Hammonds has opened up a dedicated finance law department in Italy after hiring a partner from top Italian firm Chiomenti Studio Legale.

Sergio Anania joined Hammonds' Milan office last month from the Milan arm of Chiomenti and has been handed the task of building up the new Italian finance law team.

The firm will be targeting banking, leveraged finance, property finance and film finance work – and aims to secure further high-level European finance hires in the short to medium term.

London-based head of finance law Andrew Watson said: "We have done some finance law work in Italy before, but never in a single department.

"It is part of our strategy to build up our banking and asset based lending practice across our
European network."

Hammonds, which also has Italian offices in Rome and Turin, is hoping that Anania
will bring a number or clients with him.

Anania's hire is the second senior lateral to be secured by Hammonds' Italian practice this month.

Last week the firm's Turin office took on senior Allen & Overy lawyer Vittorrio Torazzi as a partner in its labour law department.