Slaughters' Italian best friend opens new practice in Treviso

The M&A and project finance boutique adds Treviso to its offices in Milan, Rome and its associated offices in Vincenza and Verona.
The firm sees Treviso as its next key market, partly because of the heavy presence of blue chip companies such as Benetton, Stefanel and Danieli. Milan partner Marco Padovan, who will run the new office, said the firm will also target work for international finance institutions such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) as local small and medium-sized enterprises increasingly look to become international.
Padovan bolstered the firm's project finance capability when he joined from Baker & McKenzie last year. He was previously a chief counsel at the EIB for 14 years. He will now feed his expertise into winning work on major infrastructure projects in the Treviso area.
The firm has hired local lawyer Allessandra Giorgio, who previously had her own practice in the city, and German-qualified associate Enricca Maggi.
Padovan said the office will form partnerships with local lawyers and accountants on a case-by-case basis for work that would normally migrate from Treviso to Milan.
"We see this as an office to establish contacts and develop business," said Padovan. "We can also count on the strength of our network in Milan and Rome."
Macchi di Cellere works with a range of law firm best friends in addition to Slaughters. They include: Dewey Ballantine, Herbert Smith, Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Sullivan & Cromwell and Watson Farley & Williams.