Simmons & Simmons has recruited a three-strong administrative law team for its Milan office from Slaughter and May 'best friend' firm BonelliErede.

Leading the trio is partner Mauro Pisapia, who works across a number of areas of administrative and public law with a particular focus on public tender processes for building projects and town planning.  

He spent more than 10 years at Lombardi e Associati before it merged with Bonelli this summer. Completing the trio are counsel Luigi Pontrelli, and senior associate Francesco Cappello, both of whom also also worked at legacy Lombardi. 

Bonelli is part of a six-strong network of elite European firms that also includes Slaughters in the U.K, Bredin Prat in France, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek in the Netherlands, Hengeler Mueller in Germany, and Uría Menéndez in Spain and Portugal.

All three lawyers will start their new roles at Simmons on January 1, 2020.

No one at BonelliErede was available to comment on the moves.

Several other firms have recently expanded their Milan offerings. Earlier this month, McDermott Will & Emery bolstered its office with the hire of corporate partner Fabrizio Faina from Jones Day.

Dentons recently launched a Europe-South Korea practice in its local office, while Linklaters also recently hired Roberto Egori as a partner and head of the firm's tax practice from Magic Circle rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Milan.