Italian firm NCTM has completed its tie-up with real estate boutique DS&P with the arrival of administrative law partner Marco Antonio Monaco.

The merger, originally announced in May (12 May), saw DS&P managing partner Riccardo Delli Santi and Valentina Delli Santi both join NCTM as partners along with 25 further fee earners.

Riccardo Delli Santi became head of real estate at NCTM, while Valentina Delli Santi now heads up the due diligence team in the real estate practice group.

The arrival of Monaco brings NCTM's equity partner headcount to 44. The firm now has around 310 lawyers in its offices in Milan, Rome, Verona, Brussels and London.

NCTM senior partner Paolo Montironi commented: "DS&P has seamlessly integrated with the firm and very quickly come up to speed in the new location, working closely with our professionals."

NCTM is one of the fastest-growing Italian firms, having completed three mergers in May and June this year alone. Early May saw a tie-up with 30-lawyer independent outfit Janni Fauda, which saw eight partners join the firm in Milan and Rome.

In June NCTM opened its second office outside of Italy with a tie-up with Brussels-based boutique O'Connor and Company. The office is headed up by the boutique's founding partner Bernard O'Connor, who joined NCTM's equity partnership as part of the merger deal.

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