Profile
Mario Santa Maria, Co-Managing Partner of the Milan office, focuses on corporate law, M&A, and capital markets. He represents high-profile clients in major cross-border and national M&A transactions, with a specific focus on the pharmaceutical, banking, chemical, automotive, food and wine, and luxury hospitality industries. Mario has also been involved in IPOs, tender offers, and squeeze-outs, while assisting private equity funds, banks, and institutions on complex financial transactions.
Mario has in-depth experience in national and international arbitration under the ICC rules and the rules of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration.
He is admitted to practice in New York where he worked at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP in 2004 and at Greenberg Traurig LLP from 2005-2007.
Concentrations
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Corporate governance
- Pharmaceutical, medical devices and health care
- Automotive
- Luxury hospitality
Capabilities
Experience
- Assisted a leading Italian based pharmaceutical company in the signing of a purchase agreement for the acquisition of the entire share capital of a UK company operating in the diagnostic field.°
- Assisted a London based investment firm in the acquisition from an Italian bank of the majority stake in an Italian financial intermediary operating in consumer finance.°
- Represented a leading Italian pharmaceutical player in the sale of its pharma business to another Italian pharmaceutical company.°
- Represented the majority shareholder of an Italian Bank in its initial public offering on the Italian Stock Exchange.°
- Represented a U.S. based private equity fund in the acquisition of an Italian Bank.°
- Represented a leading Italian player in fasteners industry in the acquisition of a U.S. based player from a US private equity fund.°
- Represented the majority shareholders in the acquisition of the largest minority shareholder in the context of a leverage buy out of an Italian company owning one of the best luxury hotel in the world.°
- Represented an Italian family in the acquisition of the majority shares of a company owning, among the others, one of the best luxury hotel in the world.°
- Represented a leading pharmaceutical company in the acquisition of a German manufacturer of pharmaceutical finished products.°
- Represented a leading pharmaceutical company in the entering into a joint venture for the building of a facility dedicated to the manufacture of soda chlorine to be used also in pharmaceutical industry.°
- Represented a leading Italian player in fasteners industry in the acquisition of the majority shares of an Indian manufacturer from an Indian conglomerate.°
- Advised a leading player in the pharmaceutical industry in an international arbitration proceeding regulated by the International Chamber of Commerce related to a contractual dispute concerning a license and supply agreement.°
- Advised a major pharmaceutical company in an international arbitration proceeding regulated by the International Chamber of Commerce related to the invalidity of certain patents and claw back of royalty payments.°
- Advised a major player in the pharmaceutical industry in an international arbitration proceeding regulated by the International Chamber of Commerce related to certain contractual obligations on the smooth transfer from a licensee to a licensor at the time of expiration of the license agreement.°
- Assistance in M&A transaction - related litigation, including interim proceedings and arbitration.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Santa Maria prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig Santa Maria, an affiliate of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Staff Attorney, Government appointed Commissioner for the Participation of the Italian Republic to EXPO 2015, Milan
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Chambers Global, “Corporate/M&A,” 2020 and 2022-2024
- Listed, Chambers Europe, “Corporate/M&A, Italy,” 2015-2020, 2022-2024
- Listed, Legal 500 EMEA
- Commercial, Corporate and M&A, 2022-2024
- Restructuring and Insolvency, 2023
- Employment, 2022
- Mergers & Acquisitions, Italy, 2015-2019
- Member, Milan Bar Association, 2001-Present
- Member, New York Bar Association, 2005-Present
- Member, International Bar Association, 2005-Present
- Member, Columbia Alumni Association, 2005-Present
Credentials
-
LL.M., Corporate and Corporate Finance, Columbia Law School
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- J.D., summa cum laude, University of Milan
- Italian, Native
- English, Fluent
- French, Conversational