Press release

GA-Alliance lands in Pakistan: strategic partnership signed with Axis Law Chambers

MILAN – 29 January 2026

GA-Alliance, a global legal and tax firm with more than 2,600 professionals in 80 countries, announces its entry into the Pakistani market. The strategic partnership with Axis Law Chambers, a leading full‑service law firm in the region, marks a further expansion of GA‑Alliance’s network, which today covers geographies that generate nearly 90% of global GDP.

The agreement strengthens GA‑Alliance’s commitment to its “one‑stop‑shop” strategy. By integrating local expertise with the highest global standards, the Alliance offers clients a single, efficient access point for all legal and tax needs. This model removes the complexities of managing multiple advisers across different jurisdictions, delivering a coordinated and seamless experience that prioritizes clarity and business growth.

Axis Law Chambers brings to the Alliance a reputation for excellence, particularly in high‑value cross‑border mandates and advice on complex regulatory matters. Regularly listed by Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500, Axis Law stands out for its transactional work in corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), employment law, intellectual property, foreign investment, public‑private partnerships, corporate governance, antitrust, tax, data protection and sectoral compliance. The firm advises clients in key industries such as energy, oil & gas, mining, healthcare, telecommunications, automotive, financial services, defense, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, media, IT, logistics, real estate and non‑profit organizations.

Axis Law also boasts one of Pakistan’s most authoritative dispute resolution practices, including litigation and international arbitration, with solid experience in proceedings before ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, based in Washington, D.C., and part of the World Bank), ICC (International Chamber of Commerce, based in Paris) and LCIA (London Court of International Arbitration, based in London). This depth of expertise ensures GA‑Alliance clients receive top‑level support in the world’s fifth most populous country, one of the most dynamic economies in Asia.

Francesco Sciaudone, Managing Partner of GA‑Alliance, emphasized the strategic importance of the operation: “Our entry into Pakistan through the partnership with Axis Law Chambers is another step that strengthens our global growth path. At GA‑Alliance, the goal is to simplify complexity for our clients. By extending our ‘one‑stop‑shop’ model to an outstanding Pakistani firm, we are increasingly able to offer our clients the ability to operate with confidence in a very large number of markets worldwide. We are not only expanding our geographic presence; we are enhancing a sophisticated ecosystem where international best practices and precision meet local market leadership to meet clients’ needs in a simple, direct and highly efficient way.”

About GA‑Alliance

With more than 2,600 professionals in 80 countries, GA‑Alliance is a global legal and tax firm with deep European roots, combining a strong legal tradition with a broad international presence. Founded on principles of excellence and innovation, GA‑Alliance offers integrated, multidisciplinary expertise and positions itself as a strategic partner to promote sustainable growth in an ever‑evolving regulatory environment.

About Axis Law Chambers

Axis Law Chambers is a leading Pakistani law firm recognized for excellence in corporate and transactional advice and in resolving commercial disputes. With a team of over 30 professionals and seven partners, the firm assists national and multinational clients in high‑impact transactions, regulatory compliance and complex dispute resolution matters, including international arbitrations.

The workshop “Basket Bond Regione Lazio: Beyond Traditional Credit”, hosted last week at GA‑Alliance’s Rome office, turned discussion into a practical roadmap for local SMEs. Technical presentations, real‑world case studies and a roundtable with institutional representatives and market participants demonstrated how the Basket Bond can become a tangible instrument to finance growth, internationalisation and financial consolidation.

Why the Basket Bond matters for SMEs

• Access to long‑term capital — The Basket Bond enables companies to secure financing with longer maturities than traditional bank loans.
• Diversification of funding sources — Collective issuances allow SMEs to reduce reliance on bank credit and attract institutional investors.
• Strengthening governance and reputation — Participation in an issuance requires transparency and standardisation, which improve corporate governance and market perception.

How it works in practice

• Securitisation and public guarantee — Technical sessions explained how securitisation converts receivables into tradable securities and how public guarantees mitigate risk, making the securities more attractive to institutional investors.
• Stable returns and mitigated risk — The combination of structure, rating and guarantees delivers a risk/return profile aligned with professional investors’ requirements.
• Practical examples — Case studies illustrated pricing, maturities and placement mechanisms.

The operational role of arrangers

• Key arrangers — CDP, Mediocredito Centrale, Banca Finint and Banca Finnat Euramerica outlined the essential operational steps: structuring the issuance, setting pricing, market placement and post‑issuance management.
• Arrangers’ added value — Their experience is crucial to translate corporate needs into effective financial solutions and to secure market success.

Testimonials and value for companies

• Support for growth plans — Participant testimonies highlighted how the Basket Bond model can finance productive investments and international expansion projects.
• Operational Q&A — Questions from attendees clarified practical aspects for SMEs: eligibility requirements, impact on financial structure and implementation timelines.

GA‑Alliance’s role as Legal & Tax Advisor

Francesco Sciaudone, Managing Partner of GA‑Alliance, described the legal role of arrangers and the firm’s contribution in supporting issuances. With experience in approximately 200 issuances, GA‑Alliance emphasised the importance of specialised legal support to manage contractual complexity, compliance and relationships with institutional investors.

Roundtable speakers and principal contributors

• Francesco Sciaudone — Managing Partner, GA‑Alliance
• Roberta Angelìlli — Vice President, Regione Lazio
• Giulio Bastia — Co‑General Manager, Banca Finnat Euramerica
• Giuseppe Biazzo — President, Unindustria Roma – Frosinone – Latina – Rieti – Viterbo
• Angelo Camilli — Vice President Credit, Finance and Tax, Confindustria
• Vincenzo Paolo Carbonara — Head of Alternative Finance, CDP
• Toni Ciolfi — Councillor, Ordine dei Commercialisti di Roma
• Lorenzo Coletta — Head of Minibond and Basket Bond, Mediocredito Centrale
• Massimo Fabiano — Head of Business Development Corporate Debt, Banca Finint
• Andrea Martina — Partner, GA‑Alliance
• Giovanni Sabatini — Senior Advisor, GA‑Alliance
• Fabrizio Sadun — Head of Public Affairs Italy, GA‑Alliance
• Paola Sepe — Counsel, GA‑Alliance

Key takeaways

• The Basket Bond is a practical solution for SMEs seeking medium‑ to long‑term capital while retaining flexibility.
• Structure and public guarantees make the securities more attractive to institutional investors.
• An experienced arranger and specialised legal counsel are decisive factors for a successful issuance.

We thank the speakers and the nearly 100 participants for a substantive, action‑oriented discussion that laid the groundwork for new financing opportunities across the Lazio region.

Our Team

GA‑Alliance, an international law and tax firm operating in 80 countries with more than 2,600 professionals, announces the appointment of Roberto Mastroianni as of counsel, effective 15 March 2026. This appointment strengthens the firm’s ability to handle complex European litigation and antitrust matters with a high-level institutional and technical perspective.

Professional and academic profile

Roberto Mastroianni is a full professor of European Union Law at the University of Naples Federico II. His career combines international academic experience with senior institutional roles: he served as a Judge and Presiding Judge of a Chamber at the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg (2019–2025) and has held positions as a référendaire at the Court of Justice of the European Union and as Counsellor for Legislative Affairs at the Department for European Affairs of the Italian Prime Minister’s Office.

His academic training includes a law degree from Florence (1987), an LL.M. from Penn State University (1990) and a PhD from Bologna (1992), with further study at institutions such as the University of Geneva, the University of Amsterdam and New York Law School. He has taught at numerous universities in Italy and abroad, including LUISS, Paris 2 Panthéon‑Assas and American University.

Distinctive expertise and practice areas

Throughout his career, Professor Mastroianni has maintained an active litigation practice, authorised to appear before Italy’s highest courts and European courts for more than twenty‑five years. His experience is particularly notable in competition law as applied to the Media and TMT sectors, and in regulatory issues related to the digital single market.

Mastroianni brings to GA‑Alliance a rare combination of the judicial decision‑maker’s perspective and the practical experience of an adviser, enabling him to assist clients in antitrust proceedings, cross‑border disputes and complex matters of European litigation.

Impact for the firm

Mastroianni’s arrival enables GA‑Alliance to offer clients advice that integrates technical expertise, institutional experience and strategic capability in European litigation. This reinforcement is strategic in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, where understanding the dynamics of the single market and EU judicial procedures is crucial for legal risk management and for designing effective defensive and regulatory strategies.

Statement from the managing partner

Francesco Sciaudone, Managing Partner of GA‑Alliance, emphasised that Mastroianni’s appointment confirms the firm’s growth trajectory and its ability to attract leading legal and fiscal minds at both national and international levels. According to Sciaudone, the experience gained at the General Court of the European Union provides the firm’s clients with a depth of technical and institutional insight that constitutes a significant competitive advantage.

Conclusion and outlook

The appointment of Roberto Mastroianni as of counsel marks an important step for GA‑Alliance in building an integrated offering for high‑profile European litigation and antitrust matters. For clients operating in regulated and digital sectors, the presence of a figure with leading judicial and academic experience represents both reassurance and a strategic asset.

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