Dewey strikes expanded deal in Italy with Galgano

Dewey Ballantine has secured its collaboration with Galgano, despite the loss of a senior partner from the Italian boutique last week.

The deal adds 20 lawyers to Dewey’s Italian operation, double the amount it had been hoping for, and takes its lawyer headcount in Italy past 60.

As exclusively reported in The Lawyer (22 February), Dewey had announced its intention to “collaborate” with Galgano to gain access to name partner and founder Francesco Galgano and his son, special counsel Federico Galgano. Dewey was particularly keen to tap into the pair’s expertise in litigation and legal opinion from an Italian law perspective, as well as the elder Galgano’s establishment and political contacts.

As part of the collaboration, 10 lawyers were slated to be incorporated as full-time Dewey fee-earners. Now, the New York-headquartered firm is benefiting from five partners and 15 associates, including Galgano’s heads of TMT and finance, Marco Consonni and Davide Contini respectively.

They will become full partners at Dewey, along with Galgano corporate partner Alessandro Accinni. Two other Galgano partners will become local partners at Dewey.

Dewey managing partner Bruno Gattai said: “This is a great arrangement for both parties. Dewey Ballantine adds lawyers in key areas, including partners of the highest quality, and, through the collaboration with Galgano, gains access to one of Italy’s leading legal thinkers.”

Gattai added that the deal sent a signal of the firm’s desire to continue to grow in Europe, “where we have seen great successes over recent months and years”.

As first reported on www.thelawyer.com (9 March), Galgano’s Milan head of tax Paolo Troiano is leaving the firm to set up his own spin-off with two other partners ahead of the Dewey collaboration because of potential conflicts and a differing client base and expertise to Dewey.