Ughi e Nunziante: “EU Regulation Will Drive ESG Legal Services”

Attention to ESG factors is increasingly growing among law firms, which are taking on a more significant role in promoting the shift towards sustainability.

Francesca Ricci told ETicaNews that Ughi e Nunziante embarked on its own internal ESG journey several years ago and is currently addressing a growing demand for sustainability-related services from its clients. “In the future, ESG consultancy will become even more important,” she stated, thanks to the regulatory push from EU legislators.

To find out which ESG-related services are most in demand and what the major risks and challenges are, we invite you to read the full article available to subscribers at this link.

Italy shows openness to FDI with reversal of Safran deal block – The interview with Filippo Mazza on Global Competition Review

Italy shows openness to FDI with reversal of Safran deal block” is the title of the article by Global Competition Review, revisiting the block on Safran’s investment. Safran “recently disclosed that the government conditionally cleared its purchase of Microtecnica, a division of Collins Aerospace
owned by US defence giant RTX, after guaranteeing to protect employment and production lines. Microtecnica employs about 650
people in Italy”.

According to industry experts, this openness by Italy can be interpreted in several ways. Safran likely provided sufficient concessions to address the government’s concerns, but the influence of skillful diplomatic and political pressure between France and Italy, “soft but solid,” as our Filippo Mazza stated in his interview, is also plausible.

So, what’s next?
Read the full article at this link.

Perspectives on the Minimum Wage – Federico Torzo interviewed by Economy Magazine

Opinions on the introduction of a minimum wage in Italy are divided between those who believe it could provide protection for the most vulnerable workers and those who fear negative repercussions on the labor market.
Economy Magazine presents a comprehensive analysis featuring multiple perspectives, examining both the opportunities and threats.
Among those interviewed is Federico Torzo, who expresses the concerns of cooperatives about the possible negative impact of the minimum wage on collective bargaining: “The introduction of a minimum wage could, in fact, create a downward pressure for companies that currently offer a base pay higher than the minimum wage. These companies might be tempted to replace the base pay set by collective bargaining with the minimum wage amount.”
To read more, the full article is available at this link.

Ex-Ilva decree: effects and prospects for the Italian industry – Gianfranco Arpea interviewed by Economy Magazine

The package of measures to deal with the industrial emergency at the ILVA Group’s plant is now in force.

The Decree, issued by the Government to ensure the production and employment continuity of the plant and the companies in its supply chain, known as the ex-Ilva decree (Decree Law No. 4, 18th January 2024), also applies to all current and future corporate crisis situations.

Economy Magazine conducted an in-depth analysis on the subject and interviewed several experts to understand the impacts and prospects that the decree could have on the Italian industry.

Among the interviewees is Gianfranco Arpea, who emphasized the importance of the new regulations for public interest purposes, explaining that “the granting, free of charge, of the guarantee by the SME Fund to the small or medium-sized supplier company facing credit access difficulties, provided that the requesting company has generated over 50% of its turnover in the last two financial years. This is an unprecedented vertical state intervention in the industrial and economic supply chain and stakeholder protection. The objective of promoting credit circulation while containing the costs associated with loan repayment and reducing the risk of entanglement in credit assignment phase is clearly seen.

The full article is available here.

Companies and ESG, law firms in the field for sustainability – Francesca Ricci interviewed by ItaliaOggi

ItaliaOggi conducted an interesting in-depth survey on ESG related matters and the role of legal professionals in assisting companies, especially regarding ESG due diligence in M&A transactions.

The ESG reporting required by Directive 2022/2464 (the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the  ‘CSRD Directive’) is a useful tool for understanding the target company” explains Francesca Ricci, interviewed on this topic. “During the negotiation of the acquisition contract, representations and warranties relating to non-financial reporting are crucial and, in the event of breach, give rise to contractual liability.[…] Starting from 2026, sustainability reports may have a significant impact on M&A transactions involving large companies. The expectation is to include approximately 8,000 companies in Italy that, falling within the definition of ‘large enterprise’ under the CSRD Directive, will be required to prepare sustainability reporting, thus relying on this additional attractiveness factor in M&A.

To read the full article (in italian), click here.

The importance of being resident: is it possible to simplify the notion of tax residence of individuals?

An individual’s tax residence is a key factor for the application of income taxes in various jurisdictions. In a context of increasing global mobility and post-Covid-19 digital nomadism, the accurate determination of the tax residence of individuals becomes increasingly important, especially as jurisdictions compete to attract individuals with high-net-worth.

But how does one deal with the challenge of establishing whether an individual is considered a tax resident in a particular jurisdiction?

An article by Barbara Emma Pizzoni and Linda Favi, published by IBA Taxes Committee, examines the recent efforts made in Italy to overcome challenges related to determining the tax residence of individuals. These efforts have been implemented by revising the definition of tax residence contained in Article 2 of the TUIR.
The full article is available here.

Lawyers in the field to handle whistleblowing reports – Federico Torzo interviewed by Il Sole 24 Ore

An interesting in-depth analysis by Massimiliano Carbonaro was published on Il Sole 24 Ore on whistleblowing and the obligation to adopt a system for reporting offences, which from next December 17 will extend also to private companies with at least 50 employees.

Whistleblowing has opened a new market for law firms, especially when it comes to handle the reports.

Federico Torzo was among those interviewed and explained that “for us lawyers a consulting space could open up for internal investigations. It is a delicate procedure that most of the time consists of analyzing documentation and conducting interviews with the people involved, maintaining the anonymity of both the whistleblower and the reported person.

The full article is available here.

Gender Equality certification: regulatory evolution and new Public Contracts Code – an article by Carlotta Carta and Beatrice Gallucci

On NT Plus Diritto, an article by our authors Carlotta Carta and Beatrice Gallucci on Gender Equality Certification, introduced in Italy through Law No. 162 of November 5, 2021.

This Certification, available to companies eager to concretely adopt virtuous models, attests to the measures taken to reduce the gender gap within the same company.

In accordance with Mission 5, Investment 1.3 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the goal of this new institution is to encourage companies to implement policies suitable for reducing the gender gap in all areas that have the most critical issues.

To learn more, the full article is available here.

Minimum salary, experts: “Pitfalls even in collective bargaining” – Federico Torzo interviewed by AdnKronos

Adnkronos conducted an investigation into the minimum wage in Italy and the absence of a national discipline.
This instability leads to a continuous bouncing of the issue from the field of judicial authority to that of the unions, with the effect of generating uncertainty and wage paradoxes.

Federico Torzo, interviewed on the issue recalls that “the Lombardy Regional Administrative Court (Tar Lombardia) ruled on the revocation of a Labor Inspectorate report (…). According to the Court, it is the most representative National Collective Bargaining Agreement (NCBA), namely that of private security, that determines the parameter of proportionality and sufficiency of pay. From the judiciary, the ball is therefore back in the court of the unions and the government.

The full article is available here.

KKR agrees to give Italian government stake in Telecom Italia – Filippo Mazza interviewed by Global Competition Review

As known, in mid-August, the Italian Government preliminarily agreed with KKR to acquire up to 20% of Telecom Italia’s landline network, in anticipation of a final proposal from the US private equity firm.

This agreement, following two years of negotiations, aims to retain strategic control in the event of a sale to KKR but still requires approval under Italy’s “golden power” laws. On this topic, Global Competition Review interviewed our partner Filippo Mazza.

Subscribers can read the full article here