US firm's European practice.

The expansive firm launched a Spanish practice at the beginning of 2007, after hiring Cuatrecasas corporate partner Jose Blanco Ruiz. Latham chose to open offices in both Barcelona and Madrid and has since strengthened the offering with the capture of rated Lovells administrative law partner Antonio Morale.

Other notable moves include the hire of respected LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae Moscow capital markets partner Mark Banovich, who joined in September. Banovich, who had been with LeBoeuf since 1995, became Latham's sole Moscow-based partner, following the departure of previous Moscow managing partner Anya Goldin.

The Bonelli move comes just weeks after another Italian independent lost a number of partners. Around 90 lawyers will leave Gianni Origoni & Grippo to set up on their own firm in the coming weeks after a dispute over strategy.

Editors' Blog - "Italian giant-killers turned masochists"

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