Jones Day has hired real estate specialist Paolo Foppiani as a partner from DLA Piper to bolster its European platform in Milan. 

Foppiani is joining the US firm’s real estate practice alongside DLA Piper associates Federica Ceola, Mryana Todyrenchuk and Neil De Biase to bulk up Jones Day’s Italian real estate bench, which currently includes  partner Francesco Squerzoni, of counsel Andrea Cantarelli and associate Silvia Beggiato. 

Prior to joining DLA Piper in 2009, Foppiani worked as a real estate associate for regional firms Nctm and Chiomenti. He was promoted to partner at DLA Piper in 2016, and specialises in real estate private equity matters for both Italian and international clients. Foppiani’s experience covers the full spectrum of real estate transactions, including M&A and alternative asset class matters. 

Outside of his legal career, Foppiani taught public international law at Italian university Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and co-founded Nóos, a non-profit organisation that raises funds for educational and medical projects in Africa and India. 

“Paolo is a highly accomplished attorney with a proven ability to successfully negotiate and complete complex real estate transactions, while effectively working with a large team of colleagues around the world,” said Anna Cartwright, co-leader of Jones Day’s real estate practice. 

“The combination of Paolo’s technical understanding of the issues confronting our global real estate clients and his deep experience advising sophisticated clients makes Paolo the perfect addition to our existing team of lawyers advising pan-European investors in numerous asset classes across Europe.”

Jones Day’s global real estate team currently consists of more than 100 layers across its international network who work in tandem with the firm’s environmental law, tax law, financial services, corporate law and dispute resolution practices. 

The firm operates European bases in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris and Milan. 

In July, Jones Day added to its European platform in Dusseldorf when it hired Herbert Smith Freehills’ former co-head of German disputes Thomas Weinmann in a bid to grow its German arbitration practice. 

The hire followed that of Frankfurt-based partner Amy Kläsener who joined the firm in May from Dentons, where she was head of arbitration for Germany.

Last week, Herbert Smith Freehills boosted its German corporate bench and insurance market reach with the hire of a partner and counsel from DLA Piper along with two associates.