Schoenherr has announced that Rosario Sapuppo, a corporate lawyer, has joined the firm as the head of the newly established Italy desk in the firm’s Istanbul office. In this role, Sapuppo applies his experience in corporate/M&A, foreign direct investments and international commercial law to support the growing number of Italian firms with business activities and/or investments in Turkey.
In addition, Sapuppo draws on his experience in working in Istanbul, founding the Milan-based Italian-Turkish Association, and in previously heading the Turkey desk of a leading Italian law firm.
“Rosario Sapuppo’s extensive experience with the legal issues impacting business ties between Italy and Turkey made him the ideal candidate to head our office’s newly created Italy desk,” said Levent Çelepçi, a Schoenherr partner and the head of the firm’s Istanbul office, in a prepared statement. “Italian firms are playing an increasingly important role in Turkey’s trade and investment. With Rosario onboard, we are well-positioned to provide this clientele with the specific legal advice and knowledge they require.”
The Italy desk in Schoenherr’s Istanbul office is the second in the firm’s 14-office network across the broader region of Central and Eastern Europe. The first, which is based in Schoenherr’s Bucharest office and has been headed by Daniele Iacona since its founding in 2008, has enjoyed great success in advising Italian clients both in Romania and across other CEE markets.
Prior to joining Schoenherr, Rosario Sapuppo was of counsel to the Italy desk of an Istanbul-based full-service law firm. He had previously worked as a senior lawyer and the head of the Turkey desk of an internationally-focused Italian law firm. Between 2007 and 2010, he worked in the Milan office of a national law firm, focusing on international law, commercial law, company law, and cross border transactions. Throughout his career, Sapuppo has advised clients from a broad range of sectors, including manufacturing, aviation and financial services.
Rosario Sapuppo obtained his Law Degree at the University of Bologna “Alma Mater Studiorum” in 2003. In 2005, he attended the University of California San Diego Extension course in business law and started cooperating with Bridge Mediation, an alternative dispute resolution consulting company. Sapuppo, who was admitted to the Milan bar in 2010, is a lecturer on the legal aspects of the Turkish market in the Executive Master program of Milan-based NIBI, the New International Business Institute. He frequently speaks at seminars and conferences and was a co-author of Come tutelare la proprietà intellettuale in Turchia, published by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in 2011.
