Private equity is an alternative form of private financing, away from public markets, in which funds and investors directly invest in companies or engage in buyouts of such companies. Private equity firms make money by charging management and performance fees from investors in a fund.

Ashurst law firm announces the appointment of partner Fabio Niccoli to lead the private equity offering in Milan.

Ashurst is a multinational law firm headquartered in London. It has 27 offices in 15 countries apart from the United Kingdom, across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, and employs around 1600 legal advisers.

Fabio joins from CDP Equity, where he has been general counsel since 2012, having been responsible for the set-up of the entire legal structure of the business. A highly regarded and technical lawyer, Fabio has over 20 years of experience across both private practice and in-house.

Recognised in the GC Powerlist of the most influential general counsel in Italy by The Legal 500, Fabio has advised on a number of high-end private mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals, with a particular focus on the Italian mid-cap market.

He began his career at Bonelli Erede Pappalardo.

He has also worked at Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners, before joining the newly-founded firm Labruna Mazziotti Segni contributing to its start-up and becoming a partner in the mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice.

Carloandrea Meacci, Milan office managing partner said: “This is a significant development for our practice in Milan – we are able to offer first-rate private equity expertise to complement our market-leading offering in all areas of infrastructure and energy mergers and acquisitions.

Fabio is an excellent practitioner with a unique background and he will play a key role in helping us realise our strategy to operate a high performing integrated European corporate mergers and acquisitions and private equity team, as well as to provide support to our existing practices.”

This appointment also demonstrates our strong commitment to the Italian market, where we have operated for 20 years.”