Italian job: Law firm Fieldfisher agrees merger with Italy’s SASPI
Fieldfisher has today agreed a merger with Italian law firm Studio Associato Servizi Professionali Integrati (SASPI).
The merger, which will take the form of a Swiss verein style association, will take effect at the start of next month and SASPI will be adopting the Fieldfisher brand name.
The two firms combined will have around 970 professionals and will bring the number of offices in the Fieldfisher network, which currently includes offices in Silicon Valley, Paris and Hamburg as well as London, to 13.
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"This is a significant development for the firm, providing four new offices in Italy and 21 partners who will add value and depth as we look to grow," said Fieldfisher managing partner Michael Chissick. "We're very pleased with the synergies between the client bases of the two firms and there are clear opportunities for cross-selling and co-operation.
"In particular the agreement will strengthen our European employment, banking, corporate and tax groups – areas in which SASPI is particularly strong."
SASPI, which was founded in 2002, has managed an average of 20 per cent annual growth over the last five years and counts Apple, Amazon, BMW, Deutsche Post, Total and Intesa Sanpaolo among its client list.
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John Stewart, managing partner of SASPI, added that, while Fieldfisher's impressive geographic reach was certainly an attractive factor, "so was the firm's reputation in technology, IP and banking, all of which complement the growing needs of our clients. Going forward we will look to grow our life sciences, IP and technology capabilities in Italy and to continue our growth of the last five years.
"We are looking to make Fieldfisher the largest law firm in Italy."
Fieldfisher is not the only law firm to take a closer look at Europe for a tie-up, with DWF acquiring BridgehouseLaw, a German commercial law firm, at the start of this year.