Avv.
Gianluca Benedetti

Rome
Via Giovanni Paisiello, 49
+39 06 86 29 78 41

Milan
Via Clerici, 5

Mobile +39 335 6251928
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Practice Areas
M&A – Corporate & commercial transactions / Contracts and International Trade Law / International and domestic Arbitration

Professional Experience:
Partner and founding member of BridgeLaw. Prior to founding his new firm, he was an equity Partner at Baker & McKenzie (1997-2017), practicing in the global groups of M&A, EMI, TMT and International Arbitration. Earlier in his career, he worked with other prominent international law firms (Studio Chiomenti, 1993-1997; Boden De Bandt De Brauw Lagerlof & Uria, Brussels, 1992-1993), as well as the EU Directorate General for Competition (1991).
In the M&A arena, he advises national and international clients on complex local and cross-border transactions, including share acquisitions and disposals, corporate reorganizations, competitive bidding procedures, acquisitions of distressed assets and private equity deals, as well as stock and cash incentive plans for managers and employees associated with corporate transactions. His M&A experience ranges across the main industry sectors and regulated markets, including energy, telecommunications, media and gaming, healthcare, private and public infrastructures, real estate and hotels. He has also lectured on a number of corporate issues including Purchase Price Adjustment, Earn-Out and MAE in acquisition contracts and R&W Insurance.
In the international arbitration domain, he acts as counsel representing clients under various sets of arbitration rules (including, ICC, LCIA, AAA, Swiss Rules, Milan Chamber of Arbitration Rules), different law systems (including Italy, Switzerland, France, US, UK, UAE) and a wide range of industry sectors including construction, energy (oil & gas, power, renewables), supply contracts, insurance, corporate and PE transactions. He is equally experienced in all aspects of post-award enforcement in various jurisdictions. Also acts as arbitrator in domestic and international arbitration proceedings, and acted as member of the task force for the revision of the ICC rules of Arbitration by its Italian National Committee (AIA/ICC Italy). Currently serves as Co-Chair of ARBIT – Italian Forum of Arbitration and ADR (www.forumarbit.it), founded 10 years ago by prominent Italian professionals specialized in international arbitration and alternative methods of disputes resolution. Acts regularly as lecturer and moderator on specific topics of international arbitration.

Representative cases:

• Advising in the sale to Carlyle of italian and french corporates manufacturing advanced irrigation sistems; 
• Advising foreign infrastructure and construction corporate in the competitive bidding process for the acquisition of the core assets of Condotte in extraordinary administration;
• Advised EPH in the acquisition from the E.On Group of their Italian coal and gas power stations;
• Advised Ardian private equity in the investment into Italy's largest infrastructure and energy fund - F2i SGR - and units of the first and second fund;
• Advised Enel on regulatory and corporate matters of its renewable energy business, including foreign jurisdictions;
• Advised Acea (listed Italian multi-utility) in the tax and corporate reorganization of its hydro business (confidential);
• Advised Fresenius (multinational healthcare company listed in Germany and on NYSE) in the acquisition of healthcare company from PE and private investors;
• Advised Booking.com, the world leading online hotel reservations operator on corporate, contractual and tax-related matters;
• Advised the shareholders of Palomar, Italian leading fiction and film producer, in the disposal of a majority stake to French listed group Mediawan and in reinvestment in the holding company controlled by KKR;
• Advised Endemol Shine Italy and other multinational media companies and independent producers in M&A and acquisition financing transactions in Italy;
• Advised several gambling online and land-based operators and software producers in corporate and restructuring transactions and related regulatory issues;
• Represented large Italian and foreign energy, engineering & construction groups in ICC, LCIA and CAM Arbitrations related to oil refineries, plants and pipeline constructions, renewable energies, in Europe, Africa and the Middle-East.

Education
J.D. with honors from Rome University La Sapienza (1991), M.C.J. New York University (1992), Fulbright Scholar.

Languages:
Italian (mother tongue), English, French.