FFW forges tie-up with La Scala to win Italian presence

Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) has launched an Italian arm, signing up its former European Legal Alliance member firm La Scala for an exclusive relationship.

The deal gives FFW access to lawyers in Mantova, Milan, Padova, Rome, Turin, Verona and Vicenza.

FFW managing partner Moira Gilmour said: "Italy's a key European market and La Scala is the right firm to help us achieve success there."

The arrangement is similar to that with Jiménez de Parga in Spain. The firms are joined in all operational areas, albeit not financially.

La Scala will adopt the FFW brand internationally, but within Italy it will keep its name with the suffix 'in association with Field Fisher Waterhouse'.

La Scala managing partner Marco Pesenti said: "Following the European Legal Alliance, this is the next logical step."

Last month FFW broke up its European Legal Alliance to launch its own Continental offices, starting with Germany and Belgium. To complete its European launch the firm is negotiating a full merger with former French network firm Dubarry Le Douarin Veil.

La Scala specialises in giving banking, restructuring and capital markets advice to clients in the financial sector.