Francesca is the Partner responsible for the data privacy, data security and information management practice in Italy and member of the European Steering Committee of the Firm’s Practice Group IT-C (Information Technology and Communications).
Francesca works in said Practice Group since she joined the Firm, specializing in the area of data protection and security, with specific attention to legal issues emerging in use of cutting edge technologies. Francesca routinely manages multijurisdictional projects for implementation of online multifunctional platforms, cloud computing, forward thinking marketing and CRM/CEM strategies in digital environments and mobile applications, which raise complex and cross – border multi-faceted privacy and security issues.
Francesca assists multi-national clients in a full range of data protection and security matters, including global compliance programs, management and response to data breaches as well as risk management strategies, adoption of devoted e-tools for HR management and internal investigations, critical processing of personal data, for example in the pharmaceutical and life science sectors, behavioural advertising, social networks, big data and data analytics.
Francesca has acted on a number of contentious matters, spanning from privacy litigation in front of the Italian data protection authority (particularly for data subject access request matters), to representation in civil Courts of clients against the Italian data protection authority and also individuals (the latest for compensation of damages), to cases with the Italian competition authority (AGCOM) and class action.
Francesca also assists clients in case of dawn-raids of the Italian police privacy unit (Guardia di Finanza) and following investigations from the Italian data protection authority.
Francesca is recognized for her technology focused expertise; she participates as ethical and legal expert to applied research projects funded by the European Commission (currently Horizon 2020) for the definition of advanced technical solutions for interactive and mobile-based technologies (Privacy by Design). In the legal arena, participation to EU research projects is a peculiarity of the Italian Data Protection / Privacy team.
She routinely contributes to international reviews such as World Data Protection Review, DataGuidance, Wired Italy, Privacy Laws & Business, Bloomberg BNA and World Communications Regulation Report. She routinely speaks at national and international conferences in her area of practice and holds lectures at post-graduate courses at University of Bologna School of Management and Bocconi University.
She is former member of Advisory Board of IACMM – International Association for Contract & Commercial Management and of IAPP (International Association of Privacy Practitioner) Advisory Board and of the steering committee of the Master Course in Digital Economy of the Bocconi University. Francesca has acted as Advisor to the EU Commission and author of the Study on trade secrets and confidential business information in the internal market, part of the impact assessment and preliminary works for the Trade Secrets Directive 2016/943.
Francesca has been nominated by Legal 500 2018 – Next Generation Lawyer as “one of the most important privacy experts in Italy”; and also as Leading Individual in her practice by: Chambers Europe 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 (Associate to watch in TMT).
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