Italian outfits Bonelli Erede Pappalardo, NCTM and Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners have all rolled out a number of internal and strategic changes in recent weeks in a bid to address the ongoing volatility of the global economy.

Bonelli has outlined plans to increase the profile of its international best friends network by conducting more joint pitches in an effort to boost the number of panel places the firms win. The network includes Slaughter and May, Bredin Prat in France and Uria Menendez in Spain.

The decision was taken at a partners meeting this month and will form part of a three-tier strategy that will look to address how the firm can cement its place within the Italian market, be more entrepreneurial to satisfy client needs, and consolidate its position as an international player.

The firm has also announced its annual partner promotions, with Paolo Di Giovanni added to the partnership in litigation and Tommaso Faelli in intellectual property.

The news follows a number of internal changes this year for Bonelli including a move to phase out its junior partner rank to create an all-equity partnership.

Meanwhile, NCTM earlier this month appointed Rome corporate partner Pietro Maria Tantalo to the newly-created role of director of institutional relations in an effort to strengthen its relationships with Italian institutions and public bodies.

The appointment has been made as part of the firm's new corporate governance model created earlier this year which saw NCTM replace its two co-managing partner positions with a new five-partner executive committee.
The firm also relocated M&A partner Andrea Bernardi to its London office last month in a bid to grow its presence in the City, taking the total number of fee earners to eight and making it the biggest Italian office in the UK.

NCTM London managing partner Anthony Perotto said: "Our ongoing relocations to London are an important part of our international strategy in recognising the significance of global markets in building our work and platform and we are encouraged when we see other European independent firms also looking to build their offices in the City.

"We are living in an ever-changing global legal market and it is important to be constantly aware of the evolution of this and although we try not to react to changes, but anticipate them, it would be true to say that this is definitely a time of internal reflection for all European independent firms to make sure we are all in the best positions to capture the most work possible going forwards."

The news comes as Gianni is set to relocate Rome corporate partner Raimondo Premonte to its London office in January 2012 taking the total number of partners in the firm's City arm to two.

The Italian giant changed its name in November this year following the hire of an 11-lawyer team from Grimaldi & Associati led by partner Roberto Cappelli, with Cappelli's name now added to the firm's banner.