A Philadelphia lawyer from Duane Morris is one of the newest knights of the Republic of Italy, a distinction he received for his legal work against the Republic of Argentina on behalf of Italian citizens.

Rudolph J. “Skip” Di Massa was made a Cavaliere of Italy on July 12 at the Italian consulate in Philadelphia. Di Massa is the chairman of Duane Morris' business reorganization and financial restructuring practice group. He received the honor along with six other Philadelphia-area residents at a ceremony with Consul General Andrea Canepari.

Di Massa said Canepari noted his recent work on behalf of more than 100 Italian citizens, who had invested in Argentine bonds years ago. When Argentina defaulted on billions of dollars of debt in 2001, many investors settled, taking just 30 cents on the dollar. But others, including Di Massa's clients, held out for more.