The newest member of Eurojuris knows a thing or two about creating partnerships and crossing borders, for Marco Rampf is a dual-qualified lawyer in Italian and German jurisdictions, with offices in Rome, Milan and Munich.
And as his team includes native cross-border lawyers, with lived experience of both German and Italian business cultures and legal environment, Marco says the firm brings a unique mix of expertise for customers with Italian/German interests.
The firm is made of a network of seven senior professionals (five lawyers and two tax advisors) and their support staff working across the three offices. As well as mediating for cross-border clients, their special expertise, which range from commercial contracts and corporate law (with particular reference to compliance issues) to real estate and commercial litigation, see them supporting clients across Europe.
Marco has German parents but was born in north-western Italy and grew up in Rome. He completed his first legal qualification at Rome’s La Sapienza University, where he now collaborates in the teaching of commercial and business law. He moved on to study for his LL.M in Munich, before returning to Italy for further studies in business law.
It was in Germany that he met Susanna Eichner, who now heads the Munich office for Rampf Legal. Like him, Susanna had dual heritage, with Italian/German parents, and was studying for her master of laws in Munich, having first qualified in Italy.
“Susanna and myself have very different professional backgrounds, as Susanna went to practise in Germany early on in her career, while I practised in Rome, but we have complementary skills and we wanted to match different competencies and different knowledge in the firm,” explains Marco.
Focused mainly on Europe, the full team includes English, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch speakers, and two tax advisor – one of which is a native German/Italian speaker - work alongside the lawyers. The firm is also known for its real estate expertise, providing a turnkey solution for the many Germans who own second homes or other property interests in Italy.
“Munich is perhaps the most Italian town in Germany, with some 50,000 Italians living and working in the city,” explains Marco, “It makes it a logical place for our German base, and our unique proposition for clients: a seamless cross-border connection.”
He added: “We have sector specialisms, such as renewable energy, tourism, international trade, transport, food, and manufacturing, and we provide niche expertise to global companies such as Lufthansa and TUI, but the ideal client for our firm is the SME, small to medium size enterprise, where we can deliver a 360 degree service and become part of the company’s team”.
“My own enthusiasm is for the detail and precision in drafting international contracts. Also, supporting clients in corporate issues with a particular focus on corporate compliance, an important requirement for companies operating in Italy as the law on corporate liability requires compliance management systems to be drafted, updated and maintained. This gives me the opportunity to work very closely with directors and staff, to look at the internal working processes of the companies, and I find this particularly interesting.”
Explaining their reasons for joining the Eurojuris network, Marco says: “You can have the best possible website and a very strong LinkedIn profile, but in terms of relationships and knowing each other, being a part of a group of people knowing and trusting each other is as important today as it was 100 years’ ago”.
“This network of people coming together under a brand with an agreed and shared minimum quality standard means we know we can rely on other members of Eurojuris, and do not have to worry about bad experiences or losing clients. The dimension of the network is a perfect one – unlike the huge networks with prescriptive rules, it respects individualities and the independence of its members.”
