McDermott Will & Emery has launched an Italian competition group with the hire of Veronica Pinotti from Lovells.

Pinotti, who joins McDermott's Rome office, will head the newly-formed antitrust group and becomes a local partner with the Chicago-based law firm.

Pinotti will provide competition advice to the Italian corporate team and will also work in tandem with McDermott's existing competition teams in London and Brussels. She deals primarily with matters relating to the Italian Competition & Market Commission and the European Commission.

The hire of Pinotti, who will be accompanied by Lovells competition associate Martino Sforza, comes after McDermott last year boosted its European antitrust practice with the appointment of former Hammonds competition partners Jose Rivas and Alasdair Bell.

Commenting on the latest hires, McDermott's Rome chief, Massimo Trentino, said: "The appointment of Veronica Pinotti is an important step forward in growing our Italian practice and we are delighted to have her on board."

In June Lovells lost City competition partner Tom McQuail to US firm Howrey. However, the same month the City giant strengthened its Italian corporate team with a seven-lawyer raid on Ernst & Young.