Italy

Luke Graves

Trainee secondment to BonelliErede in Italy

I spent the fourth seat of my training contract on secondment to BonelliErede in Rome, where I sat in the Competition team. The office is in an impressive building located just a stone’s throw from the Palace of Justice, home to Italy’s Supreme Court. The office’s frescoed ceilings, mosaic floors and panoramic rooftop views of Rome and the Vatican made for a striking backdrop to the working day!

The team at Bonelli was really welcoming. Everyone was generous with their time and patient with my attempts to develop my language skills. The weekly department lunches were a great way to get to know people, as were the quick games of table tennis and trips for afternoon gelato. The team was spread across offices in Rome, Milan and Brussels but worked closely together, much as the Slaughter and May Competition team does across London, Brussels and Hong Kong.

I worked on a range of matters before the European Commission, from a cartel investigation to mergers and even some trade work. Having sat in the Slaughter and May Competition team in my first seat, it was great to have the opportunity to develop my knowledge of EU competition law further. My day-to-day tasks included researching EU case law and Commission decisions, drafting responses to requests for information and reviewing advice notes. It was also really interesting to learn more about the workings of the Italian Competition Authority and the interplay between EU and Italian law. Helping Italian companies get to grips with the UK merger review process provided a welcome opportunity to refresh my knowledge of the UK system. The variety of work meant that no two days were quite the same!

Living in central Rome was unforgettable, with world-class museums, galleries and restaurants on the doorstep. It was a real privilege to live somewhere so steeped in history and beauty, and where a carbonara is never more than five minutes away! I also enjoyed escaping the summer heat and crowds with visits to nearby towns like Frascati and Santa Marinella, as well as venturing further afield with weekend trips to Lucca, Lecce and Ischia.

An international secondment is a fantastic opportunity to experience a different culture, build connections and learn more about the legal market in another jurisdiction. My time in Rome also gave me a better understanding of how matters are coordinated across firms and regulatory regimes. Professionally and personally, it was an experience I will never forget – and one I would wholeheartedly recommend.