Forget France’s much-touted cultural exceptionalism, in Europe the country that truly ignores the established rules of international legal practice is Italy.
The roll call of firms that have seen major splits or walk-outs in Italy includes Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, McDermott Will & Emery and Simmons & Simmons. Evidently, the Italian profession’s blend of self-conscious individualism, rainmaker-friendly pay and nepotistic capitalism is still more than a match for the brute strength of the average global law firm. Put another way, many Italians still recoil from the idea of practising within the restrictive confines of corporatised international giants.
