McDermott Will & Schulte, a global law firm

Simon Airey focuses his practice on global, cross-border and internal investigations, financial and regulatory crime, bribery and corruption, money laundering, tax and fraud inquiries, data breaches, dawn raids, asset tracing, international enforcement and corporate compliance issues. Simon serves as co-head of McDermott Will & Schulte's global investigations and compliance practice.

He has conducted a wide range of investigations and corporate defence assignments in different sectors, including construction, defence, financial services, gambling, oil and gas, logistics, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications. Simon represents both companies and individuals in criminal and regulatory proceedings and in associated litigation.

Simon advises a large number of multinational groups on their global compliance programs and assists clients with corporate risk assessments and pre- and post- M&A due diligence. He conducts tailored training for boards and senior management and has lectured around the world on a range of topics including the UK Bribery Act and the UK Criminal Finances Act. He advises a number of organisations on the corporate criminal offence of failing to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion and served on the UK Law Society committee which devised related guidance for the legal profession.

In addition to leading various major tax, fraud and bribery investigations, Simon has recently defended multi-party litigation in relation to a significant data breach in the UK, dealt with an FCA investigation relating to a global payment services provider and represented a high-profile individual in relation to a multi-million pound D&O insurance dispute in the context of a US DoJ prosecution. He has also advised a foreign government in relation to various tax and transparency issues and represented over 50 financial institutions served with data production orders by HM Revenue & Customs in the UK.

Fabio Cozzi heads the Italian dispute resolution practice and focuses his practice on cross-border litigation, domestic and international arbitration, compliance, financial crime and international trade.

He advises corporations, financial institutions and investment funds in complex disputes, often spanning multiple jurisdictions, as well as domestic and international arbitration proceedings in a range of commercial, corporate, real estate, energy, bankruptcy, financial and technology-related matters.

Fabio also counsels corporate clients and financial institutions on compliance and international trade issues, assessing the risk deriving from trade restrictions, economic and financial sanctions and advising on internal investigations related to corruption and financial crime.

Vincenzo Giannantonio focuses his practice on M&A transactions, with a particular emphasis on leveraged buyouts (LBOs) and private equity investments.

He advises private equity and venture capital sponsors, as well as industrial groups, family-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and management teams, across the full lifecycle of investments, including acquisitions, disposals, add-on transactions and portfolio management.

He has significant experience assisting both buyers and sellers in complex domestic and cross-border transactions.
Known for his pragmatic and business-oriented approach, Vincenzo is recognized for his ability to lead negotiations effectively and deliver efficient, solution-driven outcomes.

Vincenzo is co-head of the Milan office.

Nicolette Kost De Sèvres focuses her practice on global investigations, compliance and regulatory enforcement matters. A former financial regulator and general counsel of a large, listed company, she has over 24 years of experience in compliance, white-collar crime and financial regulation. Nicolette serves as co-head of McDermott Will & Schulte’s global investigations and compliance practice.

Nicolette has practiced in Paris, London, Sydney, Washington, DC, and Montreal, including at the New York Stock Exchange in Paris (NYSE Euronext) and the Royal Bank of Scotland in London. She also served as chief of staff and advisor to the president of the Financial Markets Authority in Canada under two different presidents.

Nicolette has a wealth of experience in anti-corruption and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance both in Europe and globally. She handles corporate and regulatory investigations, risk assessments, and due diligence compliance, including Know Your Client (KYC) regulations. Nicolette also represents clients before enforcement agencies and regulators in Europe, Canada and the United States, such as the new French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) and assists them in compliance, investigations and regulatory matters related to regulators such as ESMA the AMF, ACPR, CFTC, SEC, the World Bank and other multilateral banks.

Nicolette advises financial institutions and global and local companies on preventive measures. She is a sought-after advisor in complex white-collar crime matters, building and strengthening local and global compliance programs, preparing or conducting risk assessments and mapping, whistleblowing systems, compliance programs, World Bank Integrity Guidelines, the French Loi Sapin II, Loi sur le devoir de vigilance, FCPA, UKBA, EU Directives relating to whistleblower protection, ESG reporting, EU financial regulation (including MIFID, EMIR, AIFMD, BASEL, BRDD, AML, PDS2, SEPA) and FinTech regulation. Additionally, she has a special insight on the military and defense sectors in the United States and France.

A known thought leader in the global market, Nicolette is a sought-after writer and speaker on compliance, enforcement, business ethics, international financial markets and the effects of regulation on financial systemic risk, derivatives, high-frequency trading and the legal framework of European financial markets.

She is the author of the book International Economic Law, numerous articles in compliance and investigations and one of the first articles on DLT, “Blockchain Revolution: An Analysis of Regulation and Technology Related to Distributed Ledger Technologies.” She teaches compliance, investigations and FinTech.