The Law Firm of Vassalli e Associati was founded in Rome in the 1920’s by Prof. Filippo Vassalli (Rome, 1885-1995), a prominent exponent of Italian legal studies who acquired fame not only in academia but also in the professional field.

Prof. Vassalli was a professor of Roman Law at the Universities of Camerino, Perugia and Cagliari. He then taught Civil Law at the Universities of Genoa, Turin, and Rome.

Universally recognized as one of Italy’s finest civil attorneys, he held the position of Dean of the Law Faculty at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” from 1944 to 1955.

During his long and prestigious career, in addition to authoring several scientific publications primarily in the field of civil law, he was the President of the Central Bar Commission and Judge of the Sicilian Constitutional Court.

Since the end of the First World War, he participated in the work of various Committees for the unification of the law of the new provinces, for the revision of war legislation, and for the execution of the Pact with the Holy See on marriage, also providing a significant contribution to the preparation of the relative Law number 847 of May 25, 1929.

He was one of the principle inspirers and co-authors of the Italian Civil Code (still in force). Filippo Vassalli was a strenuous defender of the concept of the law as an individual right founded on reason and not on dogmas and even less on the imperative will of the Government. This was particularly significant in an era when public intervention dangerously invaded the individual’s sphere of liberty.

For many years he headed the drafting of “Trattato di Diritto Civile Italiano”, which is named after him, and remains, to date one of the most complete and widely-used texts.

In 1946, Prof. Giuliano Vassalli (Perugia, 1915) started to collaborate closely with his father’s law firm.

He was also one of the most significant and representative personalities in the scientific field of Italian legal culture and political life. Professor Emeritus of Criminal Law at the University of Rome La Sapienza, during his long career he held the highest academic, cultural, and political-institutional positions. He was the author of fundamental scientific works and essays on criminal subject matters. Furthermore, he was a Member of Parliament, Senator, President of the Justice Commission of the Senate, and then Minister of Justice, Judge of the Constitutional Court and finally Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

In the 1980’s, Prof. Francesco Vassalli became head Partner of the Firm.

He was Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Perugia, and has now been for many years, chair of the Bankruptcy Law Department, previously at the Economics Faculty and subsequently at the Law Faculty of the University of Rome La Sapienza, where, since 2003, he is also chair of the Corporate Law Department.

He was a member of the “Vietti Commission” for the general reform of Italian Corporate Law, enacted by means of Legislative Decree number 6 of January 17, 2003, which profoundly modified the 1942 Italian Civil Code.

The Firm relies on over 20 attorneys , specialized in criminal law, especially with regards to white collar crime.

Furthermore, the Firm has contacts with Law Firms in all major Italian and foreign cities, which enables it to operate efficiently on a national and international level.