Herbert Smith Freehills has hired Corporate Crime and Investigations (CC&I) Partner Enrico Maria Mancuso and his team to join its growing Milan office, as the firm continues to rapidly expand its offering in the region.

Enrico joins Herbert Smith Freehills from Pedersoli, where he was a partner in its White-Collar and Investigations practice. He joins the firm with senior associate Federico Bracalente, associate Marco Mariotti and trainee Sofia Ricasoli Firidolfi to set up a new Corporate Crime & Investigations practice in the Milan office.

Lauded by the directories as "one of the leading experts in Italy in the criminal field", Enrico is known for high-profile work in white-collar crime, investigations and regulatory compliance in Milan.

He also has a proven track-record advising on compliance in the life sciences, including pharma, biotech and medical devices and is a go-to lawyer for multinational companies.

Enrico is also highly experienced in other key industry sectors such as banking & finance, energy and TMT, all of which align strongly with the firm's own sector focus.

Enrico is a full Professor of Criminal Procedure Law at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, where he teaches Criminal Procedure Law, Evidence Law and Information Security (a course mainly covering cybersecurity, cybercrime and cyber-compliance). He has published more than 100 papers in his role as Professor of Criminal Law Procedure and contributed to numerous publications.

This significant hire further expands Herbert Smith Freehills' offering to include six Partners and two of Counsel and gives the firm a unique position in the Italian legal market as a highly specialised powerhouse, offering a high-quality sector focused approach for clients.

Commenting on the hire, Office Managing Partner in Milan and EMEA Head of Life Sciences, Laura Orlando, said:

"Enrico is regarded as one of the best lawyers in the white collar crime, investigations and regulatory compliance space in Milan and the breadth of his sector knowledge is unrivalled. The addition in Milan of Enrico's compliance experience in the life sciences sector will contribute further to our position as top-of-market for life sciences clients will also further strengthen our Italian and European life sciences platform. I look forward to working with him and welcoming him to our growing office in Milan."

Enrico said:

"Herbert Smith Freehills is well-known for being a disputes powerhouse and leading on some of the most complex and landmark disputes globally. I am excited at the prospect of joining the office in Milan and growing our now unique and market-leading offering for clients in the Italian market and across the firm's global platform."