A significant shift in personnel has occurred at the law firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, with two separate teams making notable departures.
Firstly, a team comprising more than 30 individuals, including 23 Finance and M&A lawyers led by Patrizio Messina, has moved to Hogan Lovells which, like Orricks, is a member of LawFuel’s elite ‘most prestigious law firm’ list.
This team, now situated in Hogan Lovells’ Milan and Rome offices, will concentrate on structured finance, debt capital markets, and M&A. Messina assumes the role of managing partner for Italy, succeeding Luca Picone, and collaborates with Vittorio Moresco, who takes on the position of deputy managing partner.
In a parallel move, Orrick has experienced the departure of 15 Milan-based compliance and IP lawyers to BonelliErede, shortly after the 23-lawyer M&A and finance team joined Hogan Lovells.
The team led by Alessandro De Nicola, former senior partner at Orrick, will integrate into BonelliErede’s legal risk, compliance, investigations, and IP departments. De Nicola, with over 20 years of experience at Orrick, co-founded the firm’s Italian practice alongside Patrizio Messina. His extensive expertise in commercial and corporate law, M&A, competition law, and corporate governance will bolster BonelliErede’s capabilities.
BonelliErede has strategically welcomed these additions as part of its broader plan for international growth, innovation, and investment in young talent.
The firm aims to consolidate its legal risk management, compliance, investigations, privacy law, cybersecurity, and IP departments to become a leading advisor on corporate governance decisions. The recent hires bring the firm’s headcount to approximately 800, including 92 partners, marking a significant step in achieving its leadership goals in Italy and internationally.
While Orrick acknowledges the departures, expressing gratitude for the contributions of Messina and De Nicola, it underscores its strategy of focusing on sectors and practices aligned with its global strengths.
BonelliErede sees the recent hires as instrumental in advancing its position in the legal landscape, reinforcing its commitment to excellence and professional skills.
