Simmons to shut Padua after Gianni raid

Simmons & Simmons will close its Padua office as three partners and 12 associates depart for Italian firm Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners.

Corporate finance partners Paolo Brugnera and Marco Malipiero, and litigation and restructuring partner Paolo Gnignati will all join Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partner’s Padua office along with 12 associates later in the year.

The moves bring the total number of partners at Gianni’s Padua office, which opened in 2000, from two to five.

Gianni Origoni managing partner said: “I warmly welcome our new colleagues. Thanks to their experience and skills we will be able to further expand our reach and reinforce our local network, a strategy we have successfully pursued throughout the years”.

Simmons & Simmons opened its Padua office in 2002 through a merger with its associated office. The firm said in a statement:

“Following their consideration of the firm’s longer-term business strategy, the Padua team have decided to leave the firm. The decision to leave at this time is the right one for both parties. We will continue to focus on the growth of our Italian practice through our Milan and Rome offices, where we have over 80 lawyers. As the leading financial and administrative centres in Italy, they remain core to our international strategy.”