McDermott Will & Emery has elected the managing partner of legacy Italian firm Carnelutti to its senior management committee just six months after the two firms completed their merger, in a highly symbolic move for the Chicago-based giant.

Luca Arnaboldi, who led Carne-lutti into last September’s high profile merger with the 1,000-lawyer US firm, was elected onto McDermott’s 21-member main decision-making body last month.