International Trade and Foreign Investment
The Firm assists Italian companies in structuring, managing and protecting their commercial and production activities abroad, providing integrated, cross-functional and operational legal support. We assist companies in their global expansion operations, whether via direct investments such as establishing offices and branches, or indirect investments including distribution, licensing, and joint venture agreements.
The Firm also assists foreign investors in entering and growing their presence in Italy and Europe through acquisitions, company establishment, local partnerships and commercial contracts.
Thanks to our direct office in Shanghai, we offer a stable and specialized presence in the Far East and South-East Asian markets, key regions for exports and industrial production.
We also collaborate with a consolidated network of international law firms, carefully selected over time in major global economic hubs. Supported by dedicated teams within our Firm, this network enables us to operate smoothly and consistently across diverse local contexts.
The Firm has set up specialized desks for the various geographical areas of greatest interest: the Russia and Eastern Europe Desk, the Africa Desk for operations in the OHADA area and French-speaking Africa, and the French Desk.
We offer advice in all key areas of international trade law, including:
- cross-border contracts (sales, distribution, franchising, licensing, agency, procurement);
- customs compliance and classification of goods;
- export control, embargoes and international sanctions;
- production relocation and industrial investments abroad;
- trade regulation, tariff and non-tariff barriers;
- cross-border legal risk management.
Our assistance also extends to the negotiation of contracts and corporate structures in foreign jurisdictions, including areas with highly complex regulations or subject to political instability, thanks to a strict approach focused on the preventive management of critical issues.
Notable cases
The Firm supports Italian companies in analysing the impact of international trade sanctions, such as those adopted by the European Union against the Russian Federation, on their foreign operations and existing contracts. This includes due diligence, risk assessment and contract review activities to avoid direct or indirect violations.
We assist companies in negotiating joint venture agreements between European companies and Chinese partners, aimed at enhancing assets and facilitating entry into the local market. Our services may include drafting corporate agreements, protecting intangible assets such as technology, trademarks, and know-how, preparing shareholders’ agreements and structuring investment-related operational guarantees.
The Firm can offer assistance in drafting and negotiating agency, distribution, franchising, business procurement or licensing agreements for the production and marketing of products in foreign markets, ensuring compliance with applicable EU or non-EU regulations and protecting the company from legal risks and disputes.
We support companies in the process of production internationalization, either by opening local subsidiaries or through contracts with local partners, in contexts such as Eastern Europe, East Asia or French-speaking African countries. Our consultancy services can include corporate structuring, supply contracts, IP protection and relevant tax and regulatory issues.
The Firm has assisted a client in negotiating a charter contract for an entire ship (voyage charter-party) intended for the transport of perishable goods from South America to Cameroon, also handling the verification of insurance coverage and the management of critical contractual clauses.
We have assisted an Italian company in managing a shareholding in Egypt, supporting dialogue with two local partners and addressing issues related to company law and governance.
In a dispute between an Italian company and its Senegalese distributor over alleged defects in the machinery supplied, the Firm facilitated a conciliatory solution, safeguarding the commercial relationship and preventing the dispute from escalating.
We supported an Italian food company in recovering a significant debt from a Central African state, carrying out enforcement activities both locally and on assets traced in other countries.
The Firm has provided advice on distribution agreements in Algeria and Tunisia, analysing the regulatory framework, arbitration clauses and any severance payments based on local practice.
In the field of procurement, the Firm assisted an Italian company operating in the construction sector in managing disputes over construction defects and obtaining completion certification, thereby releasing the related contractual payments.
