DLA Piper has added a team of nine to its Italian restructuring and litigation teams, just a week after losing three partners to Dentons in Milan.

The team is led by restructuring partner Francesco de Gennaro. Ashurst counsel Luca Magrini and Alessandro Lanzi are both joining DLA as partners and the group includes two senior associates, three associates and a trainee.

De Gennaro joined Ashurst in 2011 from Italian firm NCTM, launching the UK practice’s Rome office. He has advised on a number of debt restructurings and recapitalisations of Italian companies in recent years.

Last week Dentons hired three partners and another five lawyers from DLA in Milan as part of a 21-strong team launching the firm’s first Italian office. The team included Federico Sutti, formerly DLA’s managing partner for Europe and Africa.

DLA’s Italian managing partner Bruno Giuffre said the team would enhance the firm’s services in financial restructuring and turnarounds.

DLA now has 169 lawyers across its Italian offices, including 43 partners.