Key Takeaways
- • McDermott Will & Schulte hired a 12-person team in Milan spanning private equity, employment, and corporate transactional practices, with one partner designated as co-managing partner of the office.
- • Three finance partners—Giancarlo Castorino, Ettore Scandale, and Emidio Cacciapuoti—transferred from the Milan office of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) to lead the private equity expansion.
- • The Milan office expansion positions McDermott with nine partners, six counsel, 15 associates, and eight trainees, significantly strengthening its Italian practice footprint.
- • The hire aligns with McDermott's broader European expansion strategy, complementing recent senior hires in Paris (Kalish Mullen from Kirkland & Ellis in private credit) and London (Jason Zemmel in transactions).
- • The move reflects increased institutional client demand for private equity and dispute resolution capabilities in Italy, a key market for alternative investment professionals and PE sponsors.
Summary
McDermott Will & Schulte, the international law firm (formerly McDermott Will & Emery), expanded its Milan office on May 5, 2026, with the hire of a 12-person team drawn primarily from Gitti and Partners and King & Wood Mallesons. The cohort spans private equity, employment law, and corporate transactional practices, with one partner elevated to co-managing partner of the Milan office—a signal of the firm's commitment to sustained growth in the Italian market.
The private equity focus centers on three senior finance partners: Giancarlo Castorino, Ettore Scandale, and Emidio Cacciapuoti, all transitioning from KWM's Milan operation. Their recruitment underscores McDermott's strategic priority to strengthen advisory capabilities for alternative investment clients operating across Southern Europe. The expanded Milan team brings the office to nine partners, six counsel, 15 associates, and eight trainees, creating a materially larger platform for complex transactional and regulatory work.
This Milan expansion fits into a broader European hiring push. McDermott has simultaneously strengthened its Paris office by recruiting Kalish Mullen, a transactional partner from Kirkland & Ellis, to lead private credit development. The firm also added Jason Zemmel as a partner in London within its Transactions Practice Group, reinforcing its pan-European positioning for PE-backed transactions and financing advisory.
For institutional investors and PE sponsors, the build-out matters because it enhances on-the-ground advisory depth in Italy—a jurisdiction where private equity activity, dispute resolution demand, and regulatory complexity have intensified. The retention of experienced partners from competing firms signals confidence in Italy's deal flow and the firm's ability to capture higher-margin advisory mandates in an increasingly competitive market.
The private equity focus centers on three senior finance partners: Giancarlo Castorino, Ettore Scandale, and Emidio Cacciapuoti, all transitioning from KWM's Milan operation. Their recruitment underscores McDermott's strategic priority to strengthen advisory capabilities for alternative investment clients operating across Southern Europe. The expanded Milan team brings the office to nine partners, six counsel, 15 associates, and eight trainees, creating a materially larger platform for complex transactional and regulatory work.
This Milan expansion fits into a broader European hiring push. McDermott has simultaneously strengthened its Paris office by recruiting Kalish Mullen, a transactional partner from Kirkland & Ellis, to lead private credit development. The firm also added Jason Zemmel as a partner in London within its Transactions Practice Group, reinforcing its pan-European positioning for PE-backed transactions and financing advisory.
For institutional investors and PE sponsors, the build-out matters because it enhances on-the-ground advisory depth in Italy—a jurisdiction where private equity activity, dispute resolution demand, and regulatory complexity have intensified. The retention of experienced partners from competing firms signals confidence in Italy's deal flow and the firm's ability to capture higher-margin advisory mandates in an increasingly competitive market.
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