Withers Worldwide

• Education: University College, Cardiff, Law and Politics, 2:1 BSc Econ
• Admitted: England and Wales, 1990
• Languages spoken: Italian
• Year joined: 1995
• Year became partner: 1999

Overview

Roberto focuses on international and domestic commercial litigation ranging from contractual disputes, partnership and shareholders disputes, loan recoveries and fraud and asset tracing, both in the form of High Court litigation and arbitration. A number of his cases have been reported in Weekly/All England Law Reports, including Società Esplosivi Industriali SpA v Ordnance Technologies (UK) Limited & Others [2004] 1 All ER (Comm) 619.

Roberto’s arbitration cases include Duferco SKOP Investment Limited v Makpetrol AD & Tehnometal Vardar Export-Import AD and IRIS Clinical SA v Parexel International Corporation. He is head of the Insolvency Group at Withers LLP, advising Insolvency Practitioners and directors of distressed companies, both in a domestic and international context, as well as creditors.

Roberto also has experience in privacy and defamation. His cases include Elite Model Management (New York) & Elite Model Look (Paris) v BBC, which at its time was the largest defamation action brought before the High Court in London. He negotiated the successful outcome to this action.

Highlights

Roberto advises a wide number of domestic and international clients ranging from multi-national companies to private individuals in relation to both High Court litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Clients include Hesco Bastion Limited, Hesco Military Products Limited, Renault Formula 1, the Duferco Group, Società Esplosivi Industriali SpA and Elite Model Management & Elite Model Look.

Publications and speaking engagements

Roberto has lectured in Switzerland and in Italy, including at the Court of Appeal in Milan. He has hosted and participated in seminars focussing on various aspects of English civil law and procedure, in particular forum shopping, enforcement of judgments and insolvency.

Roberto was the author of 'Model Democracy', an article about the evolvement of the law of privacy in 'Legal Week'. He has also been quoted on various issues relating to defamation and bankruptcy law in The Times.

Memberships

• Association of Business Recovery Professionals
• London Court of International Arbitration
• British Italian Law Association

On a personal note

Roberto enjoys travelling to Italy to see friends and family and any sport, especially rugby and football (he supports Chelsea FC/FC Parma). He looks forward to learning how to play golf again with his son and daughter when they are slightly older.