While Italy proved one of the most popular targets for UK and US firms in the late 1990s, it has proved a tougher nut to crack than many.
The Italian firms have been among the most successful in the major European jurisdictions in fighting off the challenge of the Anglo-Saxon arrivistes. But while the Italian independents have shown themselves to be resilient in resisting the urge to be subsumed, there has been sufficient flow of lawyers between the independents and the multinationals to facilitate a free exchange of their ideas and practices.
