People
Avv. Paolo Virano
Partner
paolo.virano@fvalaw.it
Born in Turin on February 19, 1972, he graduated from the University of Turin (J.D. 1997). Admitted to the Italian Bar in 2000 (High Court). Partner of the firm since 2009. Adjunct professor of Commercial Law at the University of Turin (SAA School of Management). Professor of the Master in Open Innovation and Intellectual Property, University of Turin (SAA School of Management) – LUISS Business School. Co-editor of the Foro Padano. Member of the International Association for Insurance Law (AIDA), Associazione Internazionale Giuristi di Lingua Italiana (AIGLI) and International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI).
Languages: Italian, English and French.
Areas of Expertise: Industrial property law; Antitrust law, Commercial Law; Advertising law, Insurance law; Real estate rights, Arbitration and management of litigation both before national and foreign courts in all such matters.
Avv. Alessandra Sonnati
Partner
alessandra.sonnati@fvalaw.it
Born in Turin on December 15, 1970. She graduated from the University of Turin (J.D. 1996). Admitted to the Italian Bar in 1999. Partner OF THE FIRM SINCE 2016.
She is legal advisor to Associazione Italiana del Franchising (AIF) and member of the Legal Commitee of the European Franchising Federation (EFF). She is “exclusive contributor” for Italy to The Legal 500: Franchise & Licensing Country Comparative Guide and is regularly quoted by Who’s Who Legal as one of the leading Italian franchising experts.
Member of the International Bar Association (IBA), of the Camera degli Avvocati internazionalisti (Chamber of the Italian International Lawyer) and of International Distribution Institute (IDI).
Languages: Italian and English.
Practice Areas: national and international contracts; franchise agreements; EU Law; commercial and corporate law; mergers and acquisitions.
Avv. Dario Paschetta
Partner
dario.paschetta@fvalaw.it
He was born in Carmagnola (Turin) on September 18, 1978. He graduated from the University of Turin (J.D., cum laude, 2004) and the Chamber of Commerce of Turin awarded him the first prize for the best thesis in Intellectual Property for the 2004. He obtained the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in the field of EC Competition Law from the London School of Economics (LSE) in the 2006 and worked at the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) as legal advisor in the 2015.
Admitted to the Italian Bar in 2013 and became partner of the firm since 2023.
He is currently responsible for the coordination of the scientific activity of LES Italy of which he was Vice-president from 2019 to 2022. He is also member of AIRU (national association for urban district heating), AIPPI and the “Permanent Observatory on Private Enforcement of EU Competition” (ARC- www.osservatorioantitrust.eu ). He regularly publishes articles on competition and IP matters in both national and international legal journals. Since 2022 he is managing editor of the legal journal “Journal of Law, Market and Innovation (JLMI)” edited by the University of Turin. Since 2021 he is fellow in competition law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Turin and he is lecturer of industrial property law in the second cycle degree in Plant Biotechnology of the same university.
Languages: Italian, English and French.
Area of expertise: Competition, Energy, Intellectual property, EU law, corporate law, distribution agreements and arbitral proceedings.
Avv. Cristina Martinetti
Partner
cristina.martinetti@elexi.it
Specialised in transnational trade law (University of Turin). Member of the ICC Institute Council (ICC Paris) and President of the Task Force on International Contracts. Member of the ICC Arbitration Commission and of the ICC National Committee Council. Member of the Piedmont Chamber of Arbitration Council. Former Chair of the IBA International Sales Committee.
She deals with domestic and international commercial contracts (sales and distribution, corporate M&A, joint ventures, international construction) and corporate consulting (extraordinary transactions, directors’ liability).
She assists companies in domestic and international litigation (including arbitration) in the same matters.
She has been appointed as arbitrator in more than thirty arbitrations (including international arbitrations on international sales, distribution, M&A, corporate litigation, IP licensing, financial and construction contracts).
Languages: Italian, English, French
Practice Areas: litigation/arbitral proceedings (domestic & international), competition, corporate law (extraordinary transactions, M&A) and domestic & international commercial contracts
Avv. Paolo Lombardi
Partner
paolo.lombardi@elexi.it
Member of the Turin Bar.
He has in-depth experience in private and procedural international law and domestic and international commercial contracts, with particular reference to agency, distribution, procurement, intermediation, traditional and online sales, franchising and tenders.
President of the Private International Law Commission of the Union International des Avocats (U.I.A.) from 2016 to 2020.
Languages: Italian, English, French and German
Practice Areas: litigation (domestic and international), private and procedural international law and domestic & international commercial contracts
Avv. Nicolò Maggiora
Partner
nicolo.maggiora@elexi.it
He advises Italian and foreign companies on commercial distribution, sales and agency contracts and on e-commerce and distribution channels. He assists clients in both national and international litigation (including arbitration).
He deals with corporate compliance, ‘Organisational Models’ pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 and compliance with the provisions on personal data protection (GDPR). He is a member of Supervisory Bodies. Outgoing president of AGAT (Turin Young Lawyers Association). Piedmont coordinator for Credimpex Italy. Coordinator for civil law at Scuola Forense Torino.
Languages: Italian, English and Spanish
Practice Areas: litigation (domestic and international), domestic & international commercial contracts, corporate compliance (“Organisational Models” pursuant to Legislative decree n. 231/01 and data protection).
Avv. Emilio Villano
Partner
emilio.villano@elexi.it
Adjunct professor of international trade law and dispute resolution, Master’s degree in commercial science, at the Haute école ICHEC in Brussels. Lecturer in intellectual property law, software licensing and data protection at ECAM, Faculty of Engineering, Brussels. Visiting professor University of Turin, Department of Economics and Management.
Listed as Future Leaders in Arbitration in 2020, 2021 and 2022 by Who’s Who Legal. President of the Belgian section of the Club Español del Arbitraje.
Languages: Italian, English, French and Spanish
Practice Areas: litigation/arbitral proceedings (domestic & international), competition, corporate law, domestic & international commercial contracts, data protection and IP.
Avv. Marco Minolfo
Salary Partner
marco.minolfo@elexi.it
Marco Minolfo has gained almost 20 years of experience mainly as in-house counsel in large, listed and unlisted multinationals, consolidating specific expertise in the Automotive and Healthcare industrial sectors.
A lawyer at the Turin Bar, he advises companies on contractual matters, corporate and commercial law, corporate governance, compliance, capital markets law, M&A, corporate reorganisations, joint ventures and corporate finance, both domestically and cross-border.
He has held positions as Secretary and Director of companies, member of the Supervisory Board pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 and Delegate of the Data-Privacy Officer pursuant to GDPR.
Languages: Italian, English
Practice Areas: corporate law (extraordinary transactions, M&A), corporate compliance (“Organisational Models” pursuant to Legislative decree n. 231/01 and data protection).
Avv. Federica Leanza
Associate
federica.leanza@fvalaw.it
She was born in Moncalieri on December 26, 1987. She graduated from the University of Turin on June 2014.
Admitted to the Italian Bar in December 2017, while carrying out the training course at Tribunale di Torino.
Adjunct professor of International Law at SSML Carlo Bo.
In 2023 she attended an Advanced Course at University of Milan (La Statale) in Corporate Law.
Member of the Camera degli Avvocati internazionalisti (Chamber of the Italian International Lawyer).
Lingue: Italian and English.
Area of expertise: Distribution contracts, Commercial and Corporate Law, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Real estate rights, Civil liability (contractual and non-contractual). Litigation in all such matters.
Avv. Mariagrazia Berardo
Associate
mariagrazia.berardo@fvalaw.it
Born in Turin on March 1, 1990, she graduated from the University of Turin (J.D. cum laude, 2014). Admitted to the Italian Bar in 2018. She attended and successfully completed a Master course at Il Sole 24 ore Business School in Art Law “Diritto e fiscalità nel mercato dell’arte” and the specialization course at the Department of Law of University of Turin “Data Protection Law for the Training of Data Protection Officer”, sponsored by the Italian Data Protection Authority. She is a member of LES Italy (Licensing Executives Society). She is author of several scientific publications on intellectual property law, competition and personal data protection matters.
Languages: Italian and English.
Areas of Expertise: Intellectual property, Privacy & Data protection, Compliance 231, Commercial and Corporate law, Law & Art, EU law, Energy, and national and international contracts.
Avv. Gabriella Perotto
Graduated in Law and PhD in European Union Law at the University of Turin. She is currently a research fellow at the Commercial University ‘Luigi Bocconi’, an adjunct lecturer at LUMSA (Rome) and a temporary lecturer at the Law Department of the University of Turin. Admitted to the bar in October 2018.
Since 2016, she has been at ELEXI where she mainly deals with international contracts, competition law, privacy and international commercial arbitrations.
Languages: Italian, English and French
Practice Areas: competition, EU Law, domestic & international commercial contracts, data protection
Avv. Paolo Andrea Ossola
Associate
paolo.ossola@elexi.it
Specialised in commercial, corporate and bankruptcy law.
During his professional career he has acquired particular skills in litigation and out-of-court matters, assisting companies both in corporate reorganisation and in complex M&A and Restructuring & Turnaround transactions.
He also specialises in drafting and negotiating domestic and international commercial contracts, corporate and bankruptcy litigation, and corporate compliance.
Languages: Italian, English and French
Practice Areas: corporate law (extraordinary transactions, M&A), bankruptcy law, domestic & international commercial contracts.
Avv. Hidalgo Brovida
Associate
Associate
hidalgo.brovida@elexi.it
Graduated in law in 2012 from the University of Turin, he then obtained a master’s degree (LL.M.) in international commercial law in 2013 from the University of Nottingham, with a thesis on European competition law.
Since 2014, he has been with ELEXI where he focuses on antitrust, commercial contracts, international litigation and arbitration.
Languages: Italian, English
Practice Areas: litigation/arbitral proceedings (domestic & international), corporate law, domestic & international commercial contracts.
dott.ssa Martina Moretto
Trainee Lawyer
martina.moretto@elexi.it
Graduated with highest marks in Law from the University of Turin with a thesis on legal informatics. She holds a double Licence in “Droit, économie et gestion” obtained at the University of Nice following a double degree programme.
Languages: Italian, English and French
dott.ssa Federica Brusa
Trainee Lawyer
federica.brusa@elexi.it
Graduated in Law at the University of Turin, with a mark of 110 cum laude and Mention with a thesis entitled “Dieselgate: private and procedural law profiles in Germany and Italy”.
She completed an LL.M. in German private law at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster.
Languages: Italian, English
Mirla Paglione
Front office and support to the lawyers of the firm
Antonella Russo
Administration and accounting
