Italy

Our Italian team focuses on four primary areas: tech and venture capital, M&A and private equity, acquisition finance and private credit, and investigations, compliance and white collar criminal defense.

Our clients include some of the fastest-growing tech and fintech companies in the region, Italian and international venture capital and investment funds, alternative lenders, multinational companies doing business in Italy and other participants in the Italian economy. 

Based in Milan and Rome, we collaborate closely with Orrick’s market-leading teams globally to deliver sector-focused commercial insight, effective and efficient execution, and innovative solutions.

Technology and Fintech

As the No. 1-ranking tech law firm both in Italy and across Europe (PitchBook), Orrick offers a comprehensive platform for the tech community. Our Italian Tech team advises tech companies and their investors throughout the company lifecycle. We deliver domestic and cross-jurisdictional assistance on early- and late-stage financings, flips and M&A deals. At the same time, we offer practical commercial advice to help our clients scale. 

Our network includes more than 60 funds and CVCs investing in the region, and our team counsels many of the most exciting Italian tech companies disrupting verticals such as business content, healthtech and wellness, AI, fintech, ecommerce and energytech.

In 2023, the financial news platform BeBeez named Orrick the leading Italian VC team of the past decade.

Corporate, M&A and Private Equity

Orrick’s M&A and Private Equity team in Italy combines deep knowledge of local dynamics with a sophisticated understanding of international markets and how cross-border transactions are executed.  We represent companies and their CVC arms in buy- and sell-side transactions as well as some of the most active private equity funds in Italy.    

In addition to the firm’s traditional strength in the tech sector, our team has deep knowledge of the life sciences, health care, manufacturing, engineering, and food and beverage markets.

Our transactional advice is comprehensive, including advising on tax strategies, managing complex employment and HR issues, and addressing restructuring, real estate and administrative law matters to ensure a seamless and successful close. We also provide post-closing integration support. 

Acquisition Finance and Private Credit

Our Acquisition and Leveraged Finance team represents some of the most active lenders in the Italian market. The team is particularly focused on private capital, as more than half of private equity fund buyouts in Italy are now financed by alternative debt providers. Our Italian team collaborates closely with our private credit practices in London and New York.

Investigations, Compliance and White Collar Criminal Defense

Our team supports Italian and international entities with internal investigations as well as criminal and sanctions proceedings in the courts and before Italian regulators.

We have experience with anti-money laundering, financial crimes, false accounting, bankruptcy offenses, tax crimes, corruption and bribery in the private and public sectors, environmental crimes, occupational health and safety offenses, intellectual property crimes, data protection and cybersecurity, and import/export sanctions.

We also help Italian and international companies manage compliance risks, conduct due diligence in the context of complex transactions, and deliver board and employee training.

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