Who I Am

I am a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, specializing in international financial law. In addition to this, I qualified as an Attorney-at-Law in New York and an Avvocato in Italy. My career has taken me to prestigious firms and institutions, including Sullivan & Cromwell, Shearman & Sterling (now A&O Shearman), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and BlackRock.

Currently, I devote my expertise to policy research.

My life has been a journey across the globe, having lived in Italy, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, the United States, and several other locations. I cherish and maintain my connections worldwide.

I am an active member of Beth Hillel, a Reform synagogue in Rome, and a member-at-large of B’nai B’rith in Washington DC

Research Interests

My research interests encompass financial services policy, global risk governance, and economic statecraft. I analyze the impact of crises and innovation on financial markets, regulation, architecture, stability, governance, and risk management.

In this context, I conduct policy studies to leverage economic and financial power for foreign policy objectives, developing defensive strategies to protect economic leadership and proactive strategies for investment and trade promotion.

My analyses are featured in domestic and international media outlets, including Class CNBC, Rai, Sky News, Vatican News, Atlantico, Diritto Bancario, Informazione Difesa, La Voce Repubblicana, Milano Finanza, Proiezioni di Borsa, Scenari Economici, Radio Radicale, London One Radio, and appear on Bloomberg terminals via the Alliance Dow Jones newswire.

I also cover the Middle East and Global Britain for Longitude Magazine and maintain a blog on The Times of Israel, focusing on the Middle East and the Abraham Accords.

Recent Publications

Books:

L’ALTRA BREXIT [AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF BREXIT] (Class Editori, 2018)

Describing Brexit as both a hedge for the global financial markets against the export of Eurozone systemic risk as well as an opportunity to accelerate innovation in finance.

CAPITALI CORAGGIOSI [CAPITALS COURAGEOUS] (Armando Editore, 2023)

Explaining that private capital funds transformative industries, which in the medium-to-long-term can build a competitive advantage over the market. In doing so, it illustrates the role of private capital in the economy, taking the reader on a journey “from the streets of San Francisco to the skyscrapers of Wall Street”.

Papers:

The Recovery of the City of London’s Competitive Edge in Global Financial Markets: Renouncing Inherited EU Law to Restore English Common Law, 62 VA. J. INT’L L. ONLINE 33 (2021)
(with R. Tenconi): This essay illustrates the benefits of the abrogation of EU legacy law in the UK post Brexit.
Deterrenza e fuoco amico. L’effetto delle sanzioni internazionali sul debito estero della Russia e l’ordine finanziario globale [Deterrence and friendly fire. Effects of International sanctions on Russia’s foreign debt and the global financial order], DIALOGHI DIR. ECON. (4 April 2022)
(with A. Lupoi): This essay explains that whilst Russia cannot repay its foreign debt in roubles as opposed to U.S. dollars, in the presence of a fallback option, international sanctions prevent CDS protection buyers form delivering Russian refence obligations to protection sellers.
Un passo di lato e un balzo in avanti. La Brexit ha incentivato il Regno Unito ad abbracciare le “transizioni gemelle”, ma sono le riforme legali e regolamentari a rendere Global Britain un successo [A step aside and a leap forward. As Brexit incentivised the United Kingdom to embrace the “twin transitions”, legal and regulatory reforms are making Global Britain a success], DIALOGHI DIR. ECON. (12 July 2022)
(with R. Tenconi): This essay explains that Brexit has been a vehicle to reposition the British economy atop a highly disruptive transformation of the world economy, powered by the ‘big six’ digital technologies (blockchain, big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, cloud, e-commerce).
Contratto sociale, redistribuzione ed efficienza: il caso per la Flat Tax. Una tassa da terza via?, [Social contract, redistribution, efficiency: the case for a flat tax. Taxation for the Third Way?], INNOVAZ. DIR., No. 4/2022:
This essay criticizes the public discourse on the Flat Tax, which emphasizes the redistributive effects of the tax system. But in doing so, it fails to address its goals with respect to simplification, efficiency and transparency, as convoluted progressive taxes fuel frictions on savings and investment. Additionally, there exists an opportunity to build incentives against government spending inflation. This essay explains the costs, benefits, and micro and macro effects of the possible tax reform, from an economic efficiency perspective.
La caduta dei Titani (bancari): storia idiosincratica o rischio sistemico? [The Fall of the (Banking) Titans: Idiosyncratic story or Systemic Risk?], DIALOGHI DIR. ECON. (9 May 2023):
This essay theorizes that the recent banks’ bankruptcies tell an idiosyncratic story rather than dreading a systemic crisis. SVB’s hyper-specialised business model and an attempted arbitrage over accounting rules have caused its fall, just as Credit Suisse folded after over ten years of poor governance. However, systemic risk appears to lie in wait: after 20 years of expansionary monetary policy, the turmoil in the banking sector leaves central banks caught between the struggle to tame inflation and the need to preserve financial stability.
Surviving the Stampede: Market-Based Resolutions Vis-à-Vis Overregulation, 64 VA. J. INT’L L. ONLINE 1 (2023):
This essay examines the contrasting resolution mechanisms for banking failures in the United States and Switzerland by analyzing the cases of Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank. Factors contributing to their downfall are explored, such as SVB’s excessive exposure to endogenous risk and Credit Suisse’s poor governance and compliance blunders. The resolution mechanisms used in each country—deposit guarantees in the US and corporate law changes in Switzerland—are compared, highlighting the need for a balance between regulatory frameworks and market discipline to mitigate future crises. Effective risk management, robust governance structures, and strict compliance are emphasized as crucial components in ensuring a stable financial system.

Education

I hold degrees from LUISS, Rome (LL.B.); University of Milan (PGDip.); New York University (LL.M.); and Columbia University (Juris Doctor), where I was appointed a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. 

Recognition & Awards

In-House Community Award 2016 (In-House Counsel of the Year). GC Power List (Italy) 2016. Proiezioni di Borsa Excellence Award 2021.