Italian firm Piergrossi Villa Bianchini Riccardi has formed an exclusive alliance with Milan-based firm Benvenuto Barozzi Scherini (BBS), with a full merger planned within the year.

The deal, effective from 1 May, sets up an exclusive arrangement between Piergrossi and the 12-lawyer BBS, which specialises in employment law. “This is a good move for us as it gets the firm up to the 50-lawyer mark,” said a spokesman for Piergrossi, which is allied to UK firm Eversheds.