Bird & Bird extends global reach with Rome opening

Bird & Bird has opened its twelfth international office in Rome just two weeks after announcing its launch in Frankfurt.

The firm opened its Rome office last Monday (4 July). It is Bird & Bird's second presence in Italy after Milan, which launched two years ago with seven lawyers. That office now has 36 lawyers and has just made up two new partners, Giovanni Galimberti in IP and Caterina Rucci in employment, taking the total to four.

The Rome outpost will initially feature just two lawyers - new recruits Eutimio Monaco, a regulatory and telecoms specialist, and litigator Osvaldo Lombardi. Both are senior associates formerly of Rome firm Ughi & Nunziante and both have joined Bird & Bird at the same level.

Milan-based partners Massimiliano Mostardini, managing partner for Italy, and Alberto Salvadè have led the recruitment drive for leading lawyers to run the Rome office.

Mostardini said the Rome office would follow the same sector-focused strategy as Bird & Bird's other international offices, although its focus would be primarily on regulatory, litigation and administrative law.

"The regulators for many of our core areas, such as telecoms and antitrust, are in Rome, along with some of our key clients such as Tele2, so it makes sense for us to be here as well," said Mostardini.