Norton Rose has boosted its Rome tax practice with the hire of a four-strong team from Italian boutique Di Tanno & Associati.

The team, led by partner Andrea Fiorelli and also including of counsel Claudio Grisanti and two associates, joined the Rome office last week.

Fiorelli will head the UK firm's Italian tax practice, which was previously staffed only by Rome-based senior associate Francesca Staffieri.

A significant part of his work involves EU and Italian tax litigation and tax issues relating to succession planning and the generational transfer of corporate entities common in family-owned Italian enterprises.

Fiorelli joined Di Tanno in 1996 and made partner in 2006, and his departure leaves the firm with ten partners.

Norton Rose Italy head Paolo Daviddi commented: "We are committed to strategic growth in Italy and that means adding specialist expertise which is relevant for our Italian and international clients. Tax is an area that plays directly into the current work we undertake."

Fiorelli added: "It is exciting to be joining a legal practice with as much depth of expertise and commitment to international growth as Norton Rose Group."

The hires come after Norton Rose last year launched an antitrust, regulatory and competition practice in Italy with the hire of Linklaters' competition and antitrust head in the country, Andrea Zulli.