DLA Piper has strengthened its Italian corporate practice with a team hire from Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners.

Partner Fabio de Bene joined DLA's Milan office this week (19 September) alongside senior associate Pier Francesco Maria Faggiano and associate Giovanni Meschia.

De Bene specialises in M&A, private equity transactions, joint ventures and corporate governance. He joined Gianni as an associate in 2001, before making partner in 2006.

De Bene's hire brings the total number of partners in DLA's Milan office to 27. The appointment comes as DLA plans to double headcount in its Italian corporate and M&A practice over the next three years, from its current size of roughly 10 partners.

As part of the firm's three-year plan, which runs until 2014, DLA also plans to strengthen its Italian finance and projects groups, as well as establishing an Italian desk in London to facilitate structured finance work with Italian banks.

DLA Piper Italy managing partner Federico Sutti commented: "Significant hires like that of Fabio ensure the continued development of both the corporate practice and the wider firm. His appointment is part of the implementation of our strategic growth strategy to establish DLA Piper as the leading full service law firm."

Earlier this year DLA strengthened its intellectual property practice in Italy by taking on boutique firm Dragotti. The addition of the firm in June, led by Gualtiero Dragotti, took the firm's local intellectual property practice to around four partners, nine associates and a trainee.