Labruna expands offering with raids on CC, Linklaters

Italian capital markets boutique Labruna Mazziotti Segni has raided the Italian practices of magic circle firms Linklaters and Clifford Chance to broaden its range of practice areas.

The firm hired Clifford Chance real estate specialist Emanuela Molinaro as a partner and Linklaters senior associate Andrea De Matteis as an of counsel to beef up its antitrust offering.

Fabio Labruna, one of the firm's founding partners, told The Lawyer: "Our focus is on M&A and capital markets, but there are still a couple of practice areas we want to grow.

"Our plan is to stabilise at around 45-50 lawyers and still respect the boutique idea we have."

Labruna set up the firm in February with fellow partners from Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners Andrea Mazziotti di Celso, who specialises in corporate transactions with Labruna, Antonio Segni, who focuses on banking and capital markets work, and employment specialist Aldo Palumbo.