Deloitte Legal’s Italian arm has acquired boutique Munari Giudici Maniglio Panfili (MGMP) in the northern port city of Genoa, the latest in a series of expansion moves by the Big Four accountancy firms’ European legal branches.

The deal will see 20 lawyers — including four partners — move to Deloitte Legal to create a new department of maritime and transport law with Francesco Munari, partner and co-founder of the Italian firm, at the helm. 

Munari joins alongside name partner Alessandra Maniglio as well as partners Paolo Terrile and Andrea Blasi. Partners Alessandra Maniglio and Emanuela Baj will join the firm as counsel. 

The two remaining name partners, Anna Maria Panfili and Paolo Giudici, will not join Deloitte but will continue to practice elsewhere, according to the firm. 

MGMP — active for a little over two decades — has offices in Genoa and Milan and specialises in multiple facets of transportation and maritime law, including M&A, competition, regulation, commercial, construction, employment and dispute resolution. 

The new arrivals will increase Deloitte Legal’s capacity in Genoa to 25 lawyers and 100 professionals, solidifying it as the largest law firm in the city.

Alessandro Lualdi, country leader and manager of tax and legal services for Deloitte in Italy, said he expects the addition of MGMP will allow the firm to “enrich” its legal capabilities in Genoa. 

“We are experiencing a growing synergy between legal consultancy and tax consultancy activities, an indication of the fact that investments made for the growth of Deloitte Legal also work from an integrated perspective,” he said. 

Carlo Gagliardi, managing partner of Deloitte Legal, added that the addition of the four MGMP partners representsed a “milestone” in its growth path. 

He noted the growth of Deloitte Legal’s Italian network since 2018, when it boasted less than 50 professionals. The firm has since scaled up to 200 professionals, including 21 partners in eight cities, spread over 15 practice areas. 

Last September, Deloitte Legal entered a strategic alliance with top Italian employment boutique LabLaw, in a move both sides said would help consolidate LabLaw’s market-leading position while helping Deloitte Legal grow its international employment practice. 

And in November, Deloitte acquired 29-partner London technology firm Kemp Little in a landmark deal for the UK legal sector. 

Deloitte isn’t the only Big Four firm making moves within its European legal branches lately. Earlier this month, KPMG Law in Germany announced it was teaming up with US labour and employment firm Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart to expand the immigration and employment law reach for both entities.