Gianluca Fanti

Partner, Milan

Biography

“Gianluca Fanti is a point of reference in the sector for professionalism, seriousness and competence.” He has “maximum competence and dedication with maximum knowledge of the reference market, including all the most recent news.”
The Legal 500

Gianluca Fanti is “very straight to the point so he doesn't waste anyone's time”. Client applauds his “excellent problem-solving skills while maintaining a high level of legal protection for clients.”
Chambers & Partners Global

Overview

Gianluca Fanti is an Italian qualified lawyer with more than 20 years of experience. He specializes in banking and finance transactions with a focus on real estate finance, distressed assets disposals and acquisitions, special situations and securitizations of different type of claims.

Gianluca's experience across asset classes includes advising on transactions collateralized by trade receivables, NPLs, UtPs, Fintech/Proptech-related financial assets and other esoteric asset classes.

Gianluca has extensive experience in advising banks and alternative funds also on banking matters, debt restructuring and general lending.

Gianluca is ranked amongst the leading lawyers in Banking & Finance and Securitizations by Chambers & Partners Global/Europe 2024. He is also a highly regarded lawyer in Real Estate Finance, Banking and Structured Finance (Securitization) according to IFLR1000 2023. He is a leading lawyer in Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency according to the same directory, which describes his "hard-working approach and high level of commitment are impressive". In Chambers he "is commended for being committed and finding solutions in complex situations," "has a commercial approach and is well liked by clients," and is "noted for his skills in securitisation". Gianluca has also been named "Banking Lawyer of the Year" in 2015 by LegalCommunity.

STRUCTURED FINANCE

Gianluca assists arrangers, originators, issuers and credit enhancement providers on a broad range of securitization transactions including project bonds, RMBS, SMEs, consumer loans and leasing receivables securitizations.

NPLs AND UTPs SALES AND PURCHASE

Gianluca advices Italian and global investment banks, special opportunities funds and hedge funds on sale and acquisition of NPLs and distressed assets, distressed real estate projects and debt trading.

DEBT FINANCE

Gianluca has extensive experience in banking, acquisition and leveraged finance, investment grade financing and real estate finance deals and regularly advices financial sponsors, principal investors, lenders and borrowers in domestic and cross-border transactions.

Bars and Courts
Italian Bar
Education
JD (Juris Doctor)
University of Parma

Italy

Boston University School of Law

MA, United States

Languages
English
Italian
Spanish

Experience

Structured Finance and NPLs

A FinTech platform setting up, 2022
Gianluca advised a platform manager in connection with the setting up of a FinTech platform for the assignment of trade receivables arising from the supply of TLC with funding from fund managed by an independent, owner-managed alternative asset management company.

Hertz's up to €1.1 billion securitisation of motor vehicles, 2022
Gianluca advised the Italian subsidiaries of the Hertz group in connection with an up to €1.1 billion securitisation of motor vehicles carried out pursuant to article 7.2 of the Italian securitisation law in the context of a pan-European securitisation programme established by the Hertz group.

Goldman Sachs on the establishment of an innovative private financing/securitisation for Casavo, 2021-22
Gianluca advised Goldman Sachs International, as arranger and senior lender, and the other senior lenders, in connection with the establishment (and subsequent size increase) of an innovative private financing/securitisation for Casavo, an online PropTech platform in the real estate instant buying market.

AMCO's acquisition of €120 million UTPs from Intesa Sanpaolo, 2022
Gianluca advised Asset Management Company S.p.A. (AMCO) in connection with the acquisition of a portfolio of unlikely-to-pay loans (UTPs) from Intesa Sanpaolo for a total amount of €120 million.

Apeiron and Apollo funds's €1.8 billion transaction with Illimity, 2022
Gianluca advised Apeiron Management S.p.A. and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management in connection with a transaction with Illimity Bank S.p.A. consisting of the sale and subsequent refinancing of a portfolio of construction claims (riserve tecniche d'appalto) owned by the Apollo Funds with a nominal value of approximately €1.8 billion.

US bank's €100 million ABS acquisition and subsequent loans securitisation, 2021
Gianluca advised A US bank in connection with: (i) the acquisition of €100 million asset backed securities issued by an Italian securitisation vehicle and the subsequent restructuring of the securitisation transaction; and (ii) the purchase by a newly established Italian securitisation vehicle, acting through different compartments thereof, of two portfolios of performing and non-performing loans and the subsequent securitisation of such loans.

York Capital Management on a real estate complex securitisation, 2021
Gianluca advised York Capital Management Europe (UK) Advisors in connection with a complex restructuring transaction involving, amongst others, the acquisition by funds managed or advised by York, through two separate Italian securitisation structures, of a €150 million non-performing mortgage loan portfolios secured by a combination of hotels, commercial properties and residential properties and the subsequent restructuring of the debtors' indebtedness pursuant to a framework agreement made by and between the investor and the relevant debtors.

A pool of banks on the setting up of the €600 million RSCT Fund, 2021
Gianluca advised UniCredit S.p.A., Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., BPER Banca S.p.A., Crédit Agricole Italia S.p.A., Crédit Agricole FriulAdria S.p.A. and other primary Italian banks, as originators and initial unitholders, in connection with the setting up of RSCT Fund (Responsible & Sustainable Corporate Turnaround Fund), being an innovative €600 million closed-ended alternative investment fund reserved to professional investors with a focus on unlikely-to-pay (UTP) corporate exposures, managed by Davy Global Fund Management and advised by Pillarstone.

Credito Fondiario €920 million multi-originator securitization, 2020
Gianluca advised Credito Fondiario S.p.A., as master servicer and special servicer, in connection with the €920 million multi-originator securitisation of non-performing receivables originated by 15 Italian banks (GACS eligible).

Intesa Sanpaolo Group and UniCredit's sale of a US$350 million NPLs portfolio, 2019
Gianluca advised Intesa Sanpaolo Group and UniCredit S.p.A. in connection with the set-up of a platform for the disposal of UTP shipping loans, through the constitution of an Italian closed-end umbrella alternative investment fund, named "Fi.NAV.", reserved to professional investors and the disposal of a shipping loans portfolio for a total GBV equal to around US$350 million.

Private Debt and Bank Lending

Pemberton's funds notes issuance for the acquisition of Ceramica Fondovalle, 2022
Gianluca advised funds controlled by Pemberton, as underwriters, in connection with the issuance of senior secured floating rate tap notes due 2024 issued by Italcer S.p.A., a company that operates in the ceramics sector, to partly finance the acquisition of Ceramica Fondovalle S.p.A., an Italian company which produces and sells ceramics.

Clessidra SGR's notes issuance for the acquisition of Impresoft Group, 2022
Gianluca advised Clessidra SGR S.p.A. in connection with the issuance of senior secured notes financing the acquisition of the Impresoft Group.

US fund and an international investment bank on a real estate financing, 2022
Gianluca advised a US fund and an international investment bank in connection with a real estate financing (an subsequent incremental facility) to an Italian real estate fund advanced through a securitisation structure.

Tikehau's notes issuance for the acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector, 2021
Gianluca advised Tikehau in connection with the structuring and underwriting of €60 million senior secured floating rate notes due 2028 issued by an indirect subsidiary of Gyrus for the purpose of acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector S.r.l. and refinancing the existing indebtedness thereof.

BC Partners Credit acquisition through an Italian securitisation vehicle, 2021
Gianluca advised BC Partners Credit, the credit group of BC Partners Advisors, in connection with a syndicated acquisition finance loan through Italian securitisation vehicle Agorà Finance S.r.l. and UniCredit S.p.A., as co-lenders, to a company dedicated to holding equity stakes in industrial and real estate entities.

Cassa Risparmio di Asti on a financing to a securitisation vehicle through Utps, 2021
Gianluca advised Cassa Risparmio di Asti S.p.A., as lender, in connection with a senior secured financing to an Italian securitisation vehicle collateralized by an unlikely-to-pay mortgage loan portfolio vis-à-vis an Italian real estate company.

Starwood Capital on a financing for the renovation of Hotel Danieli, 2021
Gianluca advised a US investment fund Starwood Capital Group in connection with a financing for the renovation of the Hotel Danieli in Venice, an historic and iconic luxury asset in Statuto Group's real estate portfolio. The transaction was organized by the US investment fund King Street Capital Management L.P. with the participation of Starwood Capital Group.

Mediobanca real estate financing for an asset located in Montecarlo, 2020
Gianluca advised Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A. in connection with the purchase of a portion of the existing commitment under a facilities agreement entered into for the purpose of acquiring a real estate asset located in Montecarlo.

UniCredit on a real estate financing to Immobiliare Elvezia, 2018
Gianluca advised UniCredit S.p.A., as lender and agent, in connection with a real estate financing to Immobiliare Elvezia S.r.l., a company owning a real estate complex for office use located in Monza.

Mediobanca on a real estate financing for acquisition of Pirelli's headquarters, 2018
Gianluca advised Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A., as original lender and agent, in connection with a term loan facility granted to Kryalos SGR S.p.A., acting as managing company of the close-ended real estate alternative investment fund "Tyre" – Fondo di Investimento Alternativo Immobiliare di Tipo Chiuso Riservato, to finance the acquisition of an office building located in Milan named the HQ1 building,

Awards and Recognition

Capital Markets: Securitization
Leading Lawyer (Band 2): Chambers & Partners Global/Europe 2024
Highly regarded: IFLR1000 2023

Capital Markets: Debt
Leading Individual: The Legal 500 2023

Banking & Finance
Highly regarded: IFLR1000 2023
Recommended: The Legal 500 2023
Banking Lawyer of the Year: LegalCommunity 2015

Real Estate Finance
Highly regarded: IFLR1000 2023

Restructuring and Insolvency
Recommended: The Legal 500 2023